By Mackenzi Klemann
Indiana Capital Chronicle

PLAINFIELD — Indiana K-12 educators will soon have less paperwork following the U.S. Department of Education’s approval of a waiver exempting the state from provisions of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

The state applied for the waiver in December to streamline education spending and align its new A-F accountability measures with federal law.

The waiver consolidates federal funding from portions of Titles I, II, III and IV – grants used to support things like low-income students, teacher training, English language learners and school safety – totaling $50 million over the next four years.

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who visited Plainfield High School Tuesday for a ceremonial signing of the waiver, said the change frees $20 million in state and local funds from “bureaucratic red tape” so schools can reallocate money to the classroom.

The waiver also OKs the use of college and career readiness metrics like work-based learning and credentials toward high school accountability scores, a crucial component of Indiana’s new A-F system.

“President Trump told me I’d be successful in my job when I fired myself or worked myself out of a job,” McMahon said, “but his vision isn’t about me or one position. It’s about breaking up the education bureaucracy in Washington, D.C., a system that too often enriches adults while stifling progress for kids and empowering states to drive a new era of excellence for students across the country.”

She added, “We must breathe innovation into education, not suffocate it with top-down mandates, because we certainly know that one size does not fit all in education.”

Indiana is the third state approved for the waiver, nicknamed “Return Education to the States,” following Iowa and Louisiana.

States already control educational standards, curriculum and assessments. The waivers grant states greater control over how to spend federal K-12 funding too.

Indiana’s waiver consolidates funding for various education programs, which McMahon likened to a block grant, so schools no longer need to meet separate reporting requirements for each grant.

“At the heart of all this there is a simple, urgent belief: We must focus our time and energy on the work that propels us forward,” Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said. “We work to serve students, not to serve bureaucratic, outdated processes and paperwork.”

Less Paperwork, More Classroom Time

Indiana Education Secretary Katie Jenner leads a discussion about the state’s new federal education waiver. Photo by Mackenzi Klemann, Indiana Capital Chronicle.

Educators in attendance Tuesday praised what they see as a move away from bureaucracy.

“Too often these programs had differing goals and really specific requirements that might have been at odds with one another,” said Betsy Wiley, president and CEO of the Institute for Quality Education.

“There’s just no proof that, that extra bureaucracy is leading to higher standard achievements,” said Keeanna Warren, chief executive officer of Purdue Polytechnic High School.

Plainfield Community Schools Superintendent Andy Allen said he anticipates significant savings as the district will be able to redeploy office staff, many of whom are trained educators, to the classroom due to the reduction in compliance paperwork.

“Just because we have less compliance (paperwork) doesn’t mean we just do less,” he said. “Now we get back out in the buildings, we get back in front of kids, we get back in front of teachers, get connected with our community to make sure we have our best voices leading work for our kids and our community.”

The waiver could also benefit outside programs like the Boys and Girls Club’s summer learning labs.

Duane Wilson, chief executive officer of the Boys and Girls Club for the northern Indiana corridor, said the organization serves 5,800 Hoosier students throughout the state, but with additional funding the club could reach 10,000 Hoosier children next year.

The club is “moving the needle for kids,” Jenner said, but its rapid growth exceeded what the state could provide. “We’re seeing it in the short-term assessments. We’re seeing it in our state assessments.”

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Republican delegates selected Max Engling as their nominee for Indiana Secretary of State on Saturday, defeating incumbent Diego Morales at the Indiana GOP State Convention in Fort Wayne.

Roughly 1,800 Republican delegates gathered at the Grand Wayne Convention Center to choose the party’s nominee. Engling, a Hamilton County resident and former senior advisor to U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, will now advance to the Nov. 3 general election.

He will face Democratic nominee Beau Bayh and Libertarian nominee Lauri Shillings. Former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard is also expected to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate after his campaign announced Saturday it had collected more than 52,500 signatures, exceeding the number needed to qualify.

Following his victory, Engling said he was grateful to the delegates and fellow candidates.

“I’m very thankful, very blessed to move forward into the general election,” Engling said. “I’m thankful to the delegates. I’m thankful to the other candidates that ran great races.”

Engling said the campaign will focus heavily on election administration and Republican priorities heading into November.

“We’re going to win when we get there in November,” he said. “The goal is to have common sense solutions where we tighten our security around our elections. I’ve already said it — we’re here to close the primaries, make sure that only citizens are voting in our elections, and to stop the business fraud that we’ve seen in these shell trucking companies that have popped up around the state.”

He said those efforts would begin immediately if elected.

“Priority on day one, we’re going to work with the statehouse to close the primaries,” Engling said. “We already have legislation in the statehouse right now, and we’re pressing on that immediately.”

Engling also addressed the broader political environment, including the possibility of independent candidates on the ballot.

