Former Indiana State Superintendent Foresees More Partisan Politicization of Local School Boards

In a podcast interview on Electable with Deb Chubb, Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Indiana’s last elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, expressed several concerns about the future of public education now led by a Republican supermajority legislature and administration. 

Dr. McCormick’s deep experience in public school teaching and administration before being elected as Indiana State Superintendent of Schools allows her to understand the mechanics and purpose of public education at many levels and from many different perspectives. However, her position was eliminated by the Republican supermajority legislature who felt they know more about public education that trained, experienced education professionals.

The State Superintendent position is now appointed by the Governor, as are the State School Board members. McCormick believes that this has led to, and will continue to lead to, diminishing focus and importance of public education at the state level. “I’ve not heard the Governor talk about k-12 education in some time.” Education now has to compete with for the Governor’s attention with all the other functions of state government. Dr. McCormick contends that a state-wide educational leader elected by citizens is the best way to ensure that education gets the attention, the resources and the research that it needs to be successful.

The Republican legislature is furthering an education agenda which in in Dr. McCormick’s opinion does not serve the educational interests of Indiana’s kids. Republicans want to privatize public education while starving the public school system of the resources. They also want to shift the decision-making authority local school boards need to be successful to the state level, actively trying to restrict the ability of local school boards to make decisions about curriculum and educational strategy based on the needs of their own students and their own communities. 

Year after year, the legislature has diverted a larger and larger share of state education funding away from public schools to charter and private religious schools as a way to undercut and underfund public education.

Moreover, Indiana Republicans responding to ideological advocates, many of whom come from out of state, are pushing for decisions that used to be made at the local level to now be preempted by the state. They are seeking to restrict School Boards’ ability to provide socio-emotional learning that supports students coping skills and positive relationship skills. “We don’t want to be in the top three in the nation for suicides.” The legislature also wants to restrict education about racism and other subjects that don’t align with their right-wing ideology. “Educators get nervous about what they can teach and what they can’t teach. That’s where right-wing advocates want us to be because it paralyzes teachers”, she said.

In 2016, Dr. McCormick ran for the state-wide office and was elected as a Republican, but became increasingly disenchanted with the direction of the Republican Party. While in office, Indiana Republican leadership was not happy with her because of her bi-partisan or non-partisan approach to educational leadership. “The Republican leadership called into question my ‘Republicanness’, but I didn’t care because I was all about serving kids.”, she said. She has since changed her party affiliation to Democratic and fears that the Republican legislature will change the law to require candidates running for school board to declare a party affiliation.

When asked about her current and future role as an educational leader, Dr. McCormick stated that she plans to be available to support candidates – most likely Democrats — who share her commitment to public education, to research-based policies, and to innovation. 

The podcast with Dr. Jennifer McCormick can be found here on Spotify, or itunes, and Stitcher. Indiana Women’s Action Movement is an organization dedicated to getting more Democratic women elected to the Indiana State Legislature.