This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, March 31st, 2025.

In today’s feature report, we speak with Benjamin Robinson, Associate Professor in Germanic Studies at IU, one of 38 current and former Jewish faculty who sent a letter to IU leadership urging them to defend free speech on campus. More in today’s newscast.

Also in today’s newscast, we have Steve Volan, host of The 812 – a podcast exploring how local government works…and why sometimes it doesn’t. Learn more later in the show on a new episode of Activate!

But first, your daily headlines:

MCCSC Board Discusses Teacher Turnover, Legislative Updates and Brandon Shurr’s Departure

The Monroe County Community School Corporation Board of Trustees also met on March 25th.

During public comment, former MCCSC Teacher Ellen Chaliff  said that the high rates of teacher turnover in the district is hard on students.

Parent and Community member, Megan Nolan, expressed concern about the district’s plan to achieve financial balance over the next two years.

The Board did not respond to either of these comments.

Assistant Superintendent Alexis Harmon gave a presentation covering the district’s progress towards their goal to, “empower staff and school board through relevant learning experiences utilizing these stakeholders around MCCSC vision and shared work.”  This was one of the goals listed in MCCSC’s strategic plan.

She said MCCSC offered additional professional learning opportunities throughout the year, covering topics such as restorative practices and systematic alignment of mathematics instructions to research-based practices. The district will continue to emphasize professional learning in coming years.

Later in the meeting, Board Member Ashley Piriani gave her monthly update on Indiana’s 2025 legislative session. She covered House Bill 1001, which advocates for a 2.5% annual increase in tuition support. She also noted that House Bill 1681 would limit public comment and referenda to general elections, and that the Indiana School Boards Association is urging the senate to amend this to allow for primary elections. Piriani notes that previous calls to senators seem to be impacting legislation, and encourages concerned constituents to continue contacting their representatives.

Lastly, Superintendent Dr. Markay Winston shared a thank you to Brandon Shurr, the former District 7 Board representative who resigned from his position earlier this month.

Applications to fill the vacant seat closed on Thursday, March 27th.

The MCCSC School Board of Trustees will meet next on April 22nd.

Feature Report:

The U.S. Department of Education has threatened to pull federal funding from Indiana University over allegations of antisemitism. In response, 38 current and former Jewish faculty sent a letter to IU leadership urging them to defend free speech on campus. In today’s feature report, we speak with Benjamin Robinson, Associate Professor in Germanic Studies at IU, about the letter’s message and the broader fight for academic freedom. WFHB Correspondent Kade Young has Part I of that interview.

Stay tuned for Part II of that interview with Professor Robinson on tomorrow’s edition of the local news. Up next, Steve Volan knows firsthand how complicated and convoluted government can be. Volan spent decades serving on the Bloomington City Council trying to figure out how things work and how they can work better. He’s still asking those questions as host and producer of The 812, a podcast about local government. Steve calls it “explainer journalism,” and his ultimate goal is a more informed and engaged public. He wants you to be a true citizen of Bloomington on a new episode of Activate!, coming your way right now on the WFHB Local News.

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