INDIANAPOLIS — Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb finally unveiled his plans for Indiana schools Monday, promising to stay the course with the past 12 years of Republican education policies if Hoosiers elect him Nov. 8 to succeed Gov. Mike Pence.
Speaking to members of the Indiana School Boards Association, Holcomb defended the Republican-controlled Legislature's increasing support for charter schools and private school vouchers at the expense of traditional public schools.
"I'm open to a conversation that addresses how school enrollment evolves and changes over the years, but in general I favor the dollars following the child," Holcomb said. "We're going to protect the rights of Hoosier parents to choose the best educational setting for their child's individual needs."
He also strongly endorsed maintaining Indiana's system of rating schools using an A-F letter grade based on student test results, a policy even Jennifer McCormick, the Republican candidate for state superintendent of public instruction, believes is unfair.
"Indiana must remain a national leader in A-F accountability," Holcomb said. "Hoosier students deserve nothing less."
Holcomb said Indiana can fix its teacher shortage by treating educators as professionals, providing them necessary resources and incentivizing teachers to remain in the profession.
He did not explain specifically how he plans to do that, or how he'll convince the General Assembly to support him, but said, "We need to get about doing something about it."
He also offered few details about pre-kindergarten education other than urging "responsible" expansion of the state's five-county preschool pilot program for children with the greatest financial need, without detailing where or at what cost.
"That will be part of the conversation we have starting in January with the General Assembly," he said.
Holcomb did vow to continue implementing Pence's education-to-employment pipeline by realigning school curriculum to match the needs of Hoosier companies, particularly in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics as well as vocational training.
Though unlike Pence, who in 2014 declined to apply for a federal preschool grant worth up to $80 million, Holcomb said he's willing to seek education funds from the federal government if the money will help Hoosier students.
"I want Indiana described as having the nation's very best K-12 educational system, the very best," Holcomb said.
Holcomb is set to debate education policy Tuesday with Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg and Libertarian Rex Bell at an Indianapolis high school.
Gregg's education plan, released several months ago, calls for eliminating A-F grades while still mandating school accountability, establishing universal pre-K, slowing charter and voucher expansion, enhancing teacher recruitment and retention efforts and improving college affordability.
"It's about meeting in the middle, it's about collaborating, cooperation and it's about the good of the people," Gregg said of his education plan. "It's not about ideology. It's not about political parties. It's about moving Indiana forward."