Indiana

Indiana cannot afford to botch its curriculum reform

Published

2 weeks ago

April 28, 2024

Indiana cannot afford to botch its curriculum reform

Michael Hicks
| Muncie Star Press

Indiana is in the process of revamping its high school curricula. This could be a superb opportunity to rethink some fundamentals about schooling, its role in society and the needs of the future economy.

It is also a good time to re-center the long-term wellbeing of students into the discussion.

However, the last time Indiana made significant changes to school curriculum, we failed badly. That cannot happen again.

In December 2013, then-Gov. Mike Pence announced an ambitious plan to offer more career-focused education to Hoosier high school kids who weren’t going to college. It was a smart, thoughtful and much-needed addition to our educational landscape. I was an enthusiastic supporter and wrote in support of it.

Almost from the beginning, the execution of that plan was botched. It is worth recounting how a very good idea became very bad public policy, and how the accumulated mistakes of a decade continue to haunt Indiana’s economic performance even now and into the distant future.

The Daniels-era education reforms were successful on almost every important measure.

The push for higher standards revealed itself in test scores, graduation rates and college attendance and success.

They strengthened good local public schools and forced bad ones to change. But not everyone wishes to go to college and, for three generations, we’d cut programs for those students.

Pence’s plan was met with strong support by business, which offered free curriculum in STEM, and support for students wishing a career route.

My school corporation, led by Jennifer McCormick, developed an award-winning program with a local manufacturing firm.

Things started off well. Then the Department of Workforce Development began to push the state’s board of education.

The Department of Workforce Development had an occupational forecast claiming that, between 2014 and 2024, there’d be a huge demand for high school-only graduates — that is, students who graduated high school and did not go to college. The Department of Workforce Development’s forecast claimed that the state would need 400,000 more high school-only graduates by 2024.

I did everything I knew how to do in order to explain why this was mistaken.

I used labor demand forecasts from a half dozen economists that said we’d need fewer high school graduates by 2024. I showed them the studies from the 1970s through the 2000s explaining how these forecasts were too flawed to be used as a labor market policy tool.

Nothing I said or wrote had any effect.

The Department of Workforce Development had already run off their economists for saying roughly the same thing. They weren’t at all interested in hearing analysis from anyone who actually knew anything about labor markets. The newer versions of that forecast are still guiding both labor market and education policy in Indiana.

All of this presents the question: How wrong were they?

A lot.

In 2015, the forecast overstated the demand for high school only graduates in 2014 — that is, the previous year — by 190,000 workers. Yes, you read that correctly. They actually got history wrong. I’ve never seen a forecast that wrong, that quickly. Still, that did not deter their enthusiasm for the forecast.

As of last fall, Indiana has 20,000 more high school graduates working than in 2014. So that forecast of demand for 400,000 more high school graduates is going to be wrong by about 2,000%.

I write this because it is my biggest professional failure.

Had I been more persuasive, I should’ve been able to avoid the train wreck that ensued. I was not, and the state has been trapped by bad human capital policy ever since. It has significantly weakened Indiana’s long-term economic prospects.

The recovery from the Great Recession was the worst economic expansion in state history. We slipped on every important measure of economic success with some of the worst performances coming in the last five years of the expansion.

The COVID and post-pandemic economy should’ve been very kind to Indiana. Because of our manufacturing intensity, our growth should’ve outpaced the nation. It did not. The reason for 15 years of relative decline is that we have a poorly educated workforce that is getting worse.

That bad labor forecast from 2014 was very influential in the legislature. And how could it not be? It was a false promise of economic growth without actually investing more in education. It didn’t matter that the nation had gone more than two decades without creating a single net new job for someone who hadn’t been to college. The bad forecast drove policy.

Funding for K-12 stalled on a per-student basis and dropped as a share of GDP. Pence’s vision morphed into an anti-college agenda. The state’s workforce development director and the president of our community college system downplayed the benefits of post-secondary education.

By 2017, Indiana introduced career indoctrination down to sixth grade. Among the largest of these were manufacturing occupations and truck drivers. The demand for both is lower today than in 2014.

Pence’s program to offer career-focused opportunities to older students became a platform for pushing students away from post-secondary education. To their credit, in 2020, the legislature increased the age that career pathways would start. So, today, we wait until children are 13 to provide them bad labor market advice.

The most damaging effect was on college attendance. Indiana peaked in 2015, sending 65 percent of our high school graduates to college, at a time when the national average was 72 percent of students. In the race for a talented workforce, Indiana was well behind and running slower than the pack. Over the past two years, fewer than 53 percent of our high school graduates have gone to college. Until this changes, we will not be contenders in a 21st century economy.

We are now near the very bottom in human capital development, making it an opportune time to compare what Indiana does and aspires to do with that of the nation as a whole. Over the past three decades, more than 100 percent of new jobs in the U.S. have gone to people who attended college, with 8 in 10 going to 4-year degree holders.

