Without the availability of proper materials, the structure isn't as stable and might need repairs over time. Similarly, some school systems lack the tools they need to create this foundation and their students may not be adequately prepared for college or the workforce. In my last column, I told you about some of the bills that have been filed this session. Some of those bills that I mentioned had to do with local issues, while others mentioned some of the proposed changes for Indiana's education system. One of those bills I discussed was House Bill 1002, which would set guidelines for charter schools to be created or for a public school to be converted into a charter school. The bill received more than 16 hours of discussion, public testimony and debate before its vote late Tuesday evening. Although no legislation is perfect, I think HB1002 is good legislation that is necessary to give Hoosier families an additional option for their students' education - especially since Indiana has over 3,500 students on waiting lists for charter schools. I look forward to seeing the legislation move on to the Senate for further consideration. Not only can we give K-12 students additional education opportunities, we can also provide opportunities for our young entrepreneurs. In the past few years, Indiana has seen more and more jobs catered around science and technology. As a result, we have seen more industrial jobs replaced with jobs that require extensive education and training. We are also seeing more entrepreneurs starting their own businesses. So why not prepare our students early and train them now for tomorrow's business world? Several state colleges and universities are starting to offer courses that let students design their own business from the ground up-a great way to foster a successful entrepreneurial spirit. To increase involvement, House Bill 1251 would establish a young entrepreneurs program within Indiana colleges and universities that promotes business proposals that are developed in those courses. With this program, there would be at least one auction per year in which a community can bid to locate a young entrepreneur's start-up business in their community. By offering such an attractive reward, we would be encouraging more people to think of ways to expand Indiana's economy by using the skills they learned in school. These bills are just a glimpse of what we will face as we strive to improve the education system for our children and future generations of Hoosiers. I encourage you to learn more about these bills and others by visiting www.in.gov/legislative. You can also contact me at H70@IN.gov or 1-800-382-9841 with any questions or ideas you have. |
