INDIANAPOLIS — Hundreds of teachers across the state are worried their voices won't be heard in the near future, by those that can help them make a real difference in their classrooms.
On Tuesday, lawmakers sent Senate bill 486 to the governor’s desk. It remained on the senate calendar for several days before the author, State Senator Linda Rogers, called it for a vote.
Senate bill 486 was debated for about two hours on the senate floor Tuesday.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle spoke out against it, with many republicans voting no.
A big reason lawmakers don't support it is because of a portion of the bill that would no longer require discussions between teachers and administrators.
Currently in Indiana, teachers have the ability to discuss working conditions, class sizes, safety issues and student discipline among other issues. Administrators are required to have those conversations with teachers.
Those discussion rights are something the Indiana State Teachers Association says they have had for 50 years. Under senate bill 486, it changes the language from shall to may, which means these discussions become optional.
"That connection between the administration and our educators is extremely important, especially when we have trying times like we've seen lately.,” Keith Gamble the President of ISTA said.
The bill also gets rid of several training requirements for teachers. The author of the bill State Senator Linda Rogers says there are currently about 20 training requirements that the state mandates for teachers.
The bill gets rid of three of them and makes them a requirement for teacher prep courses, which are taken in college instead.
Lawmakers have called this bill a deregulation effort. State senator Liz Brown was one republican lawmaker that spoke in favor of the bill.
"They see our children during the day, they see the interactions with the kids and what's going on. That's what is important. This is the first start,” Brown said. “We are easing up a little bit on the heavy hand that we put on our local schools so that they can sink or swim on their own. We have to start trusting them, we have to start trusting our superintendents, we have to start trusting our principals. "
Democratic State Senator Andrea Hunley, who has an extensive background in education, both in classroom and in administrative roles, pointed to the many bills in the legislature that show teachers aren’t trusted.
“The irony is, this session, we've actually told teachers how to teach reading, science of reading, we have added on a new course, financial literacy, both of those things I support,” Hunley said “We are going to analyze whether or not cursive writing is being taught. We also have a bill right now that says we don't trust teachers to choose reading materials in the classroom, and that we've got to make sure that we're removing harmful materials to minors. So, we have said across many pieces of legislation in both chambers of this building, that we don't actually trust what's happening in our school buildings.”
She says that not requiring conversations between teachers and administrators could impact the teaches shortage Indiana currently has even more.
“This is not a bill that is supporting teachers,” Hunley said. “It's not a bill that's deregulating education. It's a bill that is harming the safety of our school buildings and it is a bill that is harming the well-being of our teachers.”
Democrats aren't the only lawmakers who don't support the bill. Several republicans voted against the bill as well.
"Is this going to provide a better, safer educational experience for children and will it do it more efficiently? This bill does neither,” State Sen. Mike Bohacek said. "So, I will be voting against the bill because I see nothing in this bill that is going to improve the educational outcome for our children."
This bill passed on concurrence out of the senate with a vote of 27-23. If the Governor signs it, it goes into effect on July 1st. To read the bill clickhere.
ISTA released the following statement in response to the legislature’s decision:
Once again, the General Assembly has callously betrayed Indiana's hardworking educators and flagrantly ignored the impassioned pleas of our state's teachers by passing SB 486. This brazen act of disregard for the educators who tirelessly serve our students is unacceptable. We call on Governor Holcomb to take a bold stand with educators by swiftly vetoing this bill and demonstrating his unwavering support for our state's teachers
