When Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office launched the “Eyes on Education” portal earlier this month, it came as a surprise to Carmel Clay Schools, one of 14 institutions flagged on the site as of Feb. 14.
The portal provides links to “objectionable curricula, policies or programs affecting children,” according to its online description, flagged and submitted by the public. According to the attorney general’s office, a majority of the submissions so far have come directly from teachers and other school employees and are easily verifiable.
CCS, however, said the attorney general’s office did not contact them to verify the submissions before posting them on the portal and have not heeded their requests for removal.
“Since learning of the portal, we have contacted the attorney general’s office twice to remove posts, including those that purposefully ‘name and shame’ our educators,” stated Emily Bauer, CCS director of community relations. “The portal appears to be a tool to intimidate our teachers while portraying those who question it as opponents of transparency or parents’ rights. Especially as the nation faces a critical teacher shortage, Carmel Clay Schools will continue to cherish the valued relationship between our teachers, students, and parents.”
Among the five Items posted for CCS are a third-hand account of a class exercise where students were split into groups of “oppressors” and “oppressed,” an assignment that involved analyzing an article from the 1619 Project and an online quiz regarding political beliefs.
“Multiple documents clearly originated from a now-defunct outside special interest group, and others appear to be online quizzes with no additional context provided,” Bauer stated. “As a tool for purported transparency, it is irresponsible to portray these screenshots as curriculum, as CCS follows the Indiana State Standards.”
Two of the five items tied to CCS in the portal include a web address on them for Unify Carmel, a controversial organization that dissolved in late 2022 that sought reforms in local public education.
“We are disappointed that the top law official in the state, the attorney general, would abandon the belief of innocent until proven guilty,” Bauer stated. “Educators teach students to rely on original source documentation to ensure legitimacy and factual information. This website allows nameless individuals to submit unverified documents, screenshots, or hearsay without context or proof.”
According to information provided by Josh DeFonce, media director for the attorney general, the office will reach out to those who submitted material or the schools “if necessary.”
“We will not take down outdated content since we feel – for transparency reasons – it’s important for people to know it existed,” DeFonce stated. “It is also important to know that just because a policy is outdated doesn’t mean it’s inaccurate information.”
The portal also features material purportedly provided to students at Noblesville Schools. Marnie Cooke, executive director of marketing and communications for Noblesville Schools, stated that the three examples listed on the portal are outdated and not in use.
“We were not aware of the site (portal) until it was released and were not given an opportunity to discuss any of the submissions with the AG’s office,” Cooke stated.
DeFonce said the office will continue to post verified material on the site, and if schools respond, their responses will also be posted.
“Transparency is a good thing, and parents engaging in the upbringing of their children should be what everyone wants, including schools,” DeFonce stated.
The attorney general’s office stated it will follow up on materials submitted to the portal that might violate state law using investigative tools, including public records requests, and publish findings on the portal.
View the portal at in.gov/attorneygeneral/education-liberty.
Current Senior Managing Editor Ann Marie Shambaugh contributed to this report.
