INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Teacher pay would be linked to student performance under
a merit pay bill that has cleared an Indiana House committee.
The Republican-controlled House Education Committee voted 8-5 along party
lines Wednesday to approve the bill, which is part of GOP Gov. Mitch
Daniels’ aggressive education agenda. The bill requires teachers to be
evaluated every year, and those who fall into the lowest two of four
evaluation categories wouldn’t get automatic pay raises.
Local districts would create their own evaluation systems but would have to
include objective measures of student achievement such as scores on
statewide standardized tests.
Meanwhile, a Senate committee was set to vote Wednesday afternoon on another
big part of Daniels’ education agenda — a contentious voucher proposal that
would direct taxpayer money to private schools.