Looking Forward to 2022!
2021 has brought its own sense of challenges, similar to 2020 but unique as well. With the pandemic lingering in 2021 and with a sharper focus on school-age children, we continue to use our “COVID toolkit” of masks, social distancing, quarantines, and periodic virtual learning. As we approach the two-year mark of this pandemic, we have settled into a routine and have learned that we could successfully pivot when necessary and still maintain a quality educational program for our students.
Our COVID toolkit continues to expand. Looking ahead to 2022, we now have the additional tools of vaccines and boosters available for our school-age children. We have become more proficient at virtual education when it becomes absolutely necessary. Now more than ever, we are ready for whatever is thrown our way.
We have also learned that the challenges of 2020 and 2021 have produced a variety of silver linings. I’m sure you can name many of them. So as we find ourselves in the midst of Christmas and other holiday seasons, let us focus our sights on the cup being half full rather than half empty. In this season of gift giving, spend some time reflecting on the many gifts in your life.
At INPEA, we have been gifted with the support of many, many, member schools and their school leaders. We are coming out of one of the most successful legislative sessions since 2011. And we have a Board and staff who are passionately committed to our mission. We have accomplished a lot in Indiana, but there is still more to do. Let’s get it done … TOGETHER! Have a blessed Holiday!
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Gearing Up for the
2022 Legislative Session
The Indiana General Assembly will reconvene for the 2022 Legislative Session on Tuesday, January 4. The 2021 session was a huge success for school choice but we must continue our advocacy efforts and protect the gains we have made!
Our priorities for the 2022 legislative session are:
- Protect and Defend
- Religious Liberty
- Choice Programs
- ESA Improvement
- Clarifying applicable fees for vouchers
- Reducing administrative burden
- Access to teacher training funding
It is imperative that we build upon our successes and increase our engagement efforts. We need EVERY school to own this responsibility. Last session, we were thrilled to see more schools engaged in the process – and we know these efforts made a difference!
As we gear up for the 2022 session, we ask each school to help us in the following ways:
- Appoint a legislative liaison (grassroots coordinator) to inform school administrators and families. More information about the legislative liaison role is included in the next section of this newsletter.
- Set two public policy goals like inviting legislators into your building and mobilizing your school communities when needed. Choose two goals that make sense for your school community.
If you have any questions about this or need assistance, contact Andrea Anderson or John Elcesser. If you were unable to attend one of the November virtual advocacy training sessions, we encourage all school leaders and stakeholders to view this recording. INPEA’s Legislative Toolkit is also an excellent resource to review as we gear up for the 2022 session.
In January, we will return with the Statehouse Express podcast and a new Board advocacy video! We hope you will share those with your school communities when they are available.
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Legislative Liaison Corner
To date, only 20% of our member schools have appointed a legislative liaison. If your school hasn’t already appointed a legislative liaison, we hope you will consider identifying someone from your school community (staff, parent, or other stakeholder) to serve in this capacity.
The legislative liaison for a school is first and foremost, an organizer of information, resources, and people. They serve as a conduit between INPEA’s policy initiatives and their school community. Working with school administration, liaisons help keep parents, teachers, and other school and church community members aware of legislation that could impact non-public schools. As a grassroots coordinator, they engage the school community at strategic times to reach out to their elected representatives about the impact of legislation on our schools.
Legislative Liaison Responsibilities:
- Educate - Help educate the parent community about particular public policy issues at parents meetings, through school newsletters, emails, etc.
- Encourage - When necessary and possible, inspire involvement from parents, educators, and even students, in Statehouse rallies or legislative committee hearings.
- Communicate - Share the non-public school perspective on issues with elected representatives or public school representatives (write/call/attend hearings) and encourage others to do the same.
- Establish - Set school goals for public policy engagement.
- Develop - Create a communication plan for public policy issues and alerts, so action is easy.
- Delegate - Get help from parents, teachers, and students.
For more information about the legislative liaison role and to explore the resources provided by INPEA, check out the Legislative Toolkit.
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New Communications and Member Relations Director Hired
Earlier this month, we welcomed our new communications and member relations director, Andrea Anderson. Andrea comes to INPEA after leading the marketing and communications department at Phi Mu Fraternity National Headquarters and prior to that, served in a variety of marketing and communications roles at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). She brings more than 20 years of marketing and communications experience in higher education as well as volunteer experience in various membership organizations. She lives in Indianapolis and has two children who attend Christ the King Catholic School. Andrea can be reached at aanderson@inpea.org.
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Blue Ribbon Schools Application Deadline is January 7
For those of you applying to be a National Blue Ribbon School, the deadline is right around the corner (January 7, 2022). Here is the link to more information. You can find Indiana's eligibility cut scores in the School Accountability and Accreditation Community Moodle. It's been awhile since we have had an Indiana non-public school receive this recognition. It would be great to have some schools apply!
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New ESA Program
The new Education Scholarship Account Program was passed in the 2021 State Budget. It is slated for implementation in the 2022-2023 school year. Currently, this new school choice program is open to students with special needs but that could change.
We plan to hold virtual information sessions in January. You won’t want to miss these very important webinars. Dates and times will be released after the first of the year. In the meantime, if you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out to John. A very general overview can be found on the treasurer's website.
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Reminder: Annual Dues and Data Survey
Thank you to the many schools that have already submitted 2021-2022 dues. It is much appreciated! Also, thanks to the schools that have submitted their data survey. This information is very valuable as we move into the upcoming legislative session. If your school has not submitted your dues or data survey yet, please do soon. Reach out to Andrea if you need assistance.
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Special Education Study
Thanks to everyone who completed the school leader survey! Your participation provided vital information for our special education study with ADAC. If someone at your school hasn’t completed the survey, please do so by the end of December. We hope to have a final report completed in early 2022.
If you would like to view the virtual training provided by ADAC, you can access that here.
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EANS Update
We continue to work with IDOE on the USDOE’s revised EANS 2 application. As you are aware, EANS 2 is focused on schools with high poverty and the Feds have recommended the benchmark of 40% of students in poverty. IDOE is making the case for 20% poverty or less. We are working with IDOE to use the residual EANS 1 funds to support the schools exceeding this benchmark. Stay tuned!
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Save the Date: INPAC 2022
INPAC 2022 will take place September 22-23, 2022 at the Renaissance Indianapolis North. The conference planning committee is already working hard to plan a full schedule that will inspire participants to continue Leading with Passion and Purpose. We hope you will join us! More details will be shared in early 2022.
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Hassle-Free Lunch Ordering, Provided by INPEA Business Partner, Gradelink
Looking for an easy way to collect school lunch orders and receive accurate meal counts? Gradelink’s new lunch ordering system makes it convenient and efficient for everybody. As parents place their orders online, you’ll receive notifications and have easy access to order reports.
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Friends of INPEA
If you are considering your year-end charitable donations, we invite you to join the “Friends of INPEA!” If you'd like to personally help support us financially, please visit our website and learn more about our "Friends of INPEA" designation or fill out our form to become a "Friend" today!
We greatly appreciate all those who are a part of the INPEA family, past and present; and we are truly excited to see what the future holds. Together with the “Friends of INPEA” and our stellar school leaders, there is so much more we can accomplish!
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Many thanks to our Business Partners! |
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*Would you like to be come an INPEA Business Partner or know a business that would be a good fit? Check out our website here or contact John Elcesser at jelcesser@inpea.org for more information!
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Mission
The Indiana Non-Public Education Association serves as an advocate, promotes engagement, and strives for the advancement of non-public schools.
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(317) 236-7329
1400 N. Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
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