Over the same time, the college wage premium has grown. We are now 50 years into an economy that places a premium on human capital. That won’t change, no matter how badly some states prepare.

Indiana is moving in the wrong direction at record speed.

The period since 2015 is the start of the first decline in educational attainment in Indiana history.

The educational reforms we now consider must reverse this decline. We must consider what students need to know for the next 50 years of work — not what low-wage employers say they need after graduation. We simply cannot fail at this again.

Michael J. Hicks, Ph.D., is the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and the George and Frances Ball distinguished professor of economics in the Miller College of Business at Ball State University.

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Indiana

Indiana Pacers cruise past New York Knicks, tie series

Published

45 mins ago

May 12, 2024

Press Room

Indiana Pacers cruise past New York Knicks, tie series

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton scored 20 points, T.J. McConnell added 15 points and 10 assists and the Indiana Pacers rolled to their second-biggest playoff victory ever, beating the New York Knicks 121-89 on Sunday to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series at 2-2.

Haliburton also had 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 3-pointers as the Pacers led by 43 points during a start-to-finish romp. They fell just short of their most lopsided playoff victory, when they beat Cleveland by 34 points in April 2018.

Game 5 of the series will be played Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks put just three players in double figures. Alec Burks finished with 20, Jalen Brunson scored 18 — his fewest in this postseason — and Deuce McBride had 16 on a day they shot 33.7% from the field, 18.9% from 3-point range and faced the largest deficit by any team in this postseason.

It was the fourth-largest margin of defeat in the postseason for the Knicks, who lost to the Bulls by 41 in 1991, 40 to the 76ers in 1978 and 35 to the Pistons in 1990.

And, naturally, the Pacers fed off the energy of a nearly full Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where they are now 5-0 with Game 6 coming to Indianapolis on Friday. Those watching from courtside included Indiana-born singer John Mellencamp, Indianapolis 500 winners Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti and former Pacers stars Dale Davis and Derrick McKey.

They witnessed the most dominant performance in what had been a close series through the first three games.

New York produced its lowest-scoring quarter (14) and lowest-scoring half (41) in this year’s postseason and led only once, 2-0, for a total of 44 seconds.

Playing without four key players because of injuries — forwards OG Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic and Julius Randle, as well as center Mitchell Robinson — the Knicks looked fatigued in a short turnaround following Friday night’s Game 3 to the afternoon start.

And while Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo kept the Knicks competitive in each of the first three games, both struggled Sunday. Brunson missed his first five shots and the backcourt duo was a combined 9-of-30 from the field and 2-of-11 from 3-point range.

Indiana took the lead for good on Haliburton’s first 3 of the game and took control with a 29-7 first-quarter spurt that gave the Pacers a 34-11 lead.

New York never recovered. It cut the deficit to 36-19 early in the second only to see Indiana answer with 10 straight points and extend the cushion to 69-41 at halftime.

From there, things only got worse. Indiana extended the margin to 101-63 after three, a deficit that was so large both teams rested their starters the entire fourth quarter. Indiana has led by 43 or more points three times this season, handing the Knicks their first 43-point deficit since Dec. 5, 2019, against Denver, a span of 388 games.

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Congressional primary victors emerge from crowded Indiana races

Published

8 hours ago

May 12, 2024

Press Room

Congressional primary victors emerge from crowded Indiana races

by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Indiana Capital Chronicle
May 7, 2024

Hoosiers locked in their November general election ballots on Tuesday, uplifting a handful of primary election victors from out of crowded fields of candidates.

Three out of the state’s nine seats will have new faces after two GOP incumbents retired and another left to pursue a higher office.

In the Third Congressional District, former U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, a Republican, may return to Capitol Hill after leading his closest competitor by about 1,300 votes with 94% of the vote counted. He eked out a victory Tuesday night over seven others, including Christian administrative nonprofit CEO Tim Smith, Judge Wendy Davis and state Sen. Andy Zay.

Stutzman, who served in Congress from 2010 to 2017, will face Democrat Kiley Adolph in November. She beat out Phil Goss with a commanding 63% of the vote. Incumbent Rep. Jim Banks left his seat to run for U.S. Senate.

In the Sixth Congressional District, left vacant by retiring GOP Rep. Greg Pence, Republican businessman Jefferson Shreve claimed victory over state Rep. Mike Speedy and five other hopefuls with just 28% of the vote.

Shreve, who in 2022 sold his self-storage business for nearly $600 million, poured more than $13 million into a failed Indianapolis mayoral bid last year that saw him take several moderate stances to woo a largely Democrat electorate.

He loaned his congressional campaign another $4.5 million, flooding the airwaves and mailboxes alike with advertisements that took a decidedly hard-right turn.

Democrat Cynthia Wirth, who ran uncontested, will counter him in November.

In the Eighth Congressional District — incumbent Republican Rep. Larry Bucshon retired — state Sen. Mark Messmer nabbed a plurality of the GOP vote: about 39%. He defeated John Hostettler, who previously represented the district from 1995 until 2007, and six other hopefuls. That includes two other current and former state lawmakers.

