Editorial: Don't disappoint Dolly by ending Imagination Library funding
When announcing in 2023 that the state would allocate $6 million over the next two years for The Imagination Library, then-Gov. Eric Holcomb aptly stated that reading is 'the key to further education and opportunity.'
His successor, Gov. Mike Braun, must feel differently. His budget proposal nixes appropriations for the reading program which provides free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age 5. According to The Dollywood Foundation, some 125,000 Hoosier children in all 92 counties receive books each month. Like Jimmy Carter's volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity, Dolly Parton will be remembered for her efforts to ensure children have access to books, regardless of their family's income level.
While The Imagination Library has largely been supported by charitable giving, removing public dollars from the program is a bad decision. It signals that reading isn't a priority for Braun and legislators who support his budget proposal. It's also strange timing considering recent improvements in Indiana reading scores.
Over the past two years, Indiana has enjoyed a significant jump in reading scores amongst students. In the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, Indiana improved from 19th to sixth in the nation in fourth grade reading over a two-year period. Eighth grade reading results placed Indiana at sixth in the nation, up from 17th.
'This new data is just one more piece of evidence that the time and resources invested in this effort are paying off for students,' said Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner when the results were released. 'This should provide continued motivation for everyone to keep our foot on the gas pedal, whether that's classroom teachers or parents reading to their child at home.'
Ending public funding for The Imagination Library would be tapping the brakes, not keeping the foot on the gas pedal. As Jenner correctly states, reading at home is critical for young Hoosiers. Access to books, which The Imagination Library provides, is part of that progress. Why would Braun want to slow that progress?
After catching heat from around the globe for the perplexing decision, Braun announced that his wife, First Lady Maureen Braun, would lead an initiative to raise money for The Imagination Library. That's commendable, but it should be done in concert with state funding.
Instead of working '9 to 5' to axe funding for a successful reading program, Hoosier lawmakers should embrace Dolly's Imagination Library 'From Here to the Moon and Back.'
Reading is a gateway. We should support swinging that gate wide open, not closing the door even an inch to comprehension, education and advancement.
News and Tribune, Jeffersonville
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
17 hours ago
- Fox News
Indiana Gov Mike Braun savoring state's moment in national spotlight as Pacers lead NBA Finals
This year's NBA Finals are a battle between two small-market franchises, but the governor of Indiana is fully embracing the national limelight shining on his state. The Pacers are in their first NBA Finals since 2000, going up against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers won three ABA titles in the early 1970s, while the Thunder organization has not won a title since 1979, when they were the Seattle SuperSonics. The Pacers are up 1-0 in the series after yet another incredible comeback. Gov. Mike Braun said he watched the game again shortly after it wrapped up, and then once more the morning after. Now, he's starting to think they are a "team of destiny" that embodies the blue-collar attitude of his state. Braun was a basketball player in high school, and even played against Indiana legend Larry Bird. "Basketball to Hoosiers, it's 49 other states, and then there's Indiana. It means a lot, because the Pacers have been always competitive, but never been quite in that position to win it," Braun said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. "And this isn't one with authority other than they now have become a team of destiny, it seems almost. But coming back from 15 points (in Game 1), it's underdog status. "I've always loved it when I was in sports and even as a politician, and there's something about it. When it works out, it's even sweeter. So that spotlight's going on Indiana, the same spotlight on Oklahoma, two states that are not in the national limelight. Of course, we are now, and I'm savoring every minute of it… It's been a fun time to be governor of Indiana, let's put it that way." Braun said the Finals are a chance for Indiana to tell its own story, and shows why people are flocking there to live. "I remember when I lived out in Boston for two years going to business school, they must have not taken geography back in high school. They had a couple of people who asked, 'Where exactly is Indiana?'" Braun recalled. Braun has lived the American dream. After playing against Larry Bird in high school, he became an entrepreneur before going into politics. Today, while he runs Indiana, three of his four children run his business, and his wife has owned the same home accessory gift store for 47 years. And while he is watching his Pacers vie for their first NBA championship, he can't but think of a movie about Indiana basketball and the next generation. "Well, I think that that would go back to if you watched the movie 'Hoosiers,' that would tell you every reason for (why Indiana is the basketball state). We've got so much history of that, and the proof is in the pudding." That proof is Braun's outfits while he campaigned and debated – just rolled-up long-sleeve shirts. Oh, and Bobby Knight joining him on the campaign trail. "Where I grew up, right on Highway 231, you didn't really pay much attention driving by it every day," Braun said, "but on that same basketball goal that I played on is a grade-schooler or high schooler still out there on the driveway." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Chicago Tribune
21 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Bruce Rauner: Don't lower the bar for Illinois students
