The following is from an email, question-and-answer interview with Republican state superintendent-elect, Jennifer McCormick:
1. What do you see as the top issues that need to be addressed in the upcoming legislative session?
A. The top issues are assessment and accountability, funding and funding formula, Pre-K, components of the teacher evaluation system, broadband capacity, teacher recruitment and retention.
2. What are your thoughts on pre-K expansion?
A. There needs to be a targeted approach to our most at-risk students not already being serviced by special education services, another high-qualified pre-K program or HeadStart. We should not be rolling out a pre-K program [universal expansion] and hoping for the best.
McCormick further expanded, "We need to make sure we are talking to all stakeholders to consider what all pre-K entails and whether schools are even capable of having pre-K in their districts. Examples include staffing, credentialing, facilities, transportation, etc. We need to have a solid plan in place first. Pre-K is too important."
McCormick said she "definitely supports pre-K but wants us, as a state, to get it right because it is incredibly important for students that we do so."
3. What are your thoughts on expansion of private-school vouchers?
A. We need to be looking at the data on these programs and continue to have conversations about such programs. [McCormick] is hesitant of any programs which cause monies to flow away from public schools.These monies need to be appropriated separately.
4. What would you like to see happen as far as the ISTEP replacement assessment?
A. McCormick would like to wait to determine flexibility from ESSA [the federal Every Student Succeeds Act], but believes the test needs to be a shorter assessment, aligned to the Indiana state standards, and it needs to indicate readiness to promotion as well as performance and growth.
5. What about overall funding for public schools - ie tuition support?
A. Funding will always be a concern. We will need to work with the legislators to voice a need for additional funds as well as revisit the funding formula.
6. What kind of working relationship do you hope to have with the new governor and legislature, and do you anticipate improved relations as compared to the past four years?
A. Yes, we definitely anticipate improved relations across all stakeholder groups. IDOE will be good listeners for all stakeholder groups as well as a strong voice for the students of Indiana.
7. What kind of changes are needed in teacher performance grants?
A. The formula needs to be revisited so effective and highly-effective teachers are rewarded. Although we appreciate the grant program, the distribution formula must be revisited.
8. What are your thoughts on Education Savings Accounts, and if it's something you would, or would not support, at this time?
A. Any program which takes funds away from existing K-12 programs is concerning given the financial strains on many of our districts and schools. We will be looking at research and the data from other states on these program.
9. Asked specifically if she is opposed to expansion of school choice in 2017, McCormick responded she believes "those programs need to be reviewed and the data studied before making decisions, in order to ensure those programs are actually helping the students they were intended to help and ... are doing what they were intended to do."