Superintendent Power

VINCENNES, IND. (WTHI) -       Indiana's Supreme Court is now pondering the fate of the state's controversial school voucher law.

     The justices heard arguments from both sides on whether the law that allows private schools to receive state funds violates the Indiana Constitution.

     That law was part of a pile of education reforms put into place by the Indiana General Assembly at the direction of then State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett.

      While Bennett may be leaving office there are questions about how much impact his successor will have on that agenda.

     During the election earlier this month republicans virtually ran away with victories from the voters in Indiana.

     One of the notable exceptions though was the victory of school librarian Glenda Ritz.

     The southern Indiana democrat defeated republican incumbent Tony Bennett for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

     Bennett pushed an aggressive agenda and one lawmaker says that may have led to his defeat.

     "I think you could very safely say the public is not comfortable with the speed," said State Representative Kreg Battles of Vincennes.  "I think they want more time to see what those reforms mean."

      A lot of people wonder just how effective Glenda Ritz is going to be as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

  After all, many of the reforms were put into place by republican lawmakers with a republican governor and that hasn't changed at the state house.

  However, Representative Battles says the laws were written in such broad terms that the superintendent has plenty of room for interpretation.

     "There is a lot of wiggle room as I see it," said Battles. "At least that the legislature allowed the superintendent of public instruction in creating that doing as he or she wished."

     That means the piles of reforms heading to the classroom might get a different look.

     "We need to make sure this is stuff that works in real life and doesn't just work on paper," said Battles.  "It has to be good policy rather than good politics."

     Something that will ultimately impact schools throughout all of Indiana.

     Besides the current splits on education reform Governor elect Mike Pence is bringing a separate agenda that includes more early childhood education and vocational training in high schools.