The IndyStar reported on the final recommendations of the “Governor’s Taskforce” earlier this month. I didn’t see much response locally. I believe this is a HUGE opportunity to cooperatively invest in Indiana’s future, by both parties. Indiana’s governor and two houses have been governed by a single party for many years. The historical low-tax, low-service, selective investment strategy has delivered low taxes, responsible local government services, respectable education, solid infrastructure, a diversified economy but mostly growth in just the Indy metro area and lower average incomes for the other 80 counties. The current very low unemployment rates are further squeezing employers reliant upon abundant relatively low wage/skills employees.
Focus. 30 Items are Too Many.
Eliminate One-third of the Lowest Value Initiatives.
- Digital development grants. Employers will invest in high ROI projects by themselves.
2. Indiana Talent Agency. No extra bureaucracy.
3. Career Network. No extra bureaucracy. Finding jobs on-line is easy today.
6. College retention incentives. Colleges already have incentives.
10. Immigration reform. Yes, but Indiana will not drive this nationally.
11. Miscellaneous student grants. These would help, but not critically.
12. Transportation funding. Helpful, but not critical.
21. High school diploma flexibility. Critical thinking skills or true CTE skills are essential, Don’t dilute them further.
23. Incentivize CTE credentials. Not needed. If credentials were clearly defined and understood, students and workers would pursue them out of self-interest.
24. STEM curriculum, courses, etc. Focus on schools and teachers first.
29. Scholarship for dual credit completers. These highly talented and motivated students are already moving in the right direction.
Digital Skills (1)
No need for #4 bureaucracy. Basic digital skills should be completed in junior high school. Is the state requirement clear? Advanced digital skills courses should be required in HS and community college for graduation. Make existing courses available for free to firms for remedial on-site training. Make relevant Western Governor’s University courses free. Digital skills should be like “breathing” for Indiana residents. No extra state overhead is required.
University STEM Degrees (2)
No incentives to universities required (5). Provide STEM degree completers with a $25K graduation cash rebate. IU/Purdue (7) should offer more diverse STEM degrees, but so should all Indiana publicly funded universities. Let the students drive the faculty levels.
Career and Technical Education Certifications (3)
Fine-tune the certification program to really recognize workplace, digital, team, industry and technical skills. If the program was recognized like a CPA, licensed plumber, six sigma blackbelt, PMP project manager, Microsoft IT skills, state licensed professional, etc., it would have great value, increasing employee pay and transferable value. (8, 9, 22, 30).
Early Childhood Education (4)
Fund pre-K and K for all. Fix the detailed regulatory limits (13). Defining pre-K detailed results is not essential (26).
Community College (5)
Clearly define “advanced manufacturing” curriculum and degree (1). Reduce community college tuition fees further with state subsidies to encourage universal participation in higher education (like Tennessee). Radically change community college to be local county (or county groups) funded and managed educational institution. Ivy Tech has failed repeatedly as a state-run organization to graduate students. Let local counties decide if they want to invest in education and actively manage this.
Reading (6)
Invest whatever it takes to ensure that all 3rd graders can read at grade level. This is the most essential gateway (28).
Administrative Improvements/Investments (7)
15. Offer employers a $1K fee per class to offer on-site classes.
16. Simplify criminal expungement.
17. Auto enroll eligible students in 21st C scholars.
18. Require HS seniors to file FAFSA.
19. Increase college funding grants for lower income students.
20. Increase credit for prior learning.
28. Fund Dolly Parton library to encourage reading.
High School STEM Classes (8)
25. Allow any person with a BS degree to teach any STEM class at HS and community college level. No need for more detailed subject matter or education course qualifications. They will “figure it out”.
Background on Indiana’s Historical Progress
Summary
Indiana is not winning the modern global competition for value added jobs and firms. Students and adults must have modern skills. Educational institutions must provide these skills. This requires focused investments and administrative changes.
Good News 