By Aleksandra Appleton for the Chalkbeat Indiana .
Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the Chalkbeat Indiana-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service Collaboration.

In a Ball State classroom on a recent Tuesday, Professor Sheron Fraser-Burgess told her class to brace themselves for the “really controversial” argument from their reading:

“There’s no such thing as reverse ‘-ism.’ Women can be just as prejudiced as men, but can’t be as sexist, because they don’t have the power.”

Then she invited the class to weigh in.

Her students were quick to disagree with that argument and with each other, as well as Fraser-Burgess, who leaned back against a desk and listened.

She said it’s critical to her that her students — potential future teachers — learn about prejudice, discrimination, racism, sexism, and other “isms,” before they step into their own classrooms and assume power over others. That power can turn personal prejudice into an “ism” they perpetuate, she told them.

But some fear a new Indiana law that drastically alters universities’ diversity policies could have a chilling effect on teacher prep classes like Fraser-Burgess’ multicultural education course. The result could be that preservice teachers are less prepared to use best practices, challenge their own assumptions, and work with students who come from a variety of backgrounds through practices like culturally responsive teaching, these critics say.

That’s not the intent of the new law, said Sen. Spencer Deery, a Republican and the architect of the statute, which compels universities to stress “intellectual diversity” alongside cultural diversity. It requires professors to present a variety of viewpoints in their curriculum, and imposes consequences for not doing so, including demotion and denial of tenure.

It also creates a complaint procedure for students and staff to report faculty who bring unrelated politics into the classroom to their universities. To a certain extent, that aspect of the law resembles a public web portal set up by state Attorney General Todd Rokita for parents to submit complaints about how schools address race, gender, and political ideology.

Pushing back on concerns that the law could shrink the pool of future educators, Deery said it could instead encourage students who currently don’t feel welcome on college campuses — namely, conservative students — to enroll.

“If we don’t recognize that some Hoosiers are not going into higher ed because they don’t feel like someone from their background is going to be respected, or they’re going to be exposed only to views of some paradigms, that’s a problem,” Deery said.

What does the new ‘intellectual diversity’ law do?

Universities are currently in the process of implementing the law known as SEA 202, which Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law in March.

During this year’s legislative session, lawmakers heard hours of testimony in opposition to SEA 202 from faculty and students who said it represented an overreach into university classrooms, and could force professors to teach flawed information.

They drew comparisons to similar laws on the books in Florida targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and said it could lead to brain drain in the state as faculty leave or decline jobs in Indiana, accept positions elsewhere, and take their grant funding with them.

This could have an outsize effect on faculty of color, who are often tasked with leading diversity initiatives, and already face more complaints from students about what and how they teach, said Russ Skiba, an IU professor who has led opposition to 202.

In teacher training programs, this could create a snowball effect on preservice teachers and their future students, said Alexander Cuenca, an IU professor who has written about the barriers facing teacher candidates of color.

“If students can’t see themselves in the classroom, if we’re scared to mention Black perspectives in social studies, why would they go into teaching social studies?” he said.

But Deery, who spent a decade working at Purdue University, said he wrote the bill after seeing data that conservatives were losing trust in higher education.

A 2023 survey of free speech on Indiana campuses by the state Commission on Higher Education found that 72% of students believed that politically liberal students were free to express their views on campus, compared to 55% who said conservative students could do the same. Overall, 78% of survey respondents said that generally, students are free to express their opinions at their universities.

Deery has also cited data showing that conservative students feel less welcome on campuses than other students think they might feel. This data was part of the free speech survey, but has not been released publicly, Deery said. The commission was not able to make this data available to Chalkbeat by deadline.

Deery said 202 doesn’t prescribe or prohibit specific curriculum, but instead requires that professors present the full spectrum of viewpoints that exist within their discipline.

It’s up to university boards and departments to decide how to implement that — and that could mean some curriculum is cut while curriculum from underrepresented viewpoints is added, he said. When it comes to teaching diversity, Deery said he believes that should include cultural, racial, and ideological diversity.

“It’s not about making students feel comfortable, but feel respected,” he said. “College should make you uncomfortable. But that doesn’t give you license to ignore some perspectives.”

How the law affects teacher preparation

As the discussion of sexism went on in Fraser-Burgess’ class, one student pointed out the growing number of female band directors as a sign of more equality in the industry. Another countered that someone should ask those directors about the sexism they’ve experienced in their careers.

One recalled that a male kindergarten teacher faced distrust from parents as an example of how sexism can affect men.

The discussion zeroed in on the pressure boys and young men face to be stoic and successful. It continued until the final moments of the class.

Fraser-Burgess said she aims to cultivate an environment where students feel heard and know they won’t face retaliation for disagreeing with her.

The objective of her course is to help preservice teachers understand how bias can emerge in education, and how students’ backgrounds may affect their school experience.

What concerns her most about the new law is the reporting mechanism that would allow students who feel uncomfortable confronting these topics to complain about her class to the university.

Under the law, universities would need to establish a procedure allowing students and staff to complain about faculty who have not fostered free inquiry and intellectual diversity, who don’t expose students to a variety of political and ideological frameworks, or who bring politics unrelated to their discipline into the classroom. These complaints would be referred to supervisors and human resources departments for consideration in tenure promotion decisions.

“I’m an African American teacher telling them they need to disavow racism to be a public school teacher. It can come across with much more intensity, it may seem I’m being political or ideological,” she said.

If these complaints chill classroom discussion, it would mean future teachers have less exposure to teaching practices that are good for all students, she said.

“If we’re not fostering an ability to live with others and appreciate how they contribute to our society, to question our own experience as right or the default, we’re weakening our democracy, which is based on difference,” she said.