“So, Indiana wants common-sense voting laws,” he said. “They don’t want to move over to a third party; they want to vote for the conservative, Republican option. We’re excited for that.”

He added that Republicans must remain unified heading into the general election.

“Two rounds of voting, understood,” Engling said. “We know that Republicans need to move forward together. That is my mission. So, we are moving forward as a team.”

Engling said the campaign will stay focused on voter turnout and message discipline.

“We’re going to run our race with who we’ve already put forward,” he said. “We’re not looking at what the other folks are doing. We’re going to be energized on our side and say, ‘How do we make sure that our voters are coming out?’ We’re moving forward as a Republican team.”

He closed by emphasizing unity after a competitive convention.

“We are one Republican team,” Engling said. “We know that. We’re going to move forward as a unified team.”

Indiana State Treasurer Daniel Elliott also spoke during the convention, thanking delegates and reflecting on Republican performance heading into November.

“Well, I’m grateful for the Republican Party and their trust in me,” Elliott said. “I worked really hard these last four years to show that we can get good work done. And I think it paid off.”

Elliott said the focus now shifts to the general election.

“November, that is where it really counts, because November is when we’re going to the people of Indiana to say, ‘Here’s what we’ve done,’” he said. “We have good leadership, good Republican leadership. We have good results, our state is one of the top business states in the country. I raised $1.24 billion in two years, which is double what was done in the previous decade. We’ve got a good winning message, so I’m ready for November, and we really want to get everyone’s vote.”

He encouraged voter participation across the state.

“I appreciate your support, I appreciate your support to get here, and now, we need y’all to get out,” Elliott said. “We need to get out, all of us, and vote. This is a sacred responsibility, and it really means something. We need everyone, especially Republicans, to get out and vote.”

Elliott also noted internal confidence within the party following a contested convention process.

“I’ve been very fortunate that the party supports me,” he said. “The reason we didn’t have any opponents is because we’ve worked really hard and people have seen the good work and what we’ve put forth, and they say, ‘Yes, that is who we need.’”

The convention marks only the third time in the last century that the Indiana Republican Party has held its state convention outside Indianapolis.

“This has surpassed the perfection of the 2014 convention,” Allen County Republican Party Chairman Steve Shine said. “I’ve heard nothing but accolades about how great our city is from people who haven’t been here in the last 12 years.”

Shine said the competitive Secretary of State race helped drive enthusiasm among convention attendees.

“There were four great candidates that worked very hard to secure the votes of the delegates,” Shine said. “Today, the winner showed that they were the one with the most perseverance and were able to convince the delegates that they were the right person to face the Democrats in the fall.”

The Secretary of State contest became increasingly contentious in recent weeks after Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and Banks withdrew their support for Morales, citing concerns about his ability to win in November.

Rokita said he believes Republicans will unite behind Engling despite the contentious nomination battle.

“Oh, it’s going to play out fine,” Rokita said. “We do this a lot better than Democrats, let me tell you that.”

Following Engling’s victory, Rokita predicted Republicans would rally behind the nominee despite the hard-fought contest.

“Republicans, because we’re all individuals at heart, it’s in our DNA to have these discussions and then unify together,” Rokita said. “I’ve been the candidate in four conventions. Most of them contested.”

Rokita, a former Indiana Secretary of State himself, said he expects the party to come together ahead of the general election. The attorney general said he expects the party to rally around Engling ahead of November.

“Our party has always coalesced around me and against the Democrat in the fall,” Rokita said. “I expect the same thing now.”

Indiana voters will decide the state’s next Secretary of State during the Nov. 3 general election, when Engling faces Bayh, Shillings and potentially Ballard on the statewide ballot.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A big weekend is on the books for the annual Madam Walker Legacy Center as they host their annual Legacy Fest. 

Festivities kicked off Friday night with a performance by Teddy Riley, Guy 2.0 & Friends. Saturday celebrations continue with a free block party along Indiana Avenue.

Vendors will pack the avenue during the block party, along with live music, food trucks, and family-friendly activities.

The block party runs from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Legacy Fest shines a spotlight on music, culture, community, and the enduring legacy of Black entrepreneurship and artistry. 

This year’s Fest also highlights the 99th anniversary of the iconic Walker Theatre, a symbol of the city’s rich cultural heritage. 

I asked Kristian Little Stricklen, the president and CEO of the Madam Walker Legacy Center, about why they’ve continued to grow Legacy Fest. She credits the community for the festival’s expansion.

“The community support and feedback that we got, it’s why we continue to do it – year over year over year,” she said. “We want to make sure that we’re doing what we’re supposed to, right? To uplift Madam Walker’s legacy.”

Indiana Avenue will be closed between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Blackford streets to accommodate community festivities.

The Madam Walker Theatre anticipates a big year next year as it prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary.