New Ind. schools chief: GOP approval unnecessary

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana's new Democratic superintendent of public instruction says she can make her own policy changes for the state's schools without needing the approval of the Republican-controlled General Assembly and governor's office.

Glenda Ritz told The Times of Munster for a story Sunday that she has enough flexibility in the office to get schools "moving forward in a different direction."

The Indianapolis school librarian teacher acknowledges she doesn't have enough votes in the Legislature to make big changes, such as repealing Indiana's private school voucher program.

Ritz says she supports the requirement all third-graders be able to read but plans to end the pass/fail test implemented by outgoing Republican Superintendent Tony Bennett and instead measure students on their growth toward literacy, rather than by their performance on one test.