Education reform post-Bennett?
Lawmaker, expert say much still on agenda.
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As Indiana lawmakers return for a busy 2013 session on Monday, a big question mark is, will momentum for sweeping school reform initiatives continue?
The answer isn't yet crystal clear, but it is apparent the hot topics that have been in the forefront will continue to command attention.
Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, chairman of the House Education Committee, said lawmakers will talk about -- among a hefty list of other things -- what could amount to expansion of the school voucher program, tweaking the state's A through F grading system, and speeding up the timeline for state takeovers of failing schools.
But under the new leadership of Democrat Glenda Ritz at the Indiana Department of Education, one expert says, school reform will likely be carried out with a fundamentally different approach.
David Dresslar, executive director of the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning at the University of Indianapolis, said the perception has been that outgoing state schools Superintendent Tony Bennett has a top-down leadership style.
"I think she'll develop a more bottom-up style of seeking input ... bringing educators, superintendents with her," Dresslar said of Ritz.
As for the types of reform that'll be addressed during the upcoming legislative session, he said, the findings of the newly formed Select Commission on Education will undoubtedly have a bearing. It's
