Democrat Jennifer McCormick gets teacher union endorsement in race for Indiana governor

INDIANAPOLIS (INDIANA CAPITAL CHRONICLE) — Indiana’s largest teachers union gave its official support to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick on Wednesday, citing her “common sense and bipartisanship” approach to state politics and education policy.

Speaking on the south steps of the Statehouse Wednesday morning, Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) President Keith Gambill announced its political action committee, I-PACE, has endorsed McCormick, a former teacher and principal who served as Indiana’s final elected superintendent of public instruction from 2017 to 2021.

She’s the only gubernatorial candidate on the Democratic primary ballot and has already effectively secured her place on the November ballot.

There are six candidates vying for the Republican nomination. The victor will face McCormick and Libertarian nominee Donald Rainwater — who was chosen in a party convention — in the general election.

“Today, as we face continuous challenges that threaten the fabric of public education, we need a leader like Dr. McCormick, someone who understands these issues deeply — not just from the perspective of policy — but through the lens of personal experience as a teacher, and a principal and an administrator,” Gambill said. “I call upon all supporters of public education, all who believe in a brighter future for Indiana, to stand with us. Stand with a leader who has proven she can uplift our educational standards and advocate tirelessly for our needs.”

Speaking to a small crowd at the announcement event, McCormick emphasized that Indiana must reinvest in its traditional public schools — not private voucher programs — in order to reverse lagging literacy, increase teacher recruitment and retention, and improve overall outcomes for Hoosier students.

“As the governor, I will be committed to kids — kids first, always. I will tell you, though, in order to make that promise come true, we must take care of our teachers,” McCormick said. “If we take care of our teachers and give them the support that they don’t only need, but that they deserve, everybody wins. Our kids win. Our families win. Our communities win. The State of Indiana wins. We need to make sure that is the goal.”

Teachers signal support

I-PACE’s endorsement provides McCormick’s campaign with financial support and other resources, Gambill said. The PAC currently has about $1.3 million cash on hand, according to state campaign finance filings. Gambill said the committee hasn’t decided if it will support any other statewide candidates yet.

A former Republican, McCormick fell out of favor with the Indiana GOP while serving as state superintendent. 

The Republican-controlled legislature — with approval from Gov. Eric Holcomb — eliminated the elected position and replaced it with a Secretary of Education, who is appointed by the governor. 

McCormick switched sides to become a Democrat shortly after. She announced her campaign for governor in May 2023 and formally filed to run in February.

Angie Hood, an educator in Warren Township in Indianapolis, said that in her 25 years of teaching, “things have drastically changed” — and not for the better. She said she wants to see McCormick in office to better support teachers and the tools they need in their classrooms.

“There’s been a lot of push for testing. Unfortunately, with the push for testing, we have seen a decline in students mental health — as well as teachers’ mental health — because it is a lot of stress on the young people, and they feel like they’re being tested too much. And they are not being encouraged to use the different sensory skills in order to learn,” Hood said. 

“Jennifer understands that schools must meet the needs of individual students,” she continued. “She believes that all students can learn with appropriate support, starting with early childhood through post-secondary education. Her common sense approach is needed to move our community forward.”

McCormick digs at current GOP education policies

In her remarks, McCormick criticized existing statewide education policies, including changes to teacher licensure requirements and increased standardized testing for students.

She specifically took aim at a new law passed earlier this year that requires educators for Pre-K to Grade 6 to complete 80 hours of professional development on science of reading concepts and pass a written exam. Teachers won’t be able to renew their license without doing so.

Stacy Kurdelak, a special education teacher at Rensselaer Central High School, said the new rule makes her and her colleagues feel “disrespected.”

“Along with my 28 years of experience, I hold a master’s degree, I have a professionalized Indiana teaching license in four areas, and I am consistently evaluated as highly effective by my building administrator. But, according to the state, it is no longer enough,” said Kurdelak, who voiced support for McCormick on Wednesday.

“I think it was a knee-jerk reaction to the literacy rate problem,” McCormick added. “I thought it was sloppy, at best. And I just think it was a knee-jerk reaction to appease that they’re doing something under the Republican Party.”

McCormick noted, too, that existing literacy intervention programming for the state’s youngest students has underfunded “for years.” Dollars needed for local school districts to host summer school have also been cut short, she said. 

She maintained that increased funding for those areas would be a more effective use of state resources for ensuring Hoosier kids are on track with reading. Looking at the “root causes” of literacy deficiencies “will be expensive,” though, she said.

Education makes up just over 50% of the state’s biennial budget. Lawmakers will convene and craft the next budget during the 2025 legislative session.

The Democratic hopeful also criticized a separate new law that will require IREAD standardized testing to begin in second grade and continue into third grade. Students who fail the test three times will be held back and have to repeat third grade. 

McCormick said investments in childcare and providing universal pre-K education would be better approaches. If elected, those are the types of issues she promised her administration would focus on.

“(Voters) are tired of extremism. They’re tired of infighting amongst the party. They want a focus on everyday issues impacting our lives, like taking away our healthcare rights and freedoms, like not having access to affordable healthcare, like not having access to great paying jobs. They’re worried about our public schools. They’re worried about their kids’ education. They’re worried about our environment,” McCormick said. “They want to see someone who can have those conversations in a civil, calm, commonsense, bipartisan way.”