Gov. Daniels’ School Bond Reform: Will it Matter?
Indiana Writers Group column for release Nov. 28 and thereafterDigital mug shot available on request581 words By Jeff Abbott, J.D., Ph.D. Indiana has a petition-remonstrance process that allows local taxpayers a say in whether a proposed bond issue will be allowed to proceed. Less than one-half of such remonstrances, however, are won by protesting taxpayers. Read the full article…
Elections Revive Electoral College Debate
Indiana Writers Group column for Nov. 21 and thereafter730 words By Andrea Neal The quadrennial debate over the Electoral College is back. Last month, a Pennsylvania House committee heard a bill that would change the way that state votes for president. If the bill became law, Pennsylvania would require its Electoral College delegates to Read the full article…
Education Reform That Actually Works (2nd of 4 parts)
Indiana Writers Group column for release Nov. 11 and thereafter.746 words By Dr. Sam Staley Indiana, like dozens of other states, has struggled with school reforms of all sorts for decades. Many of them, such as collective bargaining and school choice, have often degenerated into partisan bickering. For an issue that affects so many Hoosiers Read the full article…
Let’s Limit State Spending as Well as Property Taxes
Indiana Writers Group column for Nov. 7 and thereafter 700 words By Andrea Neal INDIANAPOLIS — Under Gov. Mitch Daniels’ tax plan released last month, property taxes would be capped at 1 percent of a home’s assessed value. In exchange, the sales tax would go from 6 to 7 percent. For me, this would be Read the full article…
Nobel Peace Prize: Why Not Lugar?
Indiana Writers Group column for Oct. 24 and thereafter 715 words By Andrea Neal To the Norwegian Nobel Committee: I’ve been scratching my head for days trying to figure out why Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize and Dick Lugar hasn’t. I’m a teacher in Indiana and the question came up last week in Read the full article…
Scores Rise When Teachers, Principals Lead (1st of 4 parts)
Indiana Writers Group column for Oct. 17 and thereafter 500 words by Lisa Snell “Beating the Odds,” a May 2007 report by the Council of the Great City Schools, details how urban school districts have closed their achievement gaps in the past six years. Unfortunately, the report notes that in Indianapolis the most disadvantaged students Read the full article…
