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.
Continue reading “2022-2023 Indiana Education and Voucher Funding Summary”Voucher Impact 2021-2022
Submitted by Phil on Sun, 03/13/2022 – 15:01
The link below will take you to a google sheet with the latest voucher/financial data
Continue reading “Voucher Impact 2021-2022”Voucher Impact 2020-2021
The link below will take you to a google sheet with the latest voucher/financial data
Continue reading “Voucher Impact 2020-2021”Voucher Impact 2019-2020
The link below will take you to a google sheet with the latest voucher/financial data
Continue reading “Voucher Impact 2019-2020”Voucher Impact 2018-2019
Submitted by Phil on Sat, 12/15/2018 – 11:35
The link below will take you to a google sheet with the latest voucher/financial data
Continue reading “Voucher Impact 2018-2019”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.
Continue reading “How Much of Your Income Tax Goes to Your Public Schools”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.
What Makes a Great Educational Environment
Submitted by Phil on Wed, 06/02/2021 – 10:06
In a great educational environment students feel safe and are engaged/interested in learning/doing something they see value in, that provides a challenge that seems attainable, with people who they know care about them.
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.
Continue reading “My Speech at the Statehouse to the Indiana Coalition for Public Education”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