Noon Edition airs on Fridays at noon on WFIU.
During the 2022 legislative session, lawmakers are looking at bills such as House Bill 1134, which proponents say would increase transparency and opponents say will interfere with teaching controversial topics.
Studies and test scores already show that the average Indiana student may have lost more than a year of learning during the pandemic, and these effects are felt disproportionately by vulnerable student groups.
Schools also received unprecedented amounts of federal funding; Indiana received nearly $3 billion. Districts decide how to spend the money allocated, with some restrictions and requirements that expenditures help bridge the gap of instruction students missed in the last two years.
Lawmakers put more money toward vouchers and charter schools before the pandemic, but an Indiana Senate committee decided this session not to hear a bill that would require a school corporation to share local tax dollars with charter schools.
This week on Noon Edition, we’ll talk about public education in Indiana with researchers and experts on education equity.
You can follow us on Twitter @NoonEdition or send us questions for the show at news@indianapublicmedia.org.
Note: This week, our guests and hosts will participate remotely to avoid risk of spreading COVID-19.
Guests
Phil Harris, Indiana Coalition for Public Education member, "Indiana's Choice" producer
Paul Farmer, teacher Bloomington High School North, MCEA President
Ashlyn Nelson, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs economist
Alexander Cuenca, Indiana University School of Education associate professor