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Leadership development at the Statehouse

Thursday, December 18th, 2014

I had the opportunity to host members of the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors (MIBOR) Real Estate Academy of Leadership (REAL) at the Statehouse last week. REAL was founded in 1995 to help prepare candidates to be successful leaders in the real estate profession and in the central Indiana community. The training program is designed to help participants learn leadership principles as well as about the issues and trends in the community.

We discussed how the real estate industry and government interact in addition to detailing the process of how a bill becomes a law. I also had the opportunity to introduce the group to Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann who shared with them about her role managing the Housing and Community Development agency.

Rep. Burton introduced the REAL class to
Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann.

I was honored to welcome this outstanding group of community leaders to the Statehouse, and I commend them for taking the initiative to continue their education.

Sincerely,

Posted in email update | 2 Responses »

New technology in education

Friday, August 8th, 2014

Like many Hoosiers, education is a topic I am very passionate about. I believe education is the key that unlocks the door to countless opportunities for young Hoosiers.

I recently had the opportunity to meet with education leaders from across the nation, including former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich (pictured below), to discuss education issues. Many of our conversations centered around new technology in education and how teachers are integrating digital learning into their classrooms.

We discussed a style of education called blended learning. This concept relies on both the teacher and the digital learning systems. The teacher will lead the lessons, but from time to time use the digital learning systems. States who have implemented this concept have seen dramatic growth among their students, particularly those who have underperformed in the past.

I enjoy the opportunity to exchange ideas with other leaders from various backgrounds, and I believe these conversations will help strengthen our work in Indiana.

I know how important education issues are to Hoosiers, and that is why I will continue to explore the best options for educating our young people.

Sincerely,

Posted in email update | 1 Response »

Rep. Burton hosts town hall in Greenwood

Wednesday, May 7th, 2014

I will be hosting a town hall meeting in Greenwood on Saturday.

What: Town Hall with Rep. Burton

When: Saturday, May 10, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Where: Greenwood City Center, 300 South Madison Avenue in Greenwood

I will be available to listen to constituents, discuss concerns and provide further information on the legislative session. I encourage all members of the community to come out and participate in the discussion.

For more information, please visit my website.

Sincerely,

Posted in email update | 78 Responses »

Welcoming guests from Johnson County

Monday, March 17th, 2014

My fellow Johnson County Representative, John Price, and I both recently had the privilege of welcoming guests from our area to the Statehouse.

A short while ago, we were joined by Sheriff Doug Cox. One of the issues we discussed was jail overcrowding and the issue of a $12 million cap on jail spending, which has contributed to the problem. Rep. Price and I look forward to working with the sheriff on this and other issues in the future.

From left to right, Rep. Burton, Rep. Price, Sheriff Cox and Rep Smith.

Also, during session, we welcomed guests from the Suburban Baptist Church. The church, which has a sizable congregation and significant community impact in Johnson County, was founded in 1960. The church also has an educational ministry for parents, the Suburban Baptist School, which was founded in 1975 for the purpose of equipping parents to aid in the growth in their children. I enjoyed conversing with my constituents from Suburban Baptist about the current status of our state relative to their concerns and views.

Rep. Burton with members of the Suburban Baptist School

It is always a pleasure to visit with my friends and neighbors from Johnson County. In addition, I hope that my guests find their visits helpful, enjoy learning more about the legislative process and will join us again in the future! Our goal in government, after all, is to invite people to actively engage so that everyone’s voice can be heard.

Sincerely,

Posted in email update | 3,713 Responses »

Update from the Statehouse

Thursday, January 30th, 2014

It is turning out to be another busy week at the Statehouse. On Tuesday morning, the Education Committee passed House Bill (HB) 1320 . HB 1320 requires the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) to establish a statewide student record repository of public school student achievement records.

Currently, that data is collected but not accessible by parents and cannot be transferred by school corporations. This bill allows parents and school corporations to access student records. It also allows for the transfer of student records between school corporations and serves as a student data backup for school corporations.

Rep. Thompson authored an amendment that prohibits an agency from releasing, selling, or otherwise transferring student information to any entity unless all identifying information concerning students has been redacted. The committee agreed to pass this amendment as an important step to ensuring data security.

The committee heard testimony from John Barnes, Director of Legislative Affairs for IDOE. He expressed the department’s desire to make the bill as secure as possible to ensure that student data is protected.

The overarching goal for this legislation is to empower the parents of students by giving them access to critical student data. This allows parents the opportunity to access how their students are performing so that they can be better prepared for graduation and, in turn, the future.

HB 1320 will move to the full House for further discussion and debate. To track this piece of legislation and other bills, please visit www.in.gov/legislative.

Sincerely,

Posted in email update | 55 Responses »