Ritz Supporters Rally Monday At Statehouse

UPDATED, 3:40 p.m.:

People packed three levels of the Indiana Statehouse Monday afternoon for what was dubbed the “Rally for Ritz,” a public event to show support for state superintendent Glenda Ritz.

Superintendent Glenda Ritz appears at a rally on her behalf at the statehouse. (Photo Credit: Gretchen Frazee/WTIU)

The event, organized by the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, featured speakers including Senate minority leader Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) and representatives from various education organizations, including two of the state’s largest teachers’ unions – the ISTA and AFT Indiana.

The same groups held a social media campaign last week using the hashtag “#IStandWithRitz.”

Speakers reiterated that sentiment.

“Get the politicians out of the way, let you do what you know best, educate our children,” Sen. Lanane told attendees. “People decided who was going to be the superintendent of public instruction – let her do her job, right?”

Supporters of state superintendent Glenda Ritz pack the statehouse in Indianapolis Monday afternoon. (Photo Credit: Rachel Morello/StateImpact Indiana)

Superintendent Ritz herself dropped in for an unannounced visit.

“Today’s rally is about students,” Ritz said to an audience of parents and teachers from various corners of the state. “I stand with you!”

Underscoring the event are months of tension between various state education policymakers – including Ritz, Governor Mike Pence, the Department of Education and State Board of Education. Icy relations came to a particularly controversial head last week, when lawmakers decided to shorten the spring ISTEP+ test. Schools may begin administering the first portion of that test next week.

A number of bills are also currently making their way through the General Assembly that would shift some responsibility among the group. The Senate was originally scheduled to decide on a bill focused on state board governance Monday afternoon. SB1 calls to allow the board to elect its own chairperson annually, removing a requirement that the state superintendent automatically serve as chair. The bill also makes a number of changes to board procedure, including the process to get an item on the agenda.

The deadline to pass legislation from its originating house falls next week.