INDIANAPOLIS – As every fan of “Jaws” knows, when there’s blood in the water, the sharks will start to circle.
The same is true in politics.
Shortly after Tony Bennett resigned his post as Florida’s top education official on Thursday – over an alleged grade-changing scandal that occurred during his time as Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction –two Indiana teacher union leaders called for a moratorium of the Hoosier State’s K-12 accountability system.
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Many of the accountability measures were put in place during Bennett’s tenure in Indiana.
In other words, they say schools should no longer be judged by their performance because Bennett allegedly helped one school gain a better grade than it deserves.
Talk about an overreaction.
The people of Indiana should see through this self-serving attempt to protect ineffective teachers and schools. They still need to be held accountable for their performance, regardless of what Bennett may or may not have done.
‘Until everyone is satisfied’
Under reforms passed during Bennett’s tenure as Indiana’s superintendent, the performance of every public school is rated using an A-F letter grading system. Charter schools are public schools and are included in the grading program.
Bennett’s resignation came after the Associated Press published a story about email messages that suggest he worked with other officials to inflate the state-issued letter grade of a charter school operated by a top political donor.
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Suddenly the school grading system is under intense scrutiny.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence supports the grading system, and has called on the Indiana Department of Education to review the system and investigate the alleged grade change in time for the State Board of Education’s upcoming August meeting.
Pence would like to see the grading system fixed, if necessary, but certainly not scrapped.
But American Federation of Teachers Indiana President Rick Muir isn’t one to wait around for the facts – not when there are political points to be scored, anyway.
The unions hate the grading system because state officials use it to determine which schools are taken over by the state and which students qualify for private school vouchers.
During a meeting with reporters, Muir said the controversy and Bennett’s subsequent resignation “should confirm” that Indiana’s grading system is “flawed” and “manipulated,” and should be suspended immediately, according to IndianaPublicMedia.org.
The Indiana State Teachers’ Association echoed that sentiment in a press release:
“Action must be taken now to restore confidence, fairness and cooperation among all stakeholders. That action should include a moratorium on further school grading until everyone is satisfied that the system and whatever consequences and/or support ensure can be administered fairly.”
Notice the words: until everyone is satisfied with the system.
If lawmakers are foolish enough to follow ISTA’s advice and suspend the useful school grading system until the union is “satisfied” with it, the programs will never again see the light of day.
That’s because genuine reform simply isn’t on the unions’ radar.
Should one mistake sink all government programs?
It’s understandable why the unions are taking this approach: They’ve had a rough few years, and they’re eager to change the conversation from reforming public education to the real or perceived misdeeds of reformers.
But the unions’ call to undo K-12 reforms due to one instance of possible corruption is just silly.
Using that logic, every government program and agency that’s found to be imperfect should be shut down.
The federal government might as well turn the I.R.S. headquarters into a Starbucks and the U.S. Justice Department into an art gallery. And every agency involved in handing out welfare money should be shuttered, as well.
Those are moronic ideas, as is ISTA and AFT Indiana’s suggestion to pause Indiana’s school reforms.
Lost in this conversation is the matter of Bennett’s guilt. He may have quit his job, but he certainly didn’t sound like a man with something to hide on Thursday. He says he’s innocent and he deserves a fair hearing.
Bennett told reporters he sent a letter to Indiana’s inspector general on Thursday asking for an investigation into his actions related to the controversy, reports IndyStar.com.
“That way, we can put this issue to rest,” Bennett said. “I’m fearless about what they will find.”
We’re hopeful that Bennett’s proven innocent.
He’s a good man who has done a lot of good for Indiana’s poor and middle class school children.
But even if investigators find Bennett blameless, there will still be a trace of blood in the water, which means the union sharks will continue to circle and wait for their opportunity to strike.
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