Tech’s Francis chosen to serve on key state education committee

Joshua Francis, interim dean of Indiana Tech’s College of General Studies and director of teacher preparation, has been invited by Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, Glenda Ritz, to join a commission that will work to improve teacher retention and recruitment within the state.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to work with Superintendent Ritz and my colleagues from public schools and teacher education programs from across the state,” Francis said.

The 49-person Blue Ribbon Commission on the Recruitment and Retention of Excellent Educators was formed last month and will meet for the first time on Sept. 11. Ritz will co-chair the panel, a mix of educators, legislators and other stakeholders, with Maryann Santos de Barona, dean of Purdue University’s College of Education.

“As a lifelong educator, I know firsthand the importance of having the most effective teachers in our classrooms and the impact they can have on the lives of their students,” Ritz said. “Indiana needs to insure that our schools can recruit the new teachers they need while also working to keep our most effective teachers in the classroom so that they can be a resource for those new teachers.”

According to Ritz, Indiana has seen an 18 percent drop in the number of teachers receiving first-time licenses over the last five years.

“I applaud Superintendent Ritz for her dedication to this profession and for her work in pulling together teachers and teacher educators from across the state to help set the direction for educational policy in Indiana,” Francis said. “I am excited to be at the table with such a talented group of individuals to work on such an important issue.”