Jennifer McCormick Releases McCormick-Goodin Commonsense Education Plan

Today, Indiana gubernatorial nominee Jennifer McCormick released the McCormick-Goodin Commonsense Education Plan to increase school accountability and academic freedom, ensure academic rigor, and prioritize an education system that empowers Hoosier students to achieve their best results regardless of individual pursuits. 

“As Indiana’s last elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, I understand the educational realities of today and the future: Hoosiers do not need politicians in their schools,” said Jennifer McCormick. “Respecting, empowering, and paying our educators to ensure academic freedom, holding all schools accountable, working with parents and our communities, and focusing on what is best for kids is prioritizing, not politicizing, education.”

The McCormick-Goodin Commonsense Education Plan focuses on creating solid beginnings for Hoosier kids, increasing academic freedom and rigor in the classroom, holding all schools accountable, and prioritizing a world-class education program for Hoosier students. The plan will establish a streamlined, consistent accountability platform for all schools accepting public dollars to educate Hoosier children. The plan will also ensure curricular, instructional, and assessment decisions are made responsibly and according to what is best for our students.

“At a time when 90% of our students attend public schools, Indiana has sent over $1.6 billion away from public schools and to private schools in the form of vouchers,” said McCormick. “It’s common sense to ensure these schools are held accountable to the same academic and fiscal standards as public schools.”

Jennifer McCormick is the Democratic Nominee for Governor. She was elected Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction as a Republican in 2016. She is a career educator, spending decades serving as a teacher, principal, and rural school superintendent. Her running mate, Terry Goodin, was a teacher, assistant principal, and public school superintendent at Crothersville Community Schools. With two career educators, the McCormick/Goodin administration will ensure that Indiana’s education system has professional teachers who equip their students to pursue their dreams by enrolling in colleges and universities, securing good-paying, skilled jobs, or joining the military. 

“It’s time to stop experimenting with education, let teachers teach, pay them well, and allow students to succeed,” said Jennifer McCormick. “Our goal is an education system with professional teachers and accountable schools that sets students up for success, whether that means going to college, entering the skilled workforce, or joining the military.”

Fact Sheet: McCormick-Goodin Commonsense Education Plan

The McCormick-Goodin Commonsense Education Plan focuses on creating solid beginnings for Hoosier kids, increasing academic freedom and rigor in the classroom, holding all schools accountable, and prioritizing a world-class education program for Hoosier students. The plan will establish a streamlined, consistent accountability platform for all schools accepting public dollars to educate Hoosier children. The plan will also ensure curricular, instructional, and assessment decisions are made responsibly and according to what is best for our students.

The McCormick-Goodin Commonsense Education Plan has five elements to provide Hoosiers access to a fully funded, world-class education:

• Strong Beginnings: As career educators, Jennifer McCormick and Terry Goodin recognize the education continuum and will prioritize Indiana’s investment in all levels of the educational journey. The McCormick-Goodin Commonsense Education Plan will expand quality and affordable childcare to address Indiana’s childcare deserts. In addition, the plan will continue expanding access to PreK education until Indiana has universal PreK. 

• Hold ALL Schools Accountable: The McCormick-Goodin Commonsense Education Plan will protect the rights of students and parents by establishing a streamlined and transparent accountability platform to hold all schools to the same academic and fiscal standards. 

• Let Teachers Teach and Pay Them Like Professionals: As former teachers, Jennifer McCormick and Terry Goodin will champion our K-12 and post-high school instructors by implementing policies to recruit and retain the best and brightest educators. We will fight for a minimum base salary of $60,000 for Indiana teachers and adjust veteran teacher salaries to reflect their non-educator peers. We will uphold teacher rights by protecting the freedom of teacher unions to bargain for wages and benefits. In addition, mandates placed on educators and school boards will be reviewed and, where unnecessary or burdensome, eliminated.  

• Rigorous and Comprehensive Curriculum: The McCormick-Goodin Commonsense Education Plan will call for autonomy at the local level to design a curriculum that prepares students for the future they choose. Academic freedom includes keeping politicians from deciding what books children can read. We will ensure our K-12 system plays an advanced role in career counseling by identifying and funding qualified personnel and the resources necessary to make our programs robust and effective across the state.

• Post-High School Education Attainment: The McCormick-Goodin Commonsense Education Plan will celebrate, champion, protect, and better fund our higher education institutions and direct workforce development training programs. The plan will protect university tenure and respect the distinction of the skilled trades’ apprenticeships and certifications. The McCormick-Goodin plan will re-establish a statewide emphasis on attaining post-high school education.