State school superintendent Ritz expands effort to solve Indiana's teacher shortage

Those efforts include establishing the Indiana Center on Teacher Quality at Indiana University, creating a full-time position at the Indiana Department of Education to support educators, and developing resources to promote and support the teaching profession, Ritz said in a news release.

“Every student deserves to have a great teacher in their classroom no matter where they live or go to school,” Ritz said in a prepared statement. "I am expanding our efforts at the Department of Education to ensure that all Hoosier students receive a high-quality education — and that begins with high-quality teachers."

Ritz criticized Gov. Pence and the Legislature for not moving quickly enough to effectively deal with the state's teacher shortage by implementing the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Recruitment and Retention of Excellent Educators.

However, Ritz said she will propose legislation when the Indiana General Assembly convenes next January.

Indiana received $5 million from the U.S. Department of Education to create the center for teacher quality education at IU. The center will focus on special education programs and partner with with schools, families and communities to "improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities."

Ritz said the creation of a full-time position to support the work of the Blue Ribbon Commission has led to a clearinghouse of professional development opportunities for educators, the launch of a summer summit for teachers and administrators which will bring together experts from both K-12 and higher education, and an increase in direct communications with school officials, as well as sharing best practices.

In addition, the department recently held the first statewide teacher recruitment conference for students currently enrolled in high school education pathway programs. Participants learned about opportunities available to them after high school and resources to plan and pay for college.

This summer, the department will also welcome the state's 2016 Teacher of the Year, Jean Russell, as Indiana’s Teacher Ambassador to promote and support the teaching profession.

Since 2009, according to Ritz, the number of individuals receiving teaching licenses for the first time has declined 30 percent, which is one of the reasons the Blue Ribbon Commission was created.