Teachers deserve better
Recent Indiana legislation exhausts already undervalued occupation Laura Masoni
masonlau000@hsestudents.org
During an Indiana State Teachers Association press conference at the Indiana Statehouse on Jan. 19, the ISTA lined up many speakers to speak out against HB 1134. Photo courtesy of Nikki DeMentri.
A For more information on HB 1134, see pages 6 and 7.
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Tiger Times
s I scrolled through Twitter during the night SB 167 was canceled, I couldn’t help but notice the comment section. It was not at all what I expected to find under articles detailing our legislators’ sudden profession of a lack of judgment. Dishearteningly, though, I can’t say that I was surprised. Tweet after tweet was full of teachers detailing their frustration. Not only were they frustrated that such a bill would be proposed, but as teachers, they were insulted. “Beyond the language of the bill, it is clear that no support will be coming,” fourth-grade teacher Philip Danoski wrote on Twitter. Although SB 167 was canceled, its copycat, HB 1134, still survives. These bills put an unnecessary burden on an already stressed-out profession. In a survey conducted by RAND and funded by the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, it was found that
over 3 in 4 teachers reported job-related stress. This number is over 35% higher than other working adults, who reported at 40%. HB 1134 in its current state would not provide any ease or relief to teachers. The language of the bill outlines that teachers would be required under state law to post all lesson plans for the public to view. This provision means that anyone, no matter if they are associated with a school district or not, can legally access the files and plans that you present in your class. On top of this, parents also have the right to opt their child out of lessons, and the teacher would need to provide an alternative assignment. HB 1134 requires, “the school corporation or qualified school to add functionality that allows parents of students in the school corporation to opt in to or opt-out of certain educational activities and curricular materials under certain conditions.”
To bring this into focus, parents in Hamilton Southeastern Schools already have access to their child’s lessons. For example, a parent can log on to their child’s Canvas account at any time. If they log on and see something that they are concerned with, they can bring that up to the teacher directly. It is a function that has already been implemented in our school system. So, this added function is one that is not functional or of any benefit to either party. One of my grievest concerns regarding our legislator’s effect on educators in this state is the lasting impression they will leave on some of the most talented working professionals we have. A poll by PDK International found that 90% of educators are satisfied with their jobs. However, it also found that 36% of U.S. teachers thought that society values the teaching profession. Teachers do what they do because they love it. They are not in it for the money, they are in it because they value education and the impact that it has on students. Their impact matters. Educators are human. They are people just as much as students, parents and administrators. They deserve the support, respect and appreciation that they distribute on a daily basis. The legislative trend to box them in is a direct attack, not only on the educators individually but also on the education system as a whole.
February 2022
