Senate says kids can have fun all summer long
INDIANAPOLIS-- Indiana schools may be able to enjoy Labor Day with families before heading back to the classroom, should Senate Bill 150 become law.
If passed, the bill would require that no Indiana schools begin before the Tuesday after Labor Day. An amendment passed during the Senate Education and Career Development committee Wednesday would allow school corporations to extend the school year beyond the original June 10 end date if they feel it necessary.
An education study board would make recommendations to the General Assembly concerning student and school performance before deciding on the flexible end date.
The changes would not apply to year-round schools.
The bill passed out of the committee, 8-1.
Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, said his main focus in sponsoring SB 150 was to help Hoosiers "get their summers back with their kids."
He said the bill would not hinder the state's required 180-day school year.
"I would not support anything that would sacrifice academic excellence," Delph said.
Over the past several years, Indiana schools have been inching back their starting dates, ending summer some two to three weeks early so students can hit the books.
Critics say that students should be spending more time in the classroom, rather than less.
Delph said he also plans to consider the long-term consequences of having shorter school days, but said starting school later in the summer would not cause major disruptions to student learning.
"This is a sensible shift in the school calendar," Delph said. "We're promoting family values.”
If passed by the Senate next week, the bill then would move to the House for consideration.
Also Wednesday, the committee passed a bill that would require schools to maintain a record of educator misconduct that then would be passed along to future employers wanting to do background checks.
Opponents of Senate Bill 242 argue that for confidentiality reasons, the measure may do more harm than good. Concerns about the timing of such measures were also debated.
Should an educator be accused of wrongdoing and be suspended from a teaching position, the paper trail might not catch up with a teacher quickly enough to avoid a hire elsewhere.
Nancy Papas of the Indiana State Teacher’s Association said that such legislation could too quickly allow innocent people to be thrown under the bus by students seeking revenge.
She urged the committee to consider evaluating the accusations on a case-by-case basis rather than immediately filing them into a report.
The bill passed unanimously out of committee.
