The Daily Report Card: Slashing Budgets, Indiana Salaries, And Democratic Vouchers

In The Classroom Today

School Districts Fear Slashed Budgets After Supercommittee Fails – Politics K-12 – Education Week Education advocates and local school officials are nervously eyeing a series of draconian cuts set to hit just about every federal program in 2013—including Title I, special education, and money for teacher quality—now that a bipartisan panel tasked with making recommendations for trimming the nation’s deficit has failed to reach agreement. Quick recap: Over the summer, as part of an agreement to raise the debt ceiling, lawmakers decided to set up a bipartisan “supercommittee” which would include twelve members of the House and Senate, half Democrats and half Republicans. The panel was supposed to come up with at least $1.2 trillion in savings over 10 years. But lawmakers failed to reach agreement. (blogs.edweek.org)

JournalGazette.net – Learning Curve | The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN Indiana superintendent salaries are attracting plenty of attention these days. Here’s The Journal Gazette’s editorial take on the subject. Jeff Abbott, former superintendent of East Allen County Schools, also weighed in on the subject, in a column published in the News-Sentinel for the right-leaning Indiana Policy Review. His article is mostly a defense of the generous contracts, based on the tough job school superintendents face. I would agree wholeheartedly with his assertion that the demands are great, particularly for superintendents in large, diverse districts. But where Abbott’s piece falls short is in the disclosure category. (journalgazette.net)

Indiana House Democrats Unveil PreSchool Voucher Plan – Indianapolis Political Buzz | Examiner.com Although “right to work” dominated the talk around the State House Monday, Democratic Leader Pat Bauer got my attention when he unveiled the Democrats’ ‘Helping Hoosiers Now” plan.  The plan hits the usual Democratic themes of jobs, education and child protection services.  However what stopped me in my tracks was Bauer calling for vouchers for preschool.   Yes, in the same sentence I wrote “Bauer”, “voucher” and “preschool”.   You can pick your jaw up off the floor. (Examiner.com)