Westfield educators oppose Indiana’s new diploma standards

Westfield, Indiana – The Westfield Washington school district’s teachers are opposing Indiana’s new diploma requirements.

They claim that neither the demands of the global workforce nor college are adequately addressed by the new requirements.

For the class of 2029, Indiana is putting up new high school graduation requirements that prioritize work-based learning. Students in middle school will be able to select between the GPS Plus and the Graduated Prepared to Success (GPS) diplomas.

“At age 15, 16, or 17, you might think you know what interests you, but how do you actually know unless you can experience different courses,” math instructor Andrew Schaaf of Westfield High School said.

One of the main complaints made by Westfield instructors is that basic academic disciplines like arithmetic, physics, social studies, and foreign languages receive insufficient attention.

According to Schaaf, “Students’ perspectives are also limited when requirements and resources are restricted; they might not identify what interests them, which, in some ways, limits their future. Limiting their future is the last thing we as educators want to do. Our goal is to advance the future.

The educators desire a more comprehensive curriculum that appropriately equips kids for upcoming difficulties.

The vocational and technical education instructor at Westfield, Nikki Heflin, expressed her concerns, saying, “It worries me because a lot of work has already gone into the professional pathways. In particular, kids must choose a very strict academic path for themselves as early as middle school. This demands so much concentration that pupils aren’t really able to, much alone the flexibility and middle and high school are actually meant to be times for exploration.

Concerns about the potential removal of the Honors programs were voiced by teachers. Teachers are concerned about this because they think the shift may lessen the level of academic difficulty required of students beyond high school.

Language instructor Jen Haslar Troutman of Westfield High School remarked, “They want to earn proof, kind of like someone would extend themselves and train for a marathon.” You want to give something your all and succeed at it. I don’t want to take away pupils’ motivation to achieve well.

Democratic candidate for governor of Indiana, Jennifer McCormick, says she’s hoping for a more practical strategy. In order to adequately educate students for the next four to five decades, a high school redesign should focus on a thorough examination of transferrable abilities, as they will need to be excellent communicators and problem solvers. However, I contend that this latest makeover of the high school is a step backward.

Numerous educators are concerned that graduates may find it difficult to fulfill even college entry criteria if advanced programs are eliminated and essential courses are given less attention. They want to provide children with greater choices.

Schaaf stated, “If you know what’s expected of students, we might be restricting the colleges or opportunities students can have after high school graduation in Indiana.” universities are free to set their own criteria.

Some Westfield teachers will be present at the meeting of the Indiana State Board of Education on Wednesday to debate the new graduation criteria.