Indiana public teachers rally at the Statehouse as IPS shifts to e-learning due to teacher absences

In a significant shift in response to a high number of teacher absences, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) and Metropolitan School District of Pike Township will transition to e-learning on Monday, April 14. This decision comes as teachers across Indiana plan to rally at the Statehouse to advocate for greater funding for public schools and to protest legislative changes that may divert local tax revenues to charter schools. The IPS announcement was made on Sunday evening, following a notice that schools would remain open, which sparked criticism from the teachers' union for allegedly disallowing time-off requests. The Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) is hosting the rally to push for increased investment in K-12 education and improved collective bargaining protections amid ongoing debates in the state legislature, particularly concerning Senate Bill 1, which would require traditional public schools to share property tax funds with charter schools. Superintendant Aleesia Johnson of IPS raised concerns that such legislation could lead to closures of schools and significant job cuts. The decision to switch to asynchronous learning was made due to the anticipated absence of a significant portion of staff, highlighting the urgent need for legislative action to address school funding in Indiana. In addition, IPS has already exhausted its allocated asynchronous days, necessitating a calendar extension to fulfill the state’s requirement for 180 school days. This development underscores the mounting frustration among traditional public school educators regarding funding inequities and the impact of recent legislative proposals. Families have been advised to check communications from their respective schools regarding assignments and further details on the e-learning schedule.