Editorial Roundup:

The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette. Aug. 16, 2020

Strong voice to advocate for schools indispensable

If we could count on Jennifer McCormick occupying the top state schools post come January, it would be easier to accept the governor’s “trust us” pledge to fully fund public schools – both those with students in classrooms and those where it is necessary to offer online-only instruction.

But the power play that made the state superintendent of public instruction a gubernatorial appointee goes into effect in 2021, and those responsible for it are now asking us to trust them on school funding. Without McCormick’s fierce advocacy for public schools, any pledge to do no harm to schools and students should be regarded warily.

Events over the past 10 days have fueled school districts’ financial concerns, beginning with a warning from Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray that schools not offering classroom instruction were subject to a 15% budget cut, per the current funding formula for virtual instruction. School leaders, some of whom have been forced to offer only online instruction because of their local health department’s COVID-19 guidance, objected.

Gov. Eric Holcomb insisted Wednesday it was his intent to deliver full funding. But it’s not his call unless he steps up with an executive order. It’s in the hands of GOP legislative leaders, who say they agree but haven’t committed to changing the law, which they would have to do in a special session or in January. By then, count on budget leaders insisting deep spending cuts are necessary because of pandemic-related revenue shortfalls.

McCormick offered a pointed warning in a tweet posted Thursday.

“Appreciate the funding support, but… Ask your (superintendents): 1) What happens if legislators do not pass a fix? … 2) Would it surprise you if legislators did not pass a fix (after election)? … 3) Are you going to bargain at the table on a gamble?”

The state superintendent is not the first to suggest her Republican colleagues might be making election-year promises they will abandon after Nov. 3, but she’s the only one with a Statehouse office and firsthand experience negotiating policy with them. Within months of taking office in 2017, she began challenging the administration and speaking up on behalf of public schools. Holcomb supported the legislation to eliminate her elected office.

The next governor will appoint the next education chief. Both Holcomb and his Democratic challenger, Dr. Woody Myers, should be prepared to tell voters whom they will tap for the job. When Hoosier voters had a voice, they repeatedly chose educators with strong local school district experience, not education policy advisers. They rejected candidates – and an incumbent – whose loyalty did not appear to lie with public schools.

In her remaining months in office, McCormick isn’t backing down. In an interview last week with NPR radio, she said Indiana schools face a triple threat: efforts to withhold state money, federal money and now career/tech dollars lost unless buildings are open for in-person instruction.

“It’s one thing to say we’re supporting state funding, but we need action. We either have to have an executive order or (the governor) has to call a special session,” she said. “If not, you are cutting 15% of our funds. From the feds, it is very, very frustrating.”

The stakes are high for educators and for families making school decisions this month. But they also are high for Indiana voters weighing promises for support for schools beyond Election Day. The decision would be easier if we knew McCormick would be at the Statehouse in January, still speaking truth to power.

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South Bend Tribune. Aug. 16, 2020

It’s critical that schools be transparent about COVID-19 cases

As Indiana school administrators look ahead to the time when everyone returns to the classroom - and when COVID-19 makes its inevitable appearance - they are grappling with how such information will be shared.

And as with most issues related to COVID-19, they are doing so with little, if any, guidance from the state.

As noted in a recent Tribune report, there are no requirements by the state for how Indiana schools reopen and operate during the pandemic. Many key decisions - from how cases are handled to who gets alerted - are being left to school districts to make on their own.

Some districts have already faced these decisions. Saint Joseph High School canceled some sports workouts for two weeks last month after at least seven students tested positive for COVID-19. Mishawaka High School’s football coach tested positive for the virus and the school’s volleyball players and coaches were put under quarantine after “an individual involved” with the program tested positive. John Glenn High School canceled football practice for a week and instructed players and coaches to self-monitor for symptoms after one of its players tested positive.

The schools handled the public release of the cases in different ways, and different levels of detail.

All of this raises important questions about how transparent schools will be, of how cases will be tracked and how much information will be released to the public. And how will school leaders notify students, parents and the public?

Those interviewed in the Tribune story expressed a general desire to be transparent while also respecting privacy. And many school officials have pointed to privacy laws like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as reasons for potentially not disclosing COVID-19 cases to the public. But HIPAA generally does not apply to elementary and secondary schools and does not prohibit the reporting of coronavirus case statistics without names.

School officials have critical decisions to make on transparency - decisions that will affect those inside the school buildings and the community at large. In sending students back into the classrooms, with the hope that all the safety guidelines are in place and are effective, school leaders will be embarking on a grand experiment. They will do so with the expectation that, even with safety measures in place, there will be coronavirus cases. The challenge will be avoiding a massive outbreak.

It’s essential that schools keep the community updated on COVID-19 figures, as it affects everyone. Limiting the spread of the virus doesn’t mean ignoring privacy concerns by revealing names. It means being honest and timely in relaying urgent information.

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Kokomo Tribune. Aug 15, 2020

We deserve mail-in option

For the past five months, Eric Holcomb has been on a hot seat of governance that his predecessors could only have had nightmares about.

He’s watched a public health crisis sweep across his state and kill approximately 3,000 Hoosiers. Indiana’s economy, the source of so much pride to his administration and political party for years, is stumbling and crumbling as the coronavirus pandemic disrupts business operations large and small. Amid the uncertainty created by the twin challenges, the state is losing revenue rapidly and being forced to dip deep into its reserves.

To his credit, Gov. Holcomb has remained calm and steady. His leadership in a range of areas has been sound. Despite the turbulence, he has not shown any tendency to panic.

Yet in one area he has exhibited, and continues to exhibit, poor judgment. His refusal to consider extending an option for voters to cast mail-in ballots for the general election is both disappointing and troubling.

Last spring, with the pandemic gaining a foothold across the state and nation, Holcomb led the effort to postpone Indiana’s May primary election for one month and to expand absentee voting to all registered voters with no restrictions. It was a wise move based on principle. No one should have to risk their health and welfare to cast a ballot at a public polling place.

The expanded absentee voting option proved popular around the state. Hoosiers appreciated Holcomb’s effort to ensure their safety while protecting their right to vote. They embraced the opportunity and showed their appreciation by casting absentee ballots at phenomenal levels.

More than a million votes were cast in the state on June 2. Of those, 51% participated in early voting, and by far most of those were cast as absentee votes.

It’s not surprising that Hoosiers would like to have that option again this fall. Nationwide, polls show that, by a substantial margin, voters want the option. Last week, a Politico/Morning Consult Poll found that 58% of respondents favor allowing vote-by-mail in the Nov. 3 election.

Holcomb, however, is ignoring popular opinion. He refuses to repeat a process that was so successful - and that he championed - in the spring primary.

Because of Holcomb’s reversal of position, Indiana is one of just eight states in the nation that will force people to vote in person and take their chances with the coronavirus.

The governors’ reasoning is as puzzling as his resistance. He doesn’t echo the claims of President Trump and Vice President Pence about the threat of fraud. Rather, he says there is no health danger, and that because people are going out to shop and do other things, they are also able to go to the polls.

It’s a nonsensical explanation, and Hoosiers need to tell him that.

Time is running out. We urge you to contact the Governor’s office and tell him to move quickly to prepare the state for an election in which voting by mail is an option.