Indianapolis, IN—Teach Plus Indiana released the following statement following the release of the final proposed biennium budget by Governor Eric Holcomb and leading lawmakers.
“Teach Plus and Teach Plus teacher leaders applaud the investment of close to $2 billion in Indiana K-12 schools over the next two years. We commend Governor Holcomb and the Legislature for investing in education as a priority and setting the parameters to ensure that 45 percent of tuition support goes to teacher pay.
“For the past 10 years Teach Plus teacher leaders, in partnership with education stakeholders from across the state, have advocated for greater K-12 funding, more equitable teacher pay in Indiana, and more robust support of educator development. By committing to invest the dollars to fully support key recommendations from the Governor’s Commission on Teacher Compensation, we are on track to bring our state on par with our neighbors,” said Teach Plus Indiana Executive Director Rachel Hathaway.
In making its decision, the Indiana General Assembly has acted not only in alignment with the final report from the Commission, but also with the joint paper Teach Plus released in partnership with Stand for Children in 2019. Teach Plus and Teach Plus teacher leaders believe that the proposed investment will positively impact teacher retention, morale, and overall respect of the teaching profession. “I’m thrilled to see the investment in teacher pay which will equip Indiana districts with the funds necessary to recruit and retain high quality educators,” said Megan Potter, a Teach Plus Policy Fellow and Reading Interventionist in IPS. “After a year-long pandemic, I’m also excited to see the commitment to increasing complexity dollars to help low income students who have been disproportionately impacted by this school year and will need extra resources moving forward.”
As the budgetary decisions move forward, transparency, accountability, and fidelity in implementation will be key to ensuring that the funding is leveraged well and in the way it was intended. Teach Plus urges state, district, and school leaders to work with teachers in devising the implementation plans and celebrates the opportunity for teacher insights to help guide these conversations.”
About Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has trained thousands of teacher leaders across the country who are driving policy changes and improving the instructional practices of teachers to create an education system driven by equity, access, and excellence for all students. teachplus.org
