Crawfordsville students will stay home Nov. 19 while their teachers demand a bigger boost in school funding from lawmakers.
Crawfordsville Community School Corp. joined a growing list of districts statewide to cancel classes for the “Red for Ed Action Day” at the Indiana Statehouse. Administrators said they could not provide enough substitutes for the number of staff members planning to attend the rally.
“Please understand that our teachers are responding to sustained efforts by legislators to weaken public schools,” Superintendent Dr. Scott Bowling wrote on the district’s Facebook page Sunday. “Teachers, parents and students are uniting on Nov. 19 to advocate for the end of high-states testing in the state of Indiana and for the adequate funding of public schools.”
All extracurricular activities will continue as scheduled. Classes will be made up on Jan. 20, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The Indiana State Teachers Association says more than 7,000 teachers have registered for the lobbying effort on the day legislators are gathering for organization meetings ahead of their 2020 session starting in January.
More than 35 school districts have canceled classes or are having students work online from home that day.
Colleen Moran, superintendent at North Montgomery Community School Corp., said, “We are sending a delegation of North teachers to the rally so that we can show our support for public education, and support our students and families by keeping school In session. Childcare for our families is already a challenge on non school days.”
Teachers not attending the rally will show their support by wearing red.
South Montgomery School Corp. currently plans to stay in session that day, however, Superintendent Shawn Greiner said that plan could change.
“We currently have four teachers planning to attend the rally,” Greiner said. “We support our teachers’ efforts in representing our entire staff at the rally. Our hope is to be able to keep school in session as we understand that a cancellation presents a challenge to our families.”
However, if the corporation experiences a large number of teachers planning to attend the rally, causing classroom coverage issues, the corporation will close and make up that day Jan. 20.
Greiner added that school officials have invited local legislators to a school board work session at 5 p.m. today at the corporation office to show support as a corporation.
