Friday, February 15, 2019
Indiana currently devotes over half of our General Fund to K-12 education, meaning we spend a higher percentage of our budget on K-12 education than all but two other states, with annual spending exceeding $8 billion.
While teacher pay is set by local school boards, this session, the Senate is considering several measures to support Indiana teachers and teaching candidates.
One proposal would increase Indiana’s school-supply tax credit for teachers from $100 to $500. Expanding this credit is projected to save Hoosier teachers $6 million to $15 million a year.
Another proposed effort would streamline our current patchwork system of training requirements for school employees by requiring trainings on topics such as bullying prevention and gang activity to be offered on a multi-year cycle, with teachers completing one each year.
An additional measure would require the State Board of Education to replace Indiana’s current teacher licensing exams, which have high failure rates, with new nationally administered teacher licensing exams. This change would remove an obstacle that has prevented qualified teaching candidates from entering the profession.
Finally, senators are working on giving school corporations more flexibility in setting teacher pay by removing the current cap on how much teachers’ years of experience and academic degrees can impact potential raises.
Good teachers are critical to the future of our state, and these bills respond to concerns brought forth by Hoosier educators.
To stay up to date on legislation supporting teachers in our state, click here.
