The long simmering tension on the state board finally exploded in confrontation:
- A debate over Common Core standards escalates until Ritz walks out. (Chalkbeat)
- Ritz says she was trying to stop an illegal resolution from the state board. (WTHR)
- The underlying issue is who controls education policy in Indiana. (The Statehouse File)
- Ritz says the state board is trying to usurp her authority. (NWI)
- Ritz: Pence is undermining the Indiana Department of Education. (StateImpact)
- Communication breakdown is part of the state board story. (WIBC)
- This feud has been long running. (Indy Star)
Before the meeting went south, the state board actually approved a limited plan on A to F grades:
- The A to F plan defers most of the tough issues. (Chalkbeat)
- Schools would be graded on a 100-point scale. (Journal Courier)
- The new A to F plan cleared its first hurdle. (NWI)
- Categories are set for A to F but the data is not ready. (The Statehouse File)
- The state board was leery, but they approved the concept for a new A to F system. (StateImpact)
- After a moment of unity, chaos erupts. (AP)
There were dueling newspaper columns by Pence and Ritz, along with a pretty harsh editorial:
- Gov. Mike Pence called for Ritz to join him in a “civil, respectful,” debate over education policy in a newspaper column. (Indy Star)
- See also Ritz’s Tuesday newspaper column assailing Pence’s “complete education takeover.” (Journal Courier)
- Editorial: Ritz’s actions were an embarrassment and a disservice. (Indy Star)
In other education news:
- A deer breaks into an Indiana school and there’s video. (WTHR)
- Amos Brown interviews robot-making IPS students. (WTLC)
- Erika Smith: Robot competition is good for kids. (Indy Star)
- Patrick Riccards: Both sides are to blame for vitriol in education debates. (Eduflack)
- New York City may have issued its last A to F grades Wednesday. (Gotham Schools)
- A handful of states are actively trying to save cursive writing. (AP)
- Struggling to understand a young person’s suicide. (Indy Star)