Dr. Tony Bennett

Published on Thursday, June 03, 2010
ARTICLES

On January 12th, 2009, Dr. Tony Bennett was sworn in as Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction and immediately began creating a Department of Education focused on student learning and implementing his vision that "the academic achievement and career preparation of all Indiana students will be the best in the United States and on par with the most competitive countries in the world."

Bennett's aggressive goals include creating and promoting a statewide culture of academic excellence in which at least 90 percent of students pass both Math and English/Language Arts sections of ISTEP+ and End-of-Course Assessments; 25 percent of all graduates receive a score of 3, 4 or 5 on at least one Advanced Placement exam, a 4 or higher on an International Baccalaureate exam, or receive the equivalent of 3 semester hours of college credit during their high school years; and 90 percent of students graduate from high school.

Just four months into his term, the Indiana Business Journal said Dr. Bennett is "shaking things up" and "pushing hard for change."

In his first legislative session, Bennett actively encouraged the Indiana General Assembly to accelerate the state's school accountability timeline to allow the state to step in earlier to provide resources to chronically failing schools. He also worked with Governor Daniels and a bipartisan group of legislators to pass landmark legislation giving teachers legal immunity from lawsuits related to efforts to instill discipline in their classrooms and expanding criminal background checks for new school employees. Bennett has joined with President Obama and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan in opposing efforts to impose moratoriums on public charter schools.

In its first meeting under his direction, the State Board of Education approved a series of reforms aimed at facilitating student-centered learning and removing burdensome regulations that he called "a first step toward eliminating unnecessary requirements that all too often get in the way of our primary focus which is the achievement of students."

In March, Bennett created a stir in education circles by announcing his Department of Education would, for the first time in years, enforce a state law requiring students to receive 180 full days of instruction.

The Indianapolis Star editorialized, "The change has been portrayed as something of a get-tough policy, but it's more like a get-real move, one that acknowledges correlations between instructional time and student achievement." The Anderson Herald Bulletin said, "Bennett wants kids in the classrooms for the full 180. Every parent and teacher should want the same."

Recognizing the effort and leadership necessary to ensure all Hoosiers graduate from high school ready for college or a career, Bennett created the Graduation Rate Performance Program to reward principals and educators whose guidance and leadership result in increased graduation rates. The Graduation Rate Performance Program will reward up to $20,000 to staff members of twelve Indiana public high schools with the greatest increase in 2009-10 graduation rate (without waivers and as measured by state audited results) over 2008-09.

For more than 20 years, Bennett has served Indiana's school children and families as a teacher, coach and administrator, helping ensure Indiana's students receive the first-class education they deserve.

After nine years in the classroom as a science teacher, Dr. Bennett began his career in administration, quickly developing a reputation as a gifted leader with a talent for school management, strategic planning and efficient budgeting.

Dr. Bennett received his Ed.D. and Indiana Superintendent's License from Spalding University. He earned his Certification in Secondary Administration and Supervision, a Master of Science in Secondary Education, and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Indiana University Southeast.

A native of Clark County, Indiana, Tony now lives in Noblesville with his wife Tina, a former high school principal. He has four adult children and one grandchild.