The Statehouse: Tony Bennett

State Superintendent of Schools Tony Bennett speaks to representatives from Northeast Indiana Chambers Tuesday morning in the Indiana Statehouse.

By Jon Swerens, Director of Communications at The Chamber

When writing a story about Indiana's Superintendent of Schools, it's tempting to press "record" and relax. Bennett is not one to give an uninteresting quote. Examples from Tuesday:

"We are engaging in the most comprehensive education reform in the nation."

"We have the most cumbersome system known to man to remove people who do not belong in front of children."

"(The state) can't run a snack bar. No way can we create an evaluation system."

OK, I like that last one.

But it's understandable why people listening to him speak seem startled, like someone poured ice water down their shirts. This is not how we expect school officials to talk. We expect cool, considerate men, not firebrands like Bennett.*

Soft words are not Bennett's style, nor would they advance his cause well. He is clear in saying that "nibbling at the edges of the problem" has not solved any of the issues the state's public schools are facing, and in fact has only delayed progress.

Instead, he says a comprehensive overhaul of the system is necessary to see the educational gains he's hoping for.

But as his snack bar comment above indicates, he knows the best solutions are not going to descend from the Statehouse. They will bubble up from the individual school districts, "as long as every one of the measures is focused on children."

Bennett has nothing but praise for Dr. Wendy Robinson, superintendent of Fort Wayne Community Schools, calling her a leader in education reform in Indiana. And he does seem to genuinely seek out allies in the state by emphasizing the importance of a top-notch staff: "What makes great schools? Great teachers and great principals make great schools."

But then Bennett upends any expectation that he would seek more money to achieve his goals.

"It's not, 'How do we get more money for education?' but, 'How do we get more education for our money?'"

Ice water again. But at least you always know where he's coming from.

* Yes, I realize I mixed my hot/cold metaphors there.

The Statehouse and the importance of relationships

Representatives from Northeast Indiana Chambers leave the Indiana Statehouse on Tuesday morning as they head for the new J.W. Marriott for lunch.

By Jon Swerens, Director of Communications at The Chamber

Q. When's the right time to meet a legislator?

A. Before you need one.

Yes, that's a twist on the old advice about lawyers. But that was the main lesson pressed into my mind during Tuesday's trip to the Statehouse with The Regional Chamber.

It was my first time inside the Statehouse, although I've lived in Indiana since 1998 when my family and I moved to Fort Wayne. I found the whole trip to be fascinating, but not just because of the protesting union members and the absent Democrats.

Our group listened to short talks from Superintendent of Schools Tony Bennett, House Speaker Brian Bosma, Chief Justice Randall Shepard and Gov. Mitch Daniels himself. The talks were interesting in themselves — no matter what you think of their politics, Bennett and Daniels will not bore you — but what struck me was watching what happened between the events and behind the scenes.

There was a camaraderie that at first surprised me, because of how tense the political climate has been in recent weeks. But it was a reminder that despite the historic surroundings, to our legislators this is in a real sense merely their workplace.

And just like in every other work environment, relationships matter. An out-of-town protester may make more noise, but the knowledgeable citizen has a better shot at bending a lawmaker's ear.

So I started thinking: If relationships matter, how does one person with only one voice get that connection and get heard? How can you hope to gain an audience when you have a concern?

Well, one effective way is to gather with like-minded citizens and to select someone to voice your concerns and perspective to our representatives. This may be disparaged as a "special-interest group," but if the First Amendment means anything, then "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" as a group is far from evil, but instead a powerful way for the governed to advance their various causes to those who govern.

Such a voice — otherwise known as a lobbyist, of course — can foster those all-important relationships before crises occur. Then, if your cause is just, you are actually invited to have a say in the deliberations.

And if you're a member of The Chamber, that's exactly what our Director of Government Affairs Katy Stafford does for you. Our Legislative Agenda is an important tool that lays out in plain language what is most important to the economic vitality of Fort Wayne. But without someone in Indianapolis who not only has developed those crucial relationships, but who can speak clearly and convincingly, the tool is never used.

Over the next two days, I'll write more about what was said and heard in Indianapolis. But better than knowing what's being said is knowing that we are being heard. Thank you for supporting your Chamber of Commerce!

If you're interested in visiting our beautiful Statehouse and perhaps meet with some of your representatives, find information and contacts on this web page from the Statehouse Tour Office.

This week: First-person reports from the Statehouse

From Jon Swerens, Director of Communications for The Chamber

Hello! I'm writing this from Indianapolis, where I've joined dozens of business people from our corner of the state for the annual Northeast Indiana Day at the Statehouse.

We've heard from a lot of state officials who represent us here in Indy, including State Superintendent of Schools Tony Bennett, House Speaker Brian Bosma, and Chief Justice Randall Shepard. Next up: Gov. Mitch Daniels. We also got to spend some time in the new J.W. Marriott in downtown Indianapolis.

During the rest of the week, I'll be sharing some quotes, photos and thoughts from the trip to the Statehouse that I hope will be informative and even kind of fun.

Thanks to the Regional Chamber for putting together this event and arranging all of the details.