Indiana HB1004: Because Some Teachers Are More Valuable Than Others
I was at the Indiana State Capital today discussing the detrimental affects of taking wages away from the majority of teachers in order to pay to a select few a higher salary. IN House Bill 1004 directs school superintendents to do exactly that. Collegiality, partnerships and morale will be compromised when administrators unilaterally offer higher salaries to a select few. Where will this additional compensation come from? The pockets of the rest of the teaching staff. HB 1004 will destabilize teacher morale and pit teacher against teacher. While I was waiting to talk to a legislator today, I overheard Kokomo Representative Michael Karickhoff, a supporter of the bill, tell three of his constituents how good HB1004 would be. Karickhoff reasoned, "HB1004 will give superintendents the flexibility to hire teachers that are hard to find, for example a chemistry teacher. After all, some teachers are more valuable than others." This kind of thinking by Republicans at the Indiana Gen...