2022-2023 Indiana Education and Voucher Funding Summary

While the overall Indiana General Fund Budget has grown faster than inflation, growth in Indiana’s budget for public school personnel has not. As of October of 2022, the current budget for the majority of the personnel in public, charter, and voucher-receiving schools is $590M behind the 2009-10 budget when inflation is taken into account. The current budget, at the time it passed, significantly made up the difference on a year to year basis; however, recent spikes in inflation have eaten those gains.

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How Much of Your Income Tax Goes to Your Public Schools

The link below will allow you to see how much of your income tax goes to pay for the teachers and employees in each public school district as well as the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program (Vouchers). The sheet will allow you to enter a “taxable income” number and the four digit code for your school district. If you do not know your four digit number, there is an alphabetical list of all the public schools to the right. 

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Constraints

Submitted by Phil on Mon, 10/11/2021 – 05:08

No constraints = no problem to solve = boredom

Within self-determination theory, the concept of Mastery calls for a task that is challenging and attainable: too easy, boredom; too hard, quitting. A challenging task implies some friction or constraints. Finding that balance is one of the roles of a teacher/manager.

My Speech at the Statehouse to the Indiana Coalition for Public Education

Submitted by Phil on Tue, 02/18/2020 – 14:48

Good afternoon, it is a profound honor to speak to you today, thank you. I am Phil Downs. I am a social studies teacher currently on assignment as the superintendent of Southwest Allen County Schools, and I was asked to speak for five minutes today on the research I have done into Indiana’s budget and its Voucher program. 

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How Do Images Move and Transfer?

Submitted by Phil on Thu, 12/26/2019 – 11:19

“Something inside one person takes external form — contained by a poem, picture, melody, play, etc — and through a certain kind of engagement, is transferred to the inside of someone else. Art as a transit system for images.” – Lynda Barry