Indiana Department of Education seeking input on federal waiver request due to pandemic
11/23/2020

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) is currently seeking public input regarding a request to the U.S. Department of Education for a federal waiver of specific accountability requirements for 2020 – 21. The IDOE is basing this request on the pandemic and its impact on the inability to provide valid data for this school year.

ISTA encourages our members to submit written comments by the Dec. 4 deadline.

ISTA supported the Department of Education’s one-year waiver for the year given the effects of COVID-19. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has indicated that she would not grant federal accountability waivers for a second time. However, educators, schools and communities face the same unprecedented challenges now that they faced in the spring – in many ways, greater challenges.

ISTA and many stakeholders around the state recognize that now is the time to ensure students, educators, schools and communities are not penalized for situations beyond their control based on ZIP code. We encourage members to make their voice heard to the Department of Education in support of Indiana’s federal waiver.