Vigo County teachers are expressing frustration with a new system for how state Teacher Appreciation Grants are determined. The Indiana Legislature this year has made changes that increase the amount of stipends, but significantly reduce how many teachers can qualify.
The Vigo County School Corp., which has been allocated $480,577, will participate. Out of three tiers available for the revised program, Vigo County will participate in the $3,500 “recognition” stipend. The revised program “excludes, or makes it very, very difficult, for a lot of teachers to qualify,” said Aaron Warner, president of the Vigo County Teachers Association.
“It’s a state of Indiana program,” said VCSC Superintendent Chris Himsel. “There are restrictions that do discount teachers from being eligible despite the fact they are doing a great job with kids.”
He added, “We are in a position of complying with the statutory requirements and the direction from the DOE.”
Only 20% of teachers can receive the awards, with new criteria based on a combination of student outcomes and additional performance criteria.
If the district has more eligible educators than funds available, the school district will use a lottery system, Himsel said.
Teachers can apply and must demonstrate they meet criteria, and a principal will review the application to see if the teacher qualifies.
A district committee also will review applications, with information submitted to the state by Jan. 30. “We’re going to do it in the fairest possible way. Our goal is to get as many people awarded as possible,” Himsel said.
The state will distribute funds by April 15.
The district is limiting participation to the “recognition” stipend of $3,500 “in order to make the funds more accessible to a larger number of teachers,” according to Katie Shane, VCSC chief communications officer.
School counselors are not an eligible recipient of TAG funds since their primary responsibility is not the academic instruction of students, according to the Indiana Department of Education. That definition also applies to deans.
The legislative changes were included in the 230-page budget bill adopted earlier this year.
Before the changes, most certified staff have qualified for Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG) stipends as long as they ranked highly effective or effective.
Last December, VCSC received $484,111 in the TAG grant. Highly effective teachers received $500 stipends, while those rated effective received $400.
With the new state criteria, a “recognition” stipend would be $3,500; an “exemplary” stipend, $5,000; and an “exemplary plus” stipend, $7,500.
Also, the state has reduced the annual appropriation for the state grant program by about $2 million per year, from $37.5 million to $35.6 million.
To qualify for a recognition stipend, a teacher must demonstrate high performance in teaching based on student outcomes.
According to IDOE, eligible educators must “significantly impact student outcomes using national, state or local assessment measures.”
For exemplary, the teacher would have to meet the same student outcomes criteria as for a recognition stipend, but also one of the following:
• Formally mentors or coaches another teacher to improve student outcomes, or provides instructional leadership to improve student outcomes across multiple classrooms, or
• Serves in a high-need or geographic shortage area.
For exemplary plus, a teacher must significantly impact student outcomes; formally mentor or coach or provide instructional leadership; and serve in a high need or geographic shortage area.
The Indiana State Teachers Association opposes the changes. “While we support meaningful recognition for great teaching, the new model raises concerns about fairness, the erosion of collaboration and the exclusion of many deserving educators,” ISTA states on its website.
Warner, VCTA president, said he has been fielding many emails from frustrated teachers. “It’s making people upset, that’s for sure,” he said.
Not all teachers will have easily accessible data to demonstrate they are significantly impacting student outcomes using national, state or local assessment measured, he said.
“I don’t know how a high school physical education teacher applies for this,” Warner said, or a physical education teacher at any level.
Courtney Bearsch, IDOE chief communications officer, stated Tuesday that all teachers, regardless of the subject area they teach, are constantly measuring student performance.
“This includes understanding each student’s starting point at the beginning of the year, continuously monitoring progress, and understanding the gains they’ve achieved at the end of the school year,” she said in an email.
With the ability to demonstrate significant impact on student outcomes using national, state or local assessment measures, this provides flexibility to show how educators are moving the needle in subject areas that may not be assessed at the state or national level, Bearsch stated.
Also concerned about the new system is Marie Theisz, a North Vigo High School teacher and vice president of the Vigo County Teachers Association.
“The way the state changed the TAG award system has caused much frustration not only for teachers, but administrators as well,” she said. “As written, not all who have a hand in helping our students in the schools will even be able to apply, based on a variety of qualifiers.”
It especially impacts special educators, providers that do not have rosters like deans and counselors, and several content areas that may not have the exams and data that are required by the law to apply, she said.
“Educators knew this would cause potential division and confusion as it was poorly rolled out from the state,” Theisz said.
It is critical that lawmakers have practicing or recent educators at the table to understand the impact when making sweeping changes to education, she said.
“So, yes, some teachers may receive a nice bonus or check with many left behind, not because they are ineffective, but rather what their role is in the schools,” Theisz said.
She added, “I am hopeful that lawmakers are open to listening and making changes to improve the process to show all positions and roles are necessary for our students.”
According to Bearsch, special education teachers are eligible for TAG even without a roster. “Special education is also an area that we know is in high need across the state, which the updated TAG guidelines specifically elevates.”
In addition, Bearsch said that per statute, deans and counselors have not historically been eligible for TAG.
During the 2025 General Assembly, State Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, authored a bill (HB 1500) to change the TAG program and has supported the changes.
The initial intent of the teacher appreciation grant program was to provide the stipends to “a relatively small pool of educators … we can’t all be rock stars,” he said earlier this year.
Under past program evaluation metrics, 89% of educators have been qualified or highly qualified and received stipends, Behning stated.
“We decided we wanted to focus and recognize the brightest and best educators that are really having an impact on student learning in our schools,” Behning said.
The argument can be made that many teachers contribute to student success, “but clearly by data we can tell who really has an impact,” he stated earlier this year.
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