Dear Friends,

Democracy is eroding around the world.

Now, democracy is on the ropes in my own school district, the Indianapolis Public Schools.  My vote for IPS school board members would be made nearly meaningless by House Bill 1423.

A gut-wrenching farewell to local democracy!

A new corporation headed by a 9-member board appointed by the mayor would assume power over IPS and its elected board in all matters related to transportation (school buses), to facilities (school buildings and school closings), and to accountability (test results).  The new super board would have three charter school leaders, three community leaders and only three of the seven IPS elected school board members, all selected and appointed by the mayor.

When I object to school board actions currently, I can vote against board members in the next election.  No such accountability is available for the new board.  They are beholden only to the mayor who appointed them, who can also remove them at any time he wishes.  Democracy is withering right before our eyes.

The new corporation with its super board will be given the power to levy and collect property taxes and IPS will lose that power.  I will still have to pay property taxes in IPS but I won’t be able to vote the members of the new board out of office if I object to board actions.

This is taxation without representation!!

An amendment to the bill would have given elected IPS board members five seats out of the nine on the new board, giving elected members a potential controlling majority. The amendment was voted down in a party line vote.  This has become a partisan bill backed by Republicans and opposed by Democrats, despite the fact that Democratic Mayor Hogsett supports HB 1423.

The bill passed the House on Monday (February 2) by a party line vote of 68 to 30.  Representative Cherrish Pryor, a Democrat from Indianapolis, speaking against the bill before the vote, expressed concern that the mayor of Indianapolis would have complete control over appointments to the new board.  She said it is too much responsibility for any mayor.  She said the public would only be able to hold the elected board accountable and would not be able to hold the new board accountable.  Thus, the bill “removes accountability.’’

Precisely!

Now the bill heads to the Senate.  For the sake of taxpayer representation in Indianapolis schools, let your Senator and all Senators know that you oppose the erosion of democracy that this bill represents.

I encourage you to advocate for all Indiana public schools. Our ICPE team has issued several calls to action on specific bills, including HB 1423, which you can see on our Legislative Alerts page on our website.

Find your legislator

Thank you for your active support of public schools in Indiana!

Best wishes,

Vic Smith

“Vic’s Statehouse Notes” and ICPE received one of three Excellence in Media Awards presented by Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of over 85,000 women educators in seventeen countries.  The award was presented on July 30, 2014 during the Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention held in Indianapolis.  Thank you Delta Kappa Gamma!

ICPE has worked since 2011 to promote public education in the Statehouse and oppose the privatization of schools.  We need your membership to help support ICPE lobbying efforts.  We need all ICPE members to renew their membership.  

Our lobbyist Joel Hand is representing ICPE extremely well in the 2026 session.  We need your memberships and your support to continue his work. We welcome additional members and additional donations.  We need your help and the help of your colleagues who support public education!  Please pass the word!  

 Go to www.indianacoalitionforpubliced.org for membership and renewal information and for full information on ICPE efforts on behalf of public education.  Thanks! 

Some readers have asked about my background in Indiana public schools.  Thanks for asking!  Here is a brief bio:

I am a lifelong Hoosier and began teaching in 1969.  I served as a social studies teacher, curriculum developer, state research and evaluation consultant, state social studies consultant, district social studies supervisor, assistant principal, principal, educational association staff member, and adjunct university professor.   I worked for Garrett-Keyser-Butler Schools, the Indiana University Social Studies Development Center, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indianapolis Public Schools, IUPUI, and the Indiana Urban Schools Association, from which I retired as Associate Director in 2009.  I hold three degrees: B.A. in Ed., Ball State University, 1969; M.S. in Ed., Indiana University, 1972; and Ed.D., Indiana University, 1977, along with a Teacher’s Life License and a Superintendent’s License, 1998.  In 2013 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the IU School of Education, and in 2014 I was honored to be named to the Teacher Education Hall of Fame by the Association for Teacher Education – Indiana.  In April of 2018, I was honored to receive the 2018 Friend of Education Award from the Indiana State Teachers Association.