Pfaff: Indiana’s failure to invest in education hinders economic growth
“Indiana Lags in Nationwide Manufacturing Boom”: This jarring Axios Indianapolis headline truly gets to the heart of a serious crisis that’s plaguing our state.
Indiana's sluggish growth in manufacturing, despite being historically renowned for its prowess in production, highlights the disconnect between our workers' skills and the demands of modern industries. As we witness other states experiencing significant manufacturing job growth, we must acknowledge that our underfunded and under-prioritized public education system leaves us struggling to keep up.
The fact that Indiana ranks among the top states in manufacturing output, yet lags in manufacturing job growth, is a clear indication of the importance of an educated workforce. In August 2022, Ball State University economist, Michael Hicks, called attention to fact that Indiana’s manufacturing workforce is less educated than the national average. To compete in a global economy, we need to invest more in our education system, and upskill the Indiana workforce to meet the demands of advanced manufacturing technologies and industries.
As a high school math teacher, and a member of the state legislature, my mission has always been to ensure our students are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. Whether it's entering the workforce, joining the military, or pursuing higher education, our education system plays an essential role in preparing young minds for the challenges that lie ahead.
However, it's demoralizing to witness the results of the chronic underfunding of Indiana's public K-12 and college education system over the past two decades. While we have made significant investments to improve our economic development and business attraction toolkit, failing to better support public education is undermining our ability to produce a workforce prepared for the jobs we are attracting.
Immediate consequences of underfunding public schools are rarely seen. It’s a cumulative effect over time where failure to fund a 1st-grade class shows up in the performance of graduating seniors 12 years later. As the old saying goes, that is when the chickens come home to roost.
The results of nearly 20 years of the Republican majority’s deliberate underfunding of our Hoosier public education system are undeniable. Indiana's workforce now falls behind the national average in terms of education, which not only hinders the personal growth of our citizens but also negatively impacts our state's future economic prospects.
As legislators, we must prioritize the future prosperity of our state. While offering tax breaks and incentives to businesses to grow jobs here are important, they are not the only thing. We cannot overlook the need to invest in our most valuable asset – our people.
A stark example of our state's shortcomings can be seen in Indiana’s recent ranking as the seventh-worst state to live and work in, as reported by CNBC. Factors like lack of childcare, high maternal mortality rates, and regressive social policies contribute to our poor standing. The Republican Majority’s obsession with social wedge issues and failure to do anything on quality-of-life issues actively undermines the foundation of a prosperous, thriving state and our prospects for the future.
We can’t continue to ignore the link between education and economic prosperity. The State Legislature must reassess its priorities and reinvest in our public schools to ensure that our schools have the resources they need to nurture young minds and prepare them for the economy of the future. We must embrace it and take the necessary steps to secure a bright future for Indiana and its citizens. Being a business-friendly state alone is insufficient – we must invest in the education and well-being of our workers, as they are the lifeblood of a prosperous and thriving Indiana.