Ind. Union Sues Over Curb On Teacher Bargaining Rights

The Indiana State Teachers Association has filed a lawsuit challenging the inclusion in the state budget of a reform plan for the Indianapolis schools that sharply curtails the union's power to collectively bargain on educational issues.

It was unconstitutional for state lawmakers to tack the unrelated legislation on to the state budget, the union argues in the lawsuit filed last month against the Indianapolis district and the state of Indiana.

The reform law focuses on accountability. It calls for increased parental choice and involvement in Indianapolis schools, annual reports on indicators of student progress, and "academic receivership" for failing schools. It limits collective bargaining by the district's teachers to...