Now that the 2024 legislative session is over, educators are curious about what the next session will bring. Legislators largely adhered to a more restrained approach aimed at minor adjustments, and some positive outcomes for retired and future educators emerged from the session.
The passage of House Enrolled Act 1004 offers a pragmatic solution to the pressing issue of financial security for retired educators. By enabling the Indiana Public Retirement System to devise long-term strategies for cost-of-living adjustments and granting a 13th check, this legislation acknowledges and honors the lifelong dedication of educators to the future generations of Indiana.
While a minor bill this session, HEA 1042 will help address the state’s teacher shortage, a challenge that poses a significant threat to the quality of education. The legislation lays down a pathway to attract and retain educators by allocating additional funds for transition-to-teaching scholarships.
However, the 2024 session did present some challenges for teachers, most notably attempts to undermine their ability to negotiate collectively, a move that directly threatens to intensify Indiana’s teacher shortage. We must ensure every student learns from a caring and qualified educator and that educators have a seat at the table to advocate for their students’ futures, get the respect they’re due and earn the pay, benefits and work schedules that enable them to support and care for loved ones and sustain long-lasting careers.
Diminishing these rights undermines educators’ autonomy and directly impacts their ability to provide high-quality education. Proposals to hire school chaplains to fill counselor vacancies in schools threatened to erode the support our students need. Moving forward, teachers must sit at the table where decisions are made about their profession and what’s best for their students.
The future
The 2025 legislative session presents an opportunity for meaningful change, particularly in how schools are funded and educators are paid. We must commit to all educators, including education support professionals, that they will have competitive salaries and benefits, which they need to support their families, and time off to care for a sick loved one or themselves.
Implementing the revamped Indiana high school diplomas and transitioning to the science of reading will demand a robust infrastructure supported by well-compensated and highly qualified teachers.
ISTA stands ready to work with lawmakers to advocate for increased investment in our public schools. Adequate funding is the cornerstone of supporting the upcoming diploma changes and science of reading and ensuring that every Hoosier student has access to a high-quality public education. We must prioritize competitive teacher salaries to attract and retain the professionals central to our public schools’ success.
As we anticipate the next session, which will center on school funding, we urge collaboration with all stakeholders to develop a comprehensive funding model that reflects the needs of our schools and the value of our educators. Addressing educator pay is not merely an investment in our workforce but an investment in the future of Indiana’s education system, ensuring that the state can successfully implement changes such as the science of reading and new diploma paths while maintaining high educational standards.
Together, we can rewrite the rules to reverse Indiana’s educator shortage. We know every kid needs and deserves a neighborhood school with well-prepared educators, class sizes with one-on-one attention, enough nurses, counselors, and healthy meals to ensure they can thrive.
We also know short-term gimmicks and lowering standards won’t fix the underlying problems we can and must solve so kids get the quality education they need to prepare for their future. Educators, parents and communities are coming together and demanding long-term solutions to long-term problems. Together, we can build a state where all students have the support they need to succeed regardless of race, background, or ZIP code.