Local Teachers Head To ‘Red For Ed’ Protest In Indy
November 20, 2019 at 1:34 a.m.
By Jackie [email protected]
The event attracted teachers representing over 145 school districts throughout the state.
The rally was scheduled as lawmakers kicked off the 2020 legislative session.
“Kids, educators and public schools need to be the top priority. Let's remind lawmakers that we are still here, activated and ready to advocate for our kids, our schools and our future,” said the event’s Facebook page.
According to the Indiana State Teachers Association website, teachers from across the state arrived at 8:30 a.m. There were remarks by ISTA President Keith Gambill and National Education Association Vice President Becky Pringle on the south steps of the Statehouse at 10:30 a.m. and a march on the Statehouse grounds at 10:50 a.m. Teachers planned to enter the Statehouse from the east and west entrances at 12:30 p.m., have member stories in the South Atrium at 1:15 p.m. and have closing announcements at 3 p.m.
Whitko Superintendent Dr. Brandon Penrod talked about one of the points teachers went to the state capital to make – the hold harmless on teacher evaluation for the 2018-2019 ILEARN results.
Penrod said teacher’s pay is tied to standardized testing and since the results from last year’s ILEARN were so low, teacher’s pay may not increase. Legislators said they would pass a hold on that after their session starts in January.
Warsaw Community Schools said in a statement that, “Low ILEARN scores don’t reflect the hard work Hoosier kids and teachers are doing in our classrooms. Test scores certainly shouldn’t determine how our communities are labeled by accountability grades.”
State Rep. David Wolkins, Dist. 18, said he doesn’t understand why teachers are rallying against this issue as teachers were told they would be held harmless in regards to the ILearn testing. The General Assembly is prepared to pass held harmless legislation in January.
“That’s not going to happen today,” he said. Wolkins did agree there are issues with standardized testing.
The second issue the Red for Ed rally was trying to address is funding for education.
“Lawmakers must demonstrate a commitment to addressing teacher pay by using the state’s budget surplus to begin increasing base salaries for teachers,” WCS’s statement said. “The lack of significant and sustainable investments in our schools over the past decade has placed Indiana behind neighboring states on funding levels and places us last in the nation in teacher salary growth.”
Wolkins said the school boards deal with teacher pay, not the General Assembly, as the General Assembly deals with funding the school districts.
But he said teachers have a valid point as far as pay goes. He used Warsaw as an example.
Wolkins said he didn’t think Warsaw teachers got a good deal in a $1,400 raise that was approved for the 2020 budget. He said teachers should have gotten more.
But Wolkins said the state gives adequate funding to schools.
The third issue teachers were seeking to address is a repeal of the professional growth plan/externship requirements.
Changes under HEA 1002 require teachers in traditional public schools to use a professional growth plan for renewing their license. They must complete 15 of the 90 required professional growth points needed to renew their license. And they must complete a series of program options focused on career navigation or economic development, which includes corporate externships, WCS’ statement said. “As of July 1, 2019, over 50,000 of the approximately 60,000 teachers initiated their next license renewal so that the 15-credit requirement will not apply to them until their next relicensure. This new requirement has placed an undue burden on teachers and is misplaced in its implementation.”
According to the Indiana Department of Education website, there are three ways for teachers to meet the 15 required professional growth plan points, which are:
• An externship with a company;
• Professional development by the state, a local business or community partner that provides opportunities for the school and employers to partner in promoting career navigation;
• Professional development by the state, a local business or community partner that involves current and future economic needs of the community, state, etc. and ways those needs can be disseminated to students.
The externships are a new requirement, said Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert. He said it makes more demands on teachers’ time.
Wolkins said he didn’t understand teachers’ problem with this issue since the professional growth plans are not a new thing.
Several superintendents and districts expressed support for the rally.
Penrod said anytime teachers can advocate for public education, he supports it.
“Our teachers and educators are very passionate,” said Hoffert. “As the school board and administrators, we definitely support the three points (the teachers are rallying on).”
According to a press release from Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, the school district observed a corporation-wide blue jeans day and wore red “in honor and support of the quality public education we provide in Indiana.”
According to a press release from the Warsaw Community Education Association, while the WCEA is an independent association representing certified teachers in WCS, the points teachers were protesting Tuesday were supported by the association.
Due to teachers attending the rally, Whitko and Warsaw closed their schools Tuesday.
Penrod said the decision to close his school district came after approximately 32.7% of the teachers in his school district asked for a personal day.
This put the school district in a situation where they were 15 substitutes short to cover the teachers who were gone.
At that point, Penrod said it was a safety concern, as well as hampering the ability to give students adequate instruction and they decided to cancel classes for the day.
Hoffert said WCS was closed due to similar issues concerning safety and providing adequate instruction.
On Nov. 12, WCS sent out a release stating schools would be closed because roughly 20% of the district’s teachers would be attending the rally. Hoffert said the numbers may have gone up since that announcement. The press release also said WCS communicated with Baker Youth Club and the YMCA, who intended to provide special youth club options for the day.
Penrod said teachers have four personal days and the school district does not have a cap on how many teachers can take a certain day off.
Penrod said he does not know how teachers from his school district got to Indianapolis. He believes some of the teachers were carpooling and some were going with teachers from other school districts, but he was not aware of any mass transportation to the state capital.
While TVSC will have teachers attending the Red for Ed rally, the school corporation decided not to close its schools for the day.
“TVSC believes our students and their families are best served when students are with our caring teachers on a scheduled school day,” the district said in a statement. “Our corporation also has a diverse demographic with many students relying on the hot breakfast and lunch program, snacks provided and a warm, safe place to spend the day.”
Phone calls to Wawasee Community School Corporation Superintendent Dr. Thomas Edington and an e-mail to WCEA President Terry Sims went unanswered as of press time.
