Teach Plus Teaching Policy Fellowship Alumni and Indianapolis Educators Edward Rangel and Melissa Scherle Part of Panel Responsible for Replacing Indiana’s State Test
Indianapolis, IN, April 29 – Teach Plus Teaching Policy Fellowship alumni Edward Rangel and Melissa Scherle were named today by Indiana General Assembly House Speaker Brian C. Bosma to the 23-member panel charged with determining what will replace the state test, ISTEP+. Rangel is an assistant principal at Tindley Genesis Academy. Scherle, a Jasper, Indiana native, teaches second grade at Washington Irving Elementary in Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS).
“We congratulate Eddie and Melissa on this incredible opportunity to help shape vital education policy in Indiana,” said Patrick McAlister, Teach Plus-Indianapolis Director of Policy. “As the state works to develop a new and fair assessment, it is essential that teachers like Melissa and school leaders like Eddie, who have powerful policy voices, are at the table.”
“As a Latino educator in an urban school, I know how important a quality assessment is to ensuring we serve all students equitably,” Rangel said. “I’m honored to have this opportunity to help shape our new state assessment, and look forward to working with colleagues from around the state.”
“I’ve testified at the General Assembly during the past two legislative sessions so I know the importance of bringing a teacher’s perspective to key education policy issues,” said Scherle. I’ve seen first-hand how influential classroom experiences like mine are to policy conversations. I can’t wait to get to work!”
The panel also includes the Superintendent of Public Instruction and her four appointees, the Commissioner of Workforce Development, the Commissioner of Higher Education, the Chairperson of the Senate Education & Career Development Committee, the Chairperson of the House Education Committee, a member of the State Board of Education, four President Pro Tempore appointments and four Speaker of the House appointments. The ISTEP review panel will meet over the summer and fall months and submit its recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by Dec. 1.
About Teach Plus
Teach Plus empowers excellent, experienced teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Teach Plus runs three programs designed to place teacher leaders at the center of improvements in policy and practice: Teaching Policy Fellowship, C2 Initiative, and T3 Initiative. The programs focus on demonstrably effective teachers who want to continue classroom teaching while also expanding their impact as leaders in their schools and in district, state, and national policy. Since its inception in August 2009, Teach Plus has grown to a network of more than 22,000 solutions-oriented teachers across the country. www.teachplus.org
