AVON, Ind. (AP) —
A state lawmaker is seeking to move more educators into Indiana's
classrooms by allowing them to negotiate their own contract with schools,
rather than be subject to collective bargaining contracts negotiated by
teacher unions.
Republican state
Sen. Pete Miller of Avon said his proposed legislation will aim to address
concerns that Indiana is facing a shortage of licensed educators opting to
work in the field.
His measure,
which would go before lawmakers in their session that begins Jan. 5, would
allow schools to hire high-demand teachers in science, math and special
education through individual contracts and at a higher pay rate.
Miller contends
that he's acting in the best interest of teachers.
"I want teachers
to be paid everything they are worth," he told The Indianapolis Star. "...
If we are only willing to pay a special education teacher less than market
rate, then we shouldn't be surprised that we have a shortage."
The leader of
Indiana's largest teachers union quickly denounced Miller's proposal.
Teresa Meredith,
president of the Indiana State Teachers Association, said that if Miller's
legislation becomes law it would weaken collective bargaining instead of
addressing the teacher shortage.
She said that
collective bargaining agreements — a popular target of
Republican-sponsored school reform efforts — ensure fairness.
"We are all about
making certain kids have high-quality teachers, not just in shortage
areas. We want every teacher to be respected and compensated fairly, and
that can only happen when there is a check-and-balance system in place,"
Meredith said.
Miller's
teacher-hiring proposal would also establish a mentoring program for
beginning teachers calling for administrators to assess their performance
and determine if they pass. It also addresses the issue of making sure
educators who move in from out-of-state can teach in Indiana classrooms.
His proposal
would require the Indiana Department of Education to grant an out-of-state
teacher an Indiana license if that educator meets the requirements to
receive the credential. Miller said that additional tests shouldn't be
required if out-of-state teachers have already taken exams showing their
expertise in a subject area.