GiaQuinta reacts to Teacher Compensation Commission report

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) today released the following statement regarding the Next Level Teacher Compensation Commission's final report:

”As the Teacher Compensation Commission made clear in its report, Indiana has a teacher pay problem,” said GiaQuinta. “It is also evident that since Republicans took complete control of Indiana State Government in 2010, Indiana's average teacher salaries have struggled to keep up to both the level of inflation and national averages.

“I appreciate the comprehensive nature of the report; in fact, House Democrats have proposed some of these recommendations in the past. However, I do have some concerns. For one, I do not feel it is the time to start eliminating benefits from teachers and their families when many districts are struggling to recruit and retain qualified teachers. I also do not agree that shifting the burden of school funding from the state to local levels through referenda is the best move we can make to get teachers, students and staff what they need now.

“Despite fiscal impacts from the pandemic, Indiana has the means to make a meaningful and frankly overdue investment in Hoosier teachers. House Democrats continue to stand ready to put Hoosier teachers first and I look forward to taking a more comprehensive look at this report in the coming days.”