Dive Brief:

• The Indiana State Board of Education and state Superintendent Glenda Ritz once again butted heads Thursday in a discussion over the state's A-F school grading system.
• While the board approved a new letter grade standard, it decided the Legislative Services Agency could weigh in on Ritz's A-F proposal, which included clerical changes, at a later time.
• The board had been working on a new plan for the letter grade system since 2013, and Thursday's meeting was meant largely to sign off on the work that had already been done, which led some to be bothered by the fact that Ritz was suddenly suggesting new ideas.

Dive Insight:

The state superintendent's battles with other education officials and Gov. Mike Pence have become somewhat commonplace, which is unfortunate since it districts from the actual issues facing schools, teachers, and students.

As a result of the constant back-and-forth, the state's legislature and Pence approved a bill Thursday that gives the state board of education the freedom to choose its own chair. Currently, Ritz, as superintendent, is the automatic chair, which has caused a lot of frustration for those on the board.