General election voters will choose between Messmer and Democrat Erik Hurt, who defeated three other hopefuls with about 45% of the vote.

Challengers to incumbents finalized

In the First Congressional District, Democrat U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan won his uncontested race. He’ll face Republican Randy Niemeyer in November, who beat out opponents Mark Levya and Ben Ruiz with about 62% of the vote.

‘Huge shift’: Incumbent exits prompt crowded U.S. House primary races

In the Second Congressional District, uncontested Republican U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym became his party’s nominee. He’ll face Democrat Lori Camp, who also ran uncontested, in November.

In the Fourth Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Baird easily defeated GOP challengers Charles Bookwalter and John Piper with about 65% of the vote. Democrat Derrick Holder won his party’s nomination with about 64% over opponent Rimpi Girn.

In the Fifth Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz pulled out a victory over several GOP hopefuls who entered when it was still an open race. Spartz said last year that she’d leave Congress but jumped into the race just before a filing deadline.

She beat back state Rep. Chuck Goodrich, former congressional staffer Max Engling, speech-language pathologist Raju Chinthala and five other challengers with just 39% of the vote.

Democrat Deborah Pickett won her party’s nomination, beating out Ryan Pfenninger with about 60% of the vote.

In the Seventh Congressional District, Democrat U.S. Rep. André Carson crushed two challengers, Curtis Godfrey and Pierre Pullins, with a whopping 91% of the vote.

The race to face him in the general election was at razor-thin margins Tuesday night: Republicans Jennifer Pace and Catherine Ping were within a couple hundred votes of each other but had pulled ahead of two other competitors.

In the Ninth Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin handily beat out GOP challenger Hugh Doty with about 80% of the vote. General election voters will chose between her and Democrat Timothy Peck, who defeated Liam Dorris with 66% of the vote.

Catch more of the Indiana Capital Chronicle’s election coverage here.

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Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com. Follow Indiana Capital Chronicle on Facebook and Twitter.

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Indianapolis has a marijuana church. Learn about First Church of Cannabis, how it started, how to join

Published

15 hours ago

May 12, 2024

Press Room

Indianapolis has a marijuana church. Learn about First Church of Cannabis, how it started, how to join

Did you know Indianapolis has a place of worship dedicated to marijuana?

Testing the bounds of religious freedom, this establishment was created to respond to Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, opening its doors the same day the law went into effect.

“This is what I live by, and I have more faith in this religion than any other,” Bill Levin, founder of the Church of Cannabis told IndyStar in May 2015. “This is my lifestyle. This is millions of people’s lifestyle.” Here’s what we know.

Indiana Marijuana Legislation Could Indiana decriminalize marijuana after a recent DEA announcement? Here’s what we know

What is the Church of Cannabis?

The First Church of Cannabis was founded by Levin in 2015 in response to Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was signed into law by former governor Mike Pence on March 26, 2015, and went into effect on July 1, 2015.

When the law finally went into effect on July 1, the doors of Levin’s beloved establishment opened that same day, as previously reported by the IndyStar. According to the First Church of Cannabis website, the group’s mission is to “celebrate life’s great adventure by building on compassion, good health, and love.”

While the group is unable to participate in the “holy sacrament” of being able to light up at their regular Wednesday service, they’ve found other ways to fill the time, according to the IndyStar. A typical service starts with a shorter sermon from Levin before opening the floor to members to discuss concerns. They also perform a “diety dozen,” with affirmations of marijuana as a means of healing. Learn more about the “diety dozen” here.

Where is the First Church of Cannabis?

The First Church of Cannabis is located at 3400 S Rural St. in Indianapolis.

Who founded the First Church of Cannabis?

Levin, 68, founder and leader of the First Church of Cannabis, is a long-standing marijuana advocate who began working with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in the late 19990s, according to the church’s website. He eventually started his own pro-cannabis organization, ReLegalize Indiana.

Levin also ran for political positions as a Libertarian in the early 2010s, with marijuana legislation as a key focus, but came up short. When the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed, “Bill took this as an opportunity to establish The First Church of Cannabis on the basis of ‘Cannatarian’ religion where love is the most important and including the sacrament, cannabis,” according to Church of Cannabis.

Marijuana Church challenges Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Levin and the Church of Cannabis filed a lawsuit against the state of Indiana, Pence and Attorney General Greg Zoeller in July 2015 with the claim that denying them the right to smoke in public infringes on religious freedom. A second lawsuit was filed on March 3, 2016 against the city of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and former Police Chief Rick Hite.

The filed suits argued that members’ use of marijuana at the Church of Cannabis should be protected under Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, but was dismissed by the Indiana Court of Appeals in December of 2018.

“I feel sorry for the people who are not educated in this subject matter,” Levin previously said to the IndyStar. “We’ll keep doing what we’re doing, because we’re doing God’s work.”