Deery said colleges already have a number of ways for students to report complaints about professors, and that the reporting mechanism of 202 only standardizes the process. Deery also said he trusts schools to filter out bogus complaints.

But some say the threat of complaints is enough to chill speech. And preservice teachers are learning as much from observing their professors as they are from the course content, said Cuenca, the IU professor.

“They’re in front of me, watching me teach,” Cuenca said. “If it influences the way I am able to speak, it’s going to impact how they’re going to be able to do it.”

What culturally responsive teaching looks like in practice

In recent years, teachers in Indiana and nationwide have reported a hesitancy to approach topics about race and diversity in class amid attempts to ban such lessons.

But teachers say learning culturally responsive teaching — or connecting students’ backgrounds and experiences to the classroom — is still an important tool.

For one, it helps educators build relationships with students and their families, said Cynthia Diaz, a teacher at Enlace Academy, an Indianapolis charter school where more than 80% of families speak a language other than English at home.

For example, when her students read “When Stars are Scattered,” the story of Somali refugees resonated with many of them, Diaz said. But the book also offered an opportunity to invite families to discuss the book and their own stories of immigrating to the U.S., both with their students at home and at a school event.

Having an awareness of their students’ cultures, backgrounds, and experiences also allows teachers to pause and challenge their own understanding, Diaz said.

“It’s the ability to be reflective. When you’re in a silo, you think ‘this is what I was taught, what school was like for me, so this is what school should be like.’” Diaz said. “In my opinion, it should be about what school should look like for the students in front of you.”


Aleksandra Appleton wrote this article for Chalkbeat Indiana.


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Enrollment in Indiana's 21st Century Scholars program has surged, reaching record levels. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education reports the program has enrolled more than 90,000 students for 2027 and 2028, more than double previous numbers. The boost follows a 2023 law allowing automatic enrollment for eligible students.

Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, authored the change. He hopes it helps more low-income students access a debt-free college education by meeting academic requirements.

"There are a lot of people that did not know it existed," he said. "I would ask people when they asked me about ways to fund their children's education, and I would mention 21st Century Scholars and almost 100% of the time the person would look at me and go, 'what's that?'"

The 21st Century Scholars program was created in 1990. It offers tuition-free college at Indiana's two- and four-year institutions for students who qualify based on income. Students eligible for the National School Lunch Program are automatically enrolled, though they may opt out. To remain in the program, they must meet certain academic and behavioral standards.

Harris commended the program's success and voiced optimism for expanding bipartisan educational efforts.

"I believe we as a state should do everything we can to help our young people continue their education post high school. We know funding is a big roadblock for a lot of people, and 21st Century Scholars is a great way to make sure that those funds are in place," he continued.

State education officials say over 50,000 students enrolled for 2028, with an additional 46,000 for 2027. Before automatic enrollment, sign-ups typically saw between 16,000 and 19,000 students.

Parents and educators in Massachusetts are celebrating an end to the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System graduation requirement.

Nearly 60% of voters approved Question 2, which ensures students still take the standardized test but does not require passage to receive a high school diploma.

Carolyn Scafidi, a retired special educator in Tyngsborough, said the results show voters trust teachers.

"The educators are the professionals, so let us do what we do best, not other outside sources saying that this is what you should be doing," Scafidi stressed.

Skafidi pointed out students must still complete district-certified coursework to demonstrate their comprehension and she predicted students will fare better without the added stress of a high-stakes test. Opponents said removal of the MCAS test will only loosen academic standards and increase inequality.

Roughly 700 students each year do not pass the MCAS exam and do not receive their high school diploma. Educators said the majority are students of color, English language learners and those with disabilities.

Joy Ahmed, a parent in Ashland, said her son has a learning disability and gets nervous before tests. She hopes more special education students and those put in transition programs after age 18 will no longer be penalized.

"Which would be a huge change in the special education community in the way that we treat students who are unique learners in this state," Ahmed observed. "They were often denied access to getting a diploma, so I'm thrilled for those families."

Ahmed added teachers will also have more time to be creative in the classroom without having to spend so many hours "teaching to the test." Massachusetts was one of just eight states to still require passage of a standardized test to receive a high school diploma.


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As New York considers new graduation requirements, the alternatives might not be easy to implement.

The state's Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures said Regents exams will no longer count toward graduation. Studies show exit exams do not raise a high school diploma's value or student achievement.

Arlen Benjamin Gomez, executive director of Ed Trust-New York, said while one alternative is performance-based assessments, the Department of Education might not provide resources for all districts to shift away from the Regents exams.

"In that process, we're concerned about what districts will do in order to look at other ways of demonstrating proficiency for students and whether students will be given a full menu of opportunities," Gomez noted. "Or whether some students will be pushed toward Regents exams and other students pushed towards untested ways of demonstrating proficiency."

Critics said Regents exams present barriers and biases for students. Along with racial biases, studies show exit exams can impact multilingual learners and students with disabilities. Before new requirements can be implemented, she argued fixing underlying issues such as minority students being undereducated should be addressed first.

Beyond new graduation requirements, Gomez pointed out another way to improve education is by fully funding schools. The Rockefeller Institute is studying the formula since many education advocates said it is ripe for change.

She contended the current education system is not preparing students for college and beyond.

"What we are doing is setting kids up to not be proficient, not being able to graduate demonstrating that proficiency, and then going on to college and careers where they're going to struggle, taking entry-level work-based assessments, or they might have to take remedial courses in college," studying the formula outlined. "We know that can lead to increased debt or students dropping out of school."

Current statistics show fewer than half of eighth graders statewide are proficient in math in a 2022-2023 assessment.

Students of color fared worse, with only 32% of Latino students and 31% of Black students being proficient in math. The numbers were still less than half for the same groups' reading proficiency.