April 4th, 2020 Indiana Governor’s Office — Governor Holcomb team at today’s press conference via Dr. Jennifer McCormick State Superintendent of Public Instruction announced that K-12 schools in Indiana will deliver remote instruction for the remainder of the academic year. Physical campuses will remain closed for the academic year.
Dr. McCormick also said “All high school seniors are on track to graduate before school buildings were closed on March 19 will be provided with the flexibility they need to earn an Indiana diploma”… “Our goal is to get you across the stage”.
Dr. McCormick said the her office is also looking at the amount of instructional days that will be required for schools. All schools previously received a 20-day waiver in order to reduce the amount of required in-person or remote instruction to 160 days.
Dr. McCormick extended various options to local educators how to meet requirements to fulfill 2020 scholastic goals.
Local educators have a deadline of April 17th to submit their continuous learning plans to her office, how they will fulfill 2020 scholastic goals.
“Today I signed an executive order requiring all K-12 schools in Indiana to provide instruction via remote learning for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year and outlines options for districts to continue education during the fight against #COVID19” — Governor Holcomb via Twitter
Read the official press release here:
INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric J. Holcomb today signed an executive order requiring all K-12 schools in Indiana to provide instruction via remote learning for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year and outlines options for districts to continue education during the fight against COVID-19. Click here for a link to the executive order: https://www.in.gov/gov/2384.htm
“Students are the future of our state and teachers are the heart of our schools,” Gov. Holcomb said. “While COVID-19 is impacting every classroom, our teachers, administrators, school board members and school staff are going to extraordinary levels to deliver quality learning to students all across our state, even while school buildings are closed. We’ll continue to do everything we can to empower educators and parents, while protecting students’ health.”
To complete the school year, all schools previously received a 20-day waiver to reduce the number of required in-person or remote instruction days to 160. Schools must continue to provide instruction via remote learning until they complete either:
160 instructional days or
At least 20 additional days of remote learning between the date of the executive order (today) and the end of the school year. If a school completes 20 days and falls short of the required 160 instructional days, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) can waive the difference.
All K-12 schools will need to submit a plan for review and approval by IDOE by April 17. The plan can include eLearning, extended learning, project-based or portfolio learning, competency-based learning, partnerships with higher education for increased student supports, and other similar methods.
The governor, in conjunction with Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick, also directed the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) to provide flexibility for school corporations for students who are to graduate in 2020. A school corporation may issue an Indiana diploma to a student who has done all of the following:
Has met all of the course and credit requirements for the specific diploma designation based on a combination of high school credits earned prior to and the course in which a student was enrolled as of March 19, when the governor issued the statewide school closure.
Meets any virtual or remote learning participation requirements established by the governing body of the local school corporation in response to the statewide school closure order issued by the governor.
Meets any additional graduation requirements established by the governing body of the local school corporation prior to the school closure order issued by the governor.
The executive order also extends teacher licenses expiring between March 1, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2020 until Sept. 1, 2020.
Other deadlines and requirements for the current school year will be reviewed by Dr. McCormick, the executive director of SBOE, and relevant state agencies. They will submit recommendations to the Governor by April 7 for review and further action.
Click HERE – Flexibility for the Indiana Graduation Requirements in Response to COVID-19
Source Document provided to the documentcloud.org by Eric Weddle WFYI
ISTA STATEMENT ON SUSPENSION OF SCHOOL YEAR DUE TO COVID-19
04/02/2020
Statement from ISTA President Keith Gambill responding to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s announcement that schools will remain closed through this school year.
“Since March, educators, students and families have adopted new technologies and adapted to learning at home. Gov. Holcomb’s decision to close public schools through this school year is prudent and will keep everyone safer. ISTA will continue to support educators by offering guidance and resources. We urge educators and families to follow precautionary social distancing so we can look to a new school year with hope that school will be in session.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Content via Governor Holcomb Press Conference and Release
Indiana State Teachers Association
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