A bill on its way to consideration by the full House could significantly change the way Indiana school districts attract and keep teachers, especially in hard-to-fill areas like math, science and special education.
Senate Bill 10, a contentious proposal that gives state school districts the right to negotiate higher pay with individual teachers outside of collective bargaining agreements, was advanced by the House Education Committee on Monday. The measure, which passed the committee 7-4, has already been approved by the Senate and, if it gets through the House without any changes, will head to Gov. Mike Pence for his signature.
The Indiana State Teachers Association and thousands of its educator members spoke out this weekend to oppose the bill, saying it devalues teachers. The union would rather see the state go back to the drawing board and work together with educators and administrators to solve teacher recruiting issues.
Lawmakers, too, are skeptical of the bill. A similar measure died in the Senate after tremendous pressure by ISTA and its members; GOP leader Sen. David Long of Fort Wayne wanted the Legislature to postpone consideration of the idea. Rep. Terri Austin, a Democrat from Anderson and member of the education committee, raised questions during a hearing about transparency of such decisions, proposing an amendment to prevent school boards from making pay decisions in closed sessions. Austin said taxpayers have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent. The committee ultimately disagreed and the amendment failed 4-6, but questions about how such raises or bonuses would be awarded remain.
The legislation, on its face, could be helpful for Indiana schools that have trouble filling particular openings in high-demand specialties. Higher salaries, especially in smaller or rural districts, would make those openings more attractive to better teachers. And schools could reward and retain super-star teachers already serving their districts.
It’s important that the baseline, union-negotiated pay for teachers doesn’t decline as a result. As long as the terms of those agreements are kept intact, the bill could go far in improving education in Indiana.