GiaQuinta calls on SBOE to continue making progress on diploma revisions, conduct second public comment period before November election

Today (Sept. 11), the State Board of Education (SBOE) met but did not share specifics as to when Hoosiers can expect the second draft high school diploma redesign rule to be published – despite the fact that the rule must be finalized by Dec. 31.

Last night (Sept. 10), House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) and State Rep. Kyle Miller (D-Fort Wayne) held a town hall on the diploma proposal in Fort Wayne with local education leaders.

GiaQuinta reflected on what he learned from his constituents last night and made a call to the SBOE:

“Last night, I heard from my constituents about their hopes and concerns regarding the future of high school education in Indiana. Fort Wayne is lucky to have such a forward-thinking school district in Fort Wayne Community Schools, which has already been building high-value experiential learning into its pre-K through grade 12 curriculum for years now. I am concerned, however, for the school districts around the state that have not had the capacity to work toward education-business partnerships previously. That is a lot to build up over the next nine months to prepare for the 2025 school year.

“If I could summarize my constituents' priorities for the redesign in two words, they would be 'flexibility' and 'balance.' We cannot prioritize work-based experiences at the cost of advanced coursework in math and science that equip students with critical-thinking skills for life. At the same time, students who have a clear vision for their career and education should be given the opportunity to pursue that. Finally, concerns remain regarding school counselor workloads, transportation to and from job sites and student safety at businesses.      

“The SBOE and the Indiana Department of Education unveiled the second draft diploma nearly a month ago, and we have still not seen details in the form of a draft rule. Notably, while the diploma was discussed briefly at this morning's SBOE meeting, no significant additional details were provided.

“To make sure we get this proposal to a good place before the Dec. 31 diploma finalization deadline, I am calling on the SBOE and IDOE to release the second draft rule as soon as possible and conduct another 30-day public comment period before the November election. We cannot let this result in rash decision-making in November and December as the Holcomb administration is phasing out.

“It's clear more open, public discussion needs to happen here – our children's futures depend on it.”