If you've ever watched the high jump event in track and field, you know they raise the bar a little at a time to determine who can clear the greatest height without knocking the bar to the ground. It's exhilarating to watch each athlete rise to the challenge. Now imagine if they did it in reverse, lowering the bar in each round so everyone feels good about their performance and gets awarded a medal. It would spare some frustration and disappointment, but it also would defeat the entire purpose of the event — and no one would ever improve. The same principle applies in education. If we keep lowering expectations to create the illusion of success, we fail the very students we claim to be helping. According to state education officials, Illinois currently has 'some of the highest proficiency benchmarks in the nation.' Yet instead of keeping that bar high or even raising it, they're proposing reworking the state's benchmarking system because it 'unfairly mislabels students.' State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders recently proposed that Illinois lower its state assessment standards to 'provide us with more accurate data.' Lowering the standards doesn't make the scores more accurate. It sends the wrong signal to students and creates misinformation for parents and educators that results in more students falling through the cracks. This is part of a troubling trend picking up steam across the country. In 2024, Oklahoma and Wisconsin revised their academic standards by lowering the passing scores on their state tests. As a result, students this year were not required to demonstrate the same level of mastery as those in previous years. This change means that some students who would have previously been identified as needing additional support are now considered to be meeting expectations. Oklahoma realized the folly in lowering the bar and recently reversed course to reinstate higher expectations. According to the Nation's Report Card, a biannual assessment of math and reading administered to students in every state, Illinois needs to commit to more rigorous standards, not weaken them. This year's scores showed stagnant or declining results in the number of fourth grade students able to score at or above proficient for math and reading. By lowering expectations on state assessments, the number of students listed as below, at or above proficient could look wildly different than the scores reported by National Assessment of Educational Progress. This is what is known as an 'honesty gap.' It's an active choice to fudge proficiency scores because state leaders believe they're unfair. Lowering expectations for students in Illinois will only widen the honesty gap between state-reported performance and how students actually compare to their peers nationwide, leaving them unprepared for the realities they'll face after graduation. That's the most unfair thing we can do to our students. Numerous studies have shown a strong connection between reading achievement and long-term outcomes, such as college enrollment and lifetime earnings. Similarly, a recent Urban Institute study found that raising math scores by just 0.5 standard deviations for students up to age 12 led to greater increases in earnings by age 30 than any other factor examined. We don't want our students to be unprepared for the academic or professional challenges they will face after K-12 education. This is why Illinois should instead look to bolster current standards with more comprehensive policy solutions that will support students where they are: promoting and challenging those who are testing above proficiency and providing rapid evidence-based interventions and support to those who are testing below proficiency in an effort to bring them up to speed. Illinois policymakers just voted to give more than $300 million in additional funding to public schools. Billions of dollars in new spending has been allocated since we passed historic school funding reform in 2017, yet accountability continues to be eroded. Taxpayers deserve to know whether that additional funding leads to students improving in meaningful, measurable ways. Consistently high standards are the only way to ensure that. It might feel good in the short term to see more students clear the bar, but those same students are likely to wind up more disadvantaged in the long run because they won't get the support they need to make real improvement. Bruce Rauner was the 42nd governor of Illinois.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Ivy Tech freezes tuition through 2026–27 academic year
INDIANAPOLIS — The Ivy Tech Community College State Board of Trustees has voted to freeze tuition and mandatory fees for the next two academic years, ensuring no increase for both 2025–26 and 2026–27. The decision reflects the college's commitment to ensuring affordability and delivering value for Hoosiers, the school said, and follows Gov. Mike Braun's request and a unanimous recommendation by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education that all public higher education institutions freeze tuition to support Hoosiers. 'The action by our State Board reflects our commitment to putting students first,' said Dr. Sue Ellspermann, president of Ivy Tech Community College. 'Holding tuition flat builds on our years of work to improve affordability, access and completions for students, and that effort has brought positive outcomes for the state.' In-state tuition for full-time students taking 12 or more credit hours will remain at $2,577.11 per semester; tuition for part-time students will remain at $178.38 per credit hour. Out-of-state tuition rates will also remain unchanged. Ivy Tech's innovative Ivy+ Textbooks program, which provides students with all required textbooks and course materials at a low, predictable cost, will continue at $18 per credit hour in 2025–26 and $18.25 in 2026–27. The tuition freeze is part of Ivy Tech's broader mission to eliminate financial barriers and deliver high-quality, workforce-aligned education and training to Hoosier students, Ellspermann said.
