Red for Ed. Thousands of educators in Indianapolis chanted those three words well… more than one could count, unless you can count incredibly quick, or even cared to even keep count.
But it was one of many phrases that those in attendance on the state house lawn shouted throughout the day on Tuesday. Over 100 school districts were represented, including local ones such as Warsaw, Tippecanoe Valley, Whitko, Triton and Wawasee. People began to descend on the state house as early as 7 AM, trying to get themselves as close to the steps into the building.
Laurie Owen, Dean of the School of Education at Grace College, was with a small group of Warsaw teachers. Owen said her being a part of the rally was to set an example for her students…
Owen says she has been enjoying hearing from other teachers during the rally and hopes that lawmakers can really look into why they are here…
While pay is an important factor, Owen hopes lawmakers look at students as students…
Longtime kindergarten teacher Carla Milliman was also among the group with Warsaw teachers, looking to make their voices heard while they attended the rally. Milliman said she was happy to see the entire state come together as one for what she calls a “huge step” for teachers. During her time as a teacher, she has seen small steps toward better pay and education, but she also wants lawmakers to look even deeper into what needs to be done…
After the President of the Indiana State Teachers Association Keith Gambill and a representative from the National Education Association spoke, those in attendance took to the sidewalks around the state house and marched. Many holding signs, others involved with group chants. About 15 minutes into the march, people started to spill onto the streets surrounding the Capitol, prompting the Indianapolis Metro Police Department to shut down and block the roads leading to the building.
Educators, administrators, parents and even students alike were all trying to get the same message across to the lawmakers inside, who began a new session. According to the Indiana State Teachers Association, they had three main points they made a priority:
- Teacher Compensation – “Lawmakers must demonstrate a commitment to addressing teacher pay by using the state’s budget surplus to begin increasing base salaries for teachers. The lack of significant and sustainable investments in our schools over the past decade has placed Indiana behind neighboring states on funding levels and places us last in the nation in teacher salary growth. The state has accumulated a $2+ billion surplus and an additional $419 million surplus from last year’s budget. The legislature should use a portion of these funds to continue the work to make teacher pay competitive in the region.”
- Harmless from I-LEARN – “Low I-LEARN scores don’t reflect the hard work Hoosier kids and teachers are doing in our classrooms. Test scores certainly shouldn’t determine how our communities are labeled by accountability grades. Legislators must hold schools and teachers harmless until educators feel confident in the system. Hold harmless should not only include letter grades for schools and teacher evaluations, but also for school intervention and state takeover of schools. The scores at this stage are questionable and should be used only as a benchmark – nothing more.”
- Repeal PBP/Externship Requirements – “Changes under HEA 1002 require teachers in traditional public schools using a PGP for renewing their license to complete 15 of the 90 PGP points in one or more of a series of program options focused on career navigation or economic development – including corporate externships. As of July 1, 2019, over 50,000 of the approximately 60,000 teachers initiated their next license renewal so that the 15-credit requirement will not apply to them until their next re-licensure. This new requirement has placed an undue burden on teachers and is misplaced in its implementation. Relevancy of this requirement aside, real feasibility issues exist in many areas of the state to comply with the options listed in the law. The PGP licensure language in HEA 1002 should be repealed.”
While educators wanted to make sure their voices were heard, Governor Eric Holcomb was not at the Capitol on Tuesday. According to his office on Monday, Holcomb would be attending a Republican Governors Association conference in Florida that was scheduled months ago.
Holcomb didn’t criticize school districts for closing the day of the union-organized rally, saying it was a local decision. The governor said Thursday he applauds teachers for expressing their concerns but he’s waiting for a teacher pay commission he appointed to make recommendations by the end of next year.
