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Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Ind. Gov't. - ISTA to sue over school funding

Sharlonda L. Waterhouse of the Gary Post-Tribune reports today:

From science to math to ISTEP testing benchmarks, Hoosier public schools struggle to teach to the high standards handed down by the state.

But where’s the money to produce the higher achievement?

The Indiana State Teachers Association wants to know.

And in a landmark action for Indiana, the union is suing the Department of Education to get answers — and more cash.

On Thursday, a class-action lawsuit will be filed in Marion Superior Court, the union announced Tuesday.

It names as injured parties nine children from eight districts in Indiana, including Hammond, Indianapolis, South Bend and Anderson. Any verdict would affect the entire state. * * *

The lawsuit names Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed, Gov. Mitch Daniels, who is head of the roundtable, and other state officials as defendants.

This caught my attention:
They hired Boston-based attorney Michael Weisman, the man who successfully sued the Massachusetts Commission of Education.

Over the past 13 years, Weisman said, his litigation has helped boost Massachusetts schools with $30 billion in funding.

He’s hoping to be just as successful in Indiana, which has a similar constitutional requirement to educate children.

“This is a very practical effort,” Weisman said. “It’s an attempt to establish that Indiana is not providing the education that its constitution requires to children throughout state, particularly to children growing up in poverty or with special education needs.”

Weisman said boards of education in Montana, Kansas, New York, and New Jersey have all been taken to higher courts for judgment.

Here is more on Michael Weisman and the Massachusetts suit, including a number of trial documents.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 19, 2006 12:40 PM
Posted to Indiana Government | Indiana Law