The event attracted teachers representing over 145 school districts throughout the state.
The rally was scheduled as lawmakers kicked off the 2020 legislative session.
“Kids, educators and public schools need to be the top priority. Let's remind lawmakers that we are still here, activated and ready to advocate for our kids, our schools and our future,” said the event’s Facebook page.
According to the Indiana State Teachers Association website, teachers from across the state arrived at 8:30 a.m. There were remarks by ISTA President Keith Gambill and National Education Association Vice President Becky Pringle on the south steps of the Statehouse at 10:30 a.m. and a march on the Statehouse grounds at 10:50 a.m. Teachers planned to enter the Statehouse from the east and west entrances at 12:30 p.m., have member stories in the South Atrium at 1:15 p.m. and have closing announcements at 3 p.m.
Whitko Superintendent Dr. Brandon Penrod talked about one of the points teachers went to the state capital to make – the hold harmless on teacher evaluation for the 2018-2019 ILEARN results.
Penrod said teacher’s pay is tied to standardized testing and since the results from last year’s ILEARN were so low, teacher’s pay may not increase. Legislators said they would pass a hold on that after their session starts in January.
Warsaw Community Schools said in a statement that, “Low ILEARN scores don’t reflect the hard work Hoosier kids and teachers are doing in our classrooms. Test scores certainly shouldn’t determine how our communities are labeled by accountability grades.”
State Rep. David Wolkins, Dist. 18, said he doesn’t understand why teachers are rallying against this issue as teachers were told they would be held harmless in regards to the ILearn testing. The General Assembly is prepared to pass held harmless legislation in January.
“That’s not going to happen today,” he said. Wolkins did agree there are issues with standardized testing.
The second issue the Red for Ed rally was trying to address is funding for education.
“Lawmakers must demonstrate a commitment to addressing teacher pay by using the state’s budget surplus to begin increasing base salaries for teachers,” WCS’s statement said. “The lack of significant and sustainable investments in our schools over the past decade has placed Indiana behind neighboring states on funding levels and places us last in the nation in teacher salary growth.”
Wolkins said the school boards deal with teacher pay, not the General Assembly, as the General Assembly deals with funding the school districts.
But he said teachers have a valid point as far as pay goes. He used Warsaw as an example.
Wolkins said he didn’t think Warsaw teachers got a good deal in a $1,400 raise that was approved for the 2020 budget. He said teachers should have gotten more.
But Wolkins said the state gives adequate funding to schools.
The third issue teachers were seeking to address is a repeal of the professional growth plan/externship requirements.
Changes under HEA 1002 require teachers in traditional public schools to use a professional growth plan for renewing their license. They must complete 15 of the 90 required professional growth points needed to renew their license. And they must complete a series of program options focused on career navigation or economic development, which includes corporate externships, WCS’ statement said. “As of July 1, 2019, over 50,000 of the approximately 60,000 teachers initiated their next license renewal so that the 15-credit requirement will not apply to them until their next relicensure. This new requirement has placed an undue burden on teachers and is misplaced in its implementation.”
According to the Indiana Department of Education website, there are three ways for teachers to meet the 15 required professional growth plan points, which are:
• An externship with a company;
• Professional development by the state, a local business or community partner that provides opportunities for the school and employers to partner in promoting career navigation;
• Professional development by the state, a local business or community partner that involves current and future economic needs of the community, state, etc. and ways those needs can be disseminated to students.
The externships are a new requirement, said Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert. He said it makes more demands on teachers’ time.
Wolkins said he didn’t understand teachers’ problem with this issue since the professional growth plans are not a new thing.
Several superintendents and districts expressed support for the rally.
Penrod said anytime teachers can advocate for public education, he supports it.
“Our teachers and educators are very passionate,” said Hoffert. “As the school board and administrators, we definitely support the three points (the teachers are rallying on).”
According to a press release from Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, the school district observed a corporation-wide blue jeans day and wore red “in honor and support of the quality public education we provide in Indiana.”
According to a press release from the Warsaw Community Education Association, while the WCEA is an independent association representing certified teachers in WCS, the points teachers were protesting Tuesday were supported by the association.
Due to teachers attending the rally, Whitko and Warsaw closed their schools Tuesday.
Penrod said the decision to close his school district came after approximately 32.7% of the teachers in his school district asked for a personal day.
This put the school district in a situation where they were 15 substitutes short to cover the teachers who were gone.
At that point, Penrod said it was a safety concern, as well as hampering the ability to give students adequate instruction and they decided to cancel classes for the day.
Hoffert said WCS was closed due to similar issues concerning safety and providing adequate instruction.
On Nov. 12, WCS sent out a release stating schools would be closed because roughly 20% of the district’s teachers would be attending the rally. Hoffert said the numbers may have gone up since that announcement. The press release also said WCS communicated with Baker Youth Club and the YMCA, who intended to provide special youth club options for the day.
Penrod said teachers have four personal days and the school district does not have a cap on how many teachers can take a certain day off.
Penrod said he does not know how teachers from his school district got to Indianapolis. He believes some of the teachers were carpooling and some were going with teachers from other school districts, but he was not aware of any mass transportation to the state capital.
While TVSC will have teachers attending the Red for Ed rally, the school corporation decided not to close its schools for the day.
“TVSC believes our students and their families are best served when students are with our caring teachers on a scheduled school day,” the district said in a statement. “Our corporation also has a diverse demographic with many students relying on the hot breakfast and lunch program, snacks provided and a warm, safe place to spend the day.”
Phone calls to Wawasee Community School Corporation Superintendent Dr. Thomas Edington and an e-mail to WCEA President Terry Sims went unanswered as of press time.
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