If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” We’ve all heard that truism, and it poignantly applies to the state of education in Indiana. 

    Ever since Gov. Mitch Daniels challenged Hoosiers during his State of the State speech to make education reform a duty in 2011, no trace of momentum has developed. 

    That’s hardly surprising: As happens in many classrooms throughout the state, the reaction among educators and school administrators has been rote: Teachers are not the problem. Teacher pay is not the problem. Generous teacher contracts are not the problem. 

    Lost amid the clamor is the overall question Daniels was asking during his Jan. 11 speech: If teachers aren’t the problem, why is Indiana’s education system so mediocre? 

    That’s the question no one wants to confront, because in it lies an unfortunate truth: Indiana’s system is rooted in outdated rules that reward tenure over excellence. 

    Let’s forget for a minute about controversial issues such as school choice, charters and private-school vouchers. Let’s not discuss for now the fact that school districts are somehow spending 42 cents of every dollar outside the classroom. 

    If Hoosiers could simply focus on weeding out bad teachers and nurturing good ones, how much better would our schools be? 

    This isn’t about persecuting those who lead our classrooms. We all know and were shaped by teachers who inspired us to be the best we could be. But we also know those who did as little as possible to get by. They still work side by side today, and if the mediocre teacher happens to have more time in the classroom, he or she likely has more job security just based on union rules. 
 
   That is wrong, and it should be impetus for educators to line up for reforms that make students better. 

    Lousy home life or not, “…Only one in three of our children can pass the national math or reading exam,” Daniels pointed out. In a state in which 99 percent of teachers are rated as effective, there is a giant disconnect. 

    Everyone – from teachers and administrators to parents and other taxpayers – must accept that change is necessary. It will cause discomfort, and, in some cases, sacrifice. 

    The teachers and administrators are in the best position to be catalysts to shape the future – if they can somehow free themselves from the past.
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