Jul. 20—For the 2021-2022 school year, the Indiana Department of Education debuted the Next Generation School Improvement Grant (Next Gen SIG).
The grants were touted as promoting school transformation by questioning the current educational system.
In the past, following 2001's No Child Left Behind Act, states sought resources to improve outcomes that many times did not meet student achievement benchmarks.
Existing programs changed to fit inside the system.
But the future of education does not rely on the idea that schools must continue as they currently operate. The existing approach doesn't work for all students.
The Next Gen SIG program is supported through federal school improvement funds. Federal law limits eligibility to schools identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement and Targeted Support and Improvement classifications.
The application window for this year's cycle ended April 5. The IDOE received about 40 applications representing 55 eligible schools.
Anderson Community Schools was not among the applicants.
Yes, there are federal requirements for the grants. So it could be that ACS won't meet standards. But shouldn't we try?
Muncie schools received $7.5 million to implement a program. New Castle Community Schools received $4 million for implementation. Randolph Eastern got $3 million.
Granted, there are specific rules. Applicants were required to identify an intervention priority for their improvement efforts and to select a model designed to transform educational opportunities. Applicants also have the option of identifying an expert partner to provide strategic guidance.
That might have been too demanding for some districts.
ACS Superintendent Joe Cronk said, essentially, that the district is leery of federal governance and authority as well as the transfer of regular state funding from ACS to an educational transformation team.
In Anderson, a committee is pushing for the district to apply for next year's grants. Members of the committee include Mary Baker-Boudissa, Lindsay Brown, Perry Washington and Annie Wood-Bell. Although some in the group have been strong critics of the district, their concerns should not be disregarded.
Cronk responded to the group's concerns in an email stating that "any partnership or grant program we apply for or participate in must align with the mission, vision, strategic direction, and timeline of the corporation. And, unfortunately, as I outlined in my previous message and above, there are several critical issues that prevent us from participating."