. 
 STATE OF INDIANA 200 W. Viiasehinglorri1
:1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Indianapolis, IN 46204

Website: 
E?Mail: h91@in.gov

 

 


Eduoation, Chairman
Public Health
Utilities and Energy

July-30, 2015

Speaker of the House of Representatives
Hon. Brian C. Bosma

200 W. Washington St.

Indianapolis, IN 46204

Mr. Speaker,

We are writing to request that the legislative council assign an additional topic to the Interim
Study Committee on Education. We believe it would be very bene?cial to study the topic of
teacher shortages in Indiana.

Earlier this month many Indiana news outlets reported on recently released data stating that
licenses issued to ?rst time teachers has declined from 16,578 in 2010 to 6,174 in 2014. We
have also been hearing reports that enrollment in Indiana?s schools of education has been
declining signi?cantly. Ball State has stated that enrollment in their elementary teacher-
preparation program has fallen 45% over the last decade.

Given the media reports and concerns that they have generated with school districts, we think it
would be wise for the Indiana General Assembly to proactively address this issue. It would be
helpful to receive testimony from experts, and from the ?eld on why teacher enrollment and
licensures are dwindling. We believe it is important to have a plan to the matter issue prior to
the 2016 legislative session, and studying it during the interim could be a key component in
crafting that plan.

We hope you will review this request, and discuss it with the other members of the Legislative
Council. Please. feel free to contact us should you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely, .
Robert Behning Dennis?Kruse
State Representati State Senator

House District 91 - Senate District 14