Plan for secret teacher pay hikes dies in Indiana House

It authorized superintendents to increase a teacher's salary by up to 50 percent if needed "to attract or retain a teacher."

Under the plan, the salary increases would not have to be publicly disclosed and school boards could affirm the pay hikes in private "executive sessions."

Cook said the goal was to give school leaders a new tool to combat the state's teacher shortage by incentivizing highly qualified professionals to enter Indiana's teaching ranks.

"It would have allowed people to put the best and the brightest into the classroom in critical areas that sometimes they have difficult times (filling) in their systems," said Cook, a former school superintendent.

House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said fierce opposition by Hoosier teachers played a significant role in deterring lawmakers from moving forward with the proposal.

He also said Republican Gov. Mike Pence "expressed reservations about it."

Pence is running for re-election in November and already is tagged with an "anti-teacher" reputation for his repeated attempts to seize oversight of the state's schools from Glenda Ritz, the Democratic state superintendent of public instruction.

The Indiana State Teachers Association cheered the death of legislation that it warned would replace collectively bargained wages with secret deals.

"Ensuring that there is a caring and qualified teacher in every classroom is one of our top priorities for Hoosier kids," said Teresa Meredith, the teacher union president. "We look forward to working with the Legislature in addressing the teacher shortage together."

The Republican-controlled Senate previously declined to act on the similar House Bill 1004 which also potentially would have reduced retirement benefits for new teachers.