State Sen. J.D. Ford of Indianapolis just snagged a seat at the educational roundtable that stretches beyond Indiana borders. His latest appointment to the Midwestern Legislative Conference (MLC) Education and Workforce Committee for the 2025-26 term has educators and policymakers buzzing with anticipation. The appointment, confirmed by Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray and MLC leaders, lands Ford a key role in an interregional collaboration that aims to tackle the increasingly complex challenges circling education and the workforce.
With Ford's track record on the Senate Education and Career Development Committee, this isn't a surprising pick. He's been busy authoring and backing legislation to bulk up public schools, build more career paths, and shore up student mental health services. In his own words—or rather, in a statement obtained by Indiana Senate Democrats—Ford expressed that "this appointment is more than a title—it's a responsibility to bring the voices of Hoosier students, educators and workers to the table."
What does Ford bring to the MLC table? The senator is known for hosting listening sessions with those on the front lines: educators, students, parents. He's been all about making policy decisions that mirror what's happening in actual classrooms. Every student, every teacher, every parent has a perspective unique to their experience, and Ford wants those voices to echo in the committee's chambers. This approach seems in step with the committee’s mission to navigate teacher recruitment and retention, youth career readiness, and the big one—post-secondary affordability.
The MLC Education and Workforce Committee isn't just a think tank, it's an action tank. And Ford is suited up, ready to drive. Ford told Indiana Senate Democrats, "Indiana’s challenges don’t exist in a vacuum." With the MLC's 79th Annual Meeting on the horizon in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he’s champing at the bit to pull in new ideas from the Midwest that can give Indiana's communities a leg up.
As a part of the MLC's expansive network—encompassing 11 states and four Canadian provinces—Ford will be rubbing elbows with fellow lawmakers eager to share strategies and successes.
