The Republicans and Democrats running for governor and state superintendent say they'll focus their energy on kids, although they have different plans to do so.
A seven-member commission picked by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb to recommend ways to boost teacher pay doesn't include any current teachers or school leaders.
House Republicans will release their budget proposal within the next couple of weeks, with the Senate then taking its turn before the deadline on a final agreement by late April.
Indiana is so far behind neighboring states in teacher compensation that it would cost an estimated $658 million to make salaries more competitive, according to a new report released Tuesday.
Fewer than half of Indianapolis Public Schools teachers are members of the Indianapolis Education Association, and some wonder if there is any point in paying dues to join a weakened union that seems to offer them very little.
On Tuesday night, Holcomb said in his State of the State speech that the state will use $150 million from its surplus to pay off a teacher pension liability that schools have been gradually paying down.
A Republican bill calling on districts to raise teacher pay by making other budget cuts passed an Indiana House of Representatives education committee vote Wednesday, despite sharp criticism from school officials and education advocates.
A month after voters approved a vast funding increase for Indianapolis Public Schools, the administration and the district teachers union have reached a tentative deal for a new contract that would boost teacher pay by an average of 6.3 percent.
Republican Statehouse leaders say they want to increase funding for Indiana's embattled child welfare agency and find a way to pay teachers more, but that money will be tight when they craft the state's next two-year budget.
Educators and advocates are pushing state leaders to take action this year to raise teacher compensation—not to wait for additional research, as Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb proposed last week.
Lawmakers have expressed support for increasing teacher pay in the next two-year budget, but the size of Jennifer McCormick's request could be much more than what's available.