By Garrett Bergquist for WISH-TV.
Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service Collaboration
Despite disagreement over how much, a Senate committee unanimously approved a bill to teacher pay raise.
The measure, which passed the committee Jan. 22, would raise the minimum salary for teachers in Indiana to $45,000 per year, the same amount Gov. Mike Braun proposed in his budget. Current law requires teachers to be paid at least $40,000 per year.
Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis, said he supports the $5,000 raise but it would still leave teachers at less than 150 percent of the federal poverty line for a family of four. Qaddoura proposed raising teacher pay to $65,000 per year and tried to amend the bill Wednesday afternoon to do so.
Qaddoura’s proposal failed on a party-line vote. Bill author Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, said she doesn’t believe the state budget could support a larger raise.
“The data shows that we can move to $45,000, and eventually I would love to see us at $65,000 but we have to remember that we have a tight budget and school corporations also have tight budgets,” she said.
Rogers later told News 8 her bill likely will stick with the $45,000 figure rather than attempting to find a level between $45,000 and $65,000. She said the bill would still mean an immediate pay raise for roughly 6,000 teachers who make between $40,000 and $45,000 per year.
The teacher pay issue has played a key role in battles over education funding at the Statehouse for years.
According to the National Education Association, the average teacher in Indiana starts at $42,735 per year, with overall teacher pay averaging $57,015. Those numbers place Indiana 28th and 36th in the nation, respectively.
Qaddoura, who also serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and the State Budget Committee, said there’s enough money in the budget to support a higher teacher salary if lawmakers scale back appropriations elsewhere, such as school vouchers and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
In addition to the pay raise, Rogers’ bill would provide up to 20 days of paid parental leave for full-time teachers and 10 days of leave for part-time teachers. It slightly increases the share of state tuition support schools must put toward teacher compensation, from 62% to 65%. Rogers said all of the provisions in her bill would help public school corporations hire and retain teachers.
Because the bill involves a budget item, it has to go to the Senate Appropriations Committee for additional review before it heads to the full Senate for further consideration.
Garrett Bergquist wrote this article for WISH-TV.
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Massachusetts educators say President Donald Trump's threat to pause all federal grant programs has created instability for schools and their students.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the order and it was later paused by the White House, but not before affecting child care and Head Start payments in the state and sowing doubt about the future of school meals.
Jessica Tang, president of the American Federation of Teachers-Massachusetts, said she heard from families and school staff worried about their health care and job security.
"Literally all of those basic needs were put into question for so many of our families because of the freeze on the funding," Tang explained.
Lawmakers and legal scholars said the order violates federal law, regarding whether a president can block spending already approved by Congress. Tang argued the new administration is undermining public trust at a time when families are still craving stability coming out of the pandemic.
The American Federation of Teachers was part of a broad coalition of Democrat-led states and organizations to sue the Trump administration over the pause in funding. They contended the order would have catastrophic effects on educators' ability to provide a quality education for all students.
Tang noted she finds hope in the way communities are pushing back.
"I am actually overwhelmed by the number of actions and initiatives and efforts that everyday people are coming together to support each other," Tang observed. "The grassroots mutual aid, I think that is inspiring."
Tang added educators have had to remind families students are safe despite Trump's directive to allow immigration authorities in schools, medical facilities and churches. She emphasized the chaos of the past week is creating stress and anxiety, both for teachers and students, which makes it difficult to learn.
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Choosing a career path can be hard for high schoolers, especially if their district can't provide additional learning opportunities that move them in a certain direction. But Minnesota's largest online public school gives students more options.
The Minnesota Virtual Academy offers required courses from preschool to 12th grade and is weaving in more elective courses. Since 2020, it's teamed up with the Local 49 Operating Engineers union in providing curriculum steeped in the construction trades.
Jenny Winkelaar, director of workforce and community development, Operating Engineers Local 49, said students start off by learning online about tasks such as heavy equipment operation and then get some chances at hands-on experiences.
"There's a desire to learn this, and we have figured out a way to do this and maximize the benefit to the student, their family, the industry," she said.
These students can start earning credits for a registered apprenticeship, or credits with North Hennepin Community College. They don't have to be full time with the virtual academy -- they're allowed to take the online class while still attending their regular high school. Enrollment for this program has grown steadily, with 333 students from around the state currently participating.
The Minnesota Virtual Academy operates through Houston Public Schools in the southeastern part of the state.
Mary Morem, superintendent of Houston Public Schools, says expanding the scope of online options sends a message to students that educational leaders want to meet their needs. She added this setup is perfect for situations when the home district doesn't have enough teachers for an elective.
"We want to create opportunities for what kids are passionate about," she said. "There's a huge need, especially in small rural schools, to have supplemental coursework."
Winkelaar said offering these career experiences much sooner provides a spark for students really struggling to set their future course.
"We had a student say, 'You mean I could take this as a class? OK, I was thinking about dropping out, but this is what I would like to do,'" she continued.
A challenge that still needs addressing is a legislative change to ensure districts, that might see a student spend part of their day with the virtual electives, don't feel the burden of lost state aid.
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Establishing minimum salaries for educators and school staff will be a top priority for the Massachusetts Teachers Association this legislative session.
The union is backing a bill to ensure K-12 support staff receive a minimum salary of $55,000 a year, while teachers would earn a minimum of $70,000.
Union President Max Page said pay raises could reduce the number of bargaining campaigns across the state.
"We're putting a stake in the ground," said Page, "saying let's be truthful about what it costs to bring in and retain the best new generation of educators."
Page said the union is also aiming for pay increases at state universities and the University of Massachusetts system, and to ensure part-time adjunct faculty are eligible for state pensions and health insurance.
A recent study found Massachusetts faculty members are the lowest paid in the nation when compared to states with similar costs of living.
Thousands of unionized teachers across the North Shore rallied last year to raise awareness about their lack of paid parental leave.
State law requires most workers have access to the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program, but that doesn't apply to municipal workers, including teachers.
Page said it's long overdue and the union will be pushing for the change this session.
"We believe that educators, who make up the lion's share of those and are largely women, should have access to that," said Page. "And that would take that off the table and off the contentious negotiations that happen across the state."
With more than $2 billion now raised in Fair Share Amendment funds to help pay for public transportation and education, Page said the union will continue to lobby for debt-free higher education in Massachusetts beyond community college.
The union also aims to correct the state's Chapter 70 formula and ensure state funding keeps up with inflation.
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