Glenda Neubauer Ritz (born 1954)[2] is an American educator and politician who formerly served as the former Superintendent of Public Instruction for Indiana.

[3] She, along with Senator Joe Donnelly, are the most recent Democrats to been elected to statewide office in Indiana.

[11] She served as a member of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a board member of the Indiana State Teachers Association and president of the Washington Township local ISTA union, and president of the Washington Township Education Association for 15 years.

[11] Originally a registered Republican, Glenda Ritz switched party registration in 2008 and ran as the Democratic nominee against first-term incumbent Tony Bennett to become the next Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2012.

[2][1] Ritz was seen as an underdog with Bennett enjoying a substantial fundraising advantage and support of many prominent Republican officials.

[15][14] A member of the ISTA, Ritz had solid support from teachers and used that network and social media to expand her base.

The House agreed to reduce the test by a fourth and the Indiana Department of Education implemented the changes.

[22][23][24][25] In 2014, Ritz also opposed the Republicans push to create a fast track for teacher certification saying that the standards for licensing should be kept rigorous.

[28] Ritz launched her gubernatorial race on June 4, 2015, following the announcements of John Gregg and Karen Tallian.