INDIANAPOLIS (WOWO): What‘s being called a rally for public education could perhaps be more accurately called a rally for the state superintendent. This afternoon‘s rally at the north atrium of the Statehouse was organized primarily by the two teacher unions, though other groups who generally favor the same education policies as the unions are also involved.

It comes as the General Assembly debates bills that would reduce the power of State Superintendent Glenda Ritz two years after she took office. Her supporters say Ritz is being singled out because she is a Democrat in a state government dominated by Republicans, and they say the GOP has tried to run roughshod over her since her upset victory over Tony Bennett in the 2012 election.

But supporters of bills that would have the State Board of Education elect its own chair, rather than have the elected superintendent automatically chair the board, say the change has long been needed regardless of who holds the superintendent‘s position.

Even the Democrats who serve on the State Board have often clashed with Ritz during meetings, though Ritz‘s supporters like to point out that those Democrats were appointed to the board by Republican governors. Last week, Ritz and Governor Pence fought a turf war over the length of the ISTEP exam, with Pence and State Board members say Ritz and her staff waited until the last minute before telling everyone that the test would double in length for 3rd through 8th graders.

Ritz says the length was made clear at board meetings last year and says the test is longer in part due to Indiana‘s new academic standards, which were demanded by Republican lawmakers who rebelled against the Common Core standards implemented by Bennett and the State Board in 2010.

Ritz told a special State Board meeting on Friday that she had taken action to reduce the exam‘s 12-hour length by more than three hours, though her critics say she only did so after the governor hired two consultants to recommend ways to cut down the length of the test. Organizers say supporters of Ritz are being bused in from around the state for the rally, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

They are also expected to criticize Governor Pence‘s proposal to spend more money on charter schools, which are public schools but often use non-union teachers, and his plan to lift the cap on vouchers that can be used for private schools. Democrats were also critical of a bill that passed the Senate Education Committee last week that would allow private schools to ignore ISTEP and instead use an assessment of the schools‘ choosing.