Teachers say they are rallying for better working conditions, higher pay, increased funding for public school classrooms, less emphasis on standardized testing and more respect.
Read MoreThe private Indianapolis high school said it would lose its not-for-profit status and ability to call itself Catholic if it didn’t follow a directive from Archbishop Charles Thompson.
Read MoreRepublicans who control the Indiana Statehouse aren’t showing any signs that a rally by several thousand teachers on its doorsteps two weeks ago has swayed them to boost education funding anytime soon.
State lawmakers might choose not to address some education issues in the upcoming legislative session, but they are likely to loom over Indiana politics in the election season.
It remains to be seen whether this week’s Red for Ed rally at the Indiana Statehouse will lead to policy changes sought by teachers, but here are five things that could result in the near future.
The thousands of teachers descending on the state capitol Tuesday face an uphill battle when it comes to getting elected officials to raise their salaries. But top lawmakers appear open to changes on other issues.
Tuesday’s fast-growing rally is expected to cancel school for half of the state’s students while as many as 12,000 teachers descend on the Indiana Statehouse to make a list of demands.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb isn’t promising quick action in response to educators who want more teacher pay, but said he respects the decisions of school districts to call off classes for a Statehouse rally next week.
A 2018 voter-backed referendum funded the latest round of pay increases. Some teachers will see their salaries go up by as much as $9,400 this year, a significant increase designed to account for years of recession-era pay freezes.
So many teachers asked to take Nov. 19 off to rally at the Indiana Statehouse for higher pay that nearly 30 districts across the state have canceled school or scheduled e-learning days.
The move comes after Republican state Sen. Jean Leising, of Oldenburg, introduced legislation this year that required the state Board of Education to adopt a program that’s administered nationally.
Teachers across the district would see substantial pay increases under the proposal, with the district’s starting salary for teachers rising to $45,200 this school year, according to a union official.
The newly released data, which comes from annual state-mandated disclosures, is the first indication of how members have responded to the Indianapolis Education Association’s tumultuous year.
The Relay Graduate School of Education opened a campus in Indianapolis this year and is training its first class of 10 students, with plans to expand locally in the coming years.
Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, put forward a plan this week to raise teachers’ salaries. Among his proposals: give school districts incentives to set minimum pay at $40,000, and freeze corporate tax rates to pay for it.
The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching announced Tuesday that it will use the funds to help the Teacher Advancement Program in Perry Township, Goshen Community Schools and Brown County Schools.
Nearly two-thirds of all Indiana students in grades 3-8 did not pass the new state standardized test, called ILEARN, according to results released Wednesday. The latest test scores represent a 13 percentage point drop in the passage rate since last year.
The missing paychecks for 38 teachers and a handful of administrators come as the state claims the schools collected $47 million more than they should have after over-reporting enrollment.
The Next Level Teacher Compensation Commission is tasked with conducting research, receiving feedback and providing a report to Gov. Eric Holcomb and state lawmakers before the 2021 legislative session.
The Walton Family Foundation was created by Walmart founder Sam Walton and his wife, Helen. The group awarded more than $595 million in education-related grants in 2018 alone.
According to her plea agreement, Rhondalyn Cornett stole more than $100,000 from November 2013 until her resignation in November by writing checks from the union’s bank account and using the union’s debit card for personal expenses and to withdraw cash.
A teacher who was fired from his job at a Catholic high school because he's in a same-sex marriage is suing the Archdiocese of Indianapolis for interfering in his teaching contract.