Indiana Senate Bill 309's main feature of freezing pay and insurance benefits of educators even in districts that have surpluses, is not in the best interests of hard working teachers many of whom have not had a pay increase in the past 6 years.
SB309 originally submitted by Senator Alting would have been ok, except it was changed in committee by Republicans to weaken public education by freezing teachers wages and insurance benefits even in districts that have budget surpluses. Totally unfair!
I am assuming something will be worked out between the two legislative bodies, but the Senate's bill is an attempt to weaken public education, by destroying teachers rights to collective bargaining, something Indiana public school teachers have done since 1973.
We need to contact all of our State Senators and let them know we expect education jobs to be saved during this economic crisis.
Teachers and children should not be penalized for a recession they did not create.
Contact your legislators here and urge them to pass H.B.1367. Write your message.
Sorry..I think it is important to have good education for our children in the USA but it does start with responsible and sensible budgeting. Three cheers for the governor of Indiana for not overspending and putting us in the same position as SO MANY of our other states. I don't think Art is a necessity, but an extra in our kid's education...I would much rather see more than a 30% graduation rate in Indiana!!! Which would mean an emphasis on the three "R"and not teaching to the tests required by the no child left behind silliness. Is there some reason the arts cannot be dealt with as an extacurricular /volunteer classes?? Re-introduce as our school budget dictates. There are surely other Art jobs available in our society. As to class sizes, I do think perhaps some consultation with the non-public schools as to how things are done within a budget is warranted.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of funding in our public schools is what the governor wants. The weakening of the public school system is to undermine the resources that are used to educate our future generations and to treat this system just like the Indiana toll road. Private ownership of schools will not and cannot be a solution to the problem of stupid kids and lazy parents. The public schools will be left with the low life kids that are dragging the system down now. How can making the public schools the kids that no private school will take be left with only substandard education? Mitch Daniels and the Republican party want everything to be in private hands that way they can walk away from problems and issues and point to a private company as they are not doing a good job. Come on people, taking retirement away from teachers will not solve anything. How about we take away benefits from the legislature and Governor, no insureance except for what is provided to the lowest compensated person is state government. That could save some funds. I know lets take the entire state government and put it in private hands. That worked so well with the welfare and I am sure that we can find someone to take these funds and devalue our state to a lower level that it is already. No education, no welfare, no retirement, no public services,no highway department, no police when should we stop? When it comes to your door?
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