Teachers urged state lawmakers to end externship options for renewing teaching licenses, and not penalize schools for low standardized test scores during a preview of the upcoming General Assembly session.
“You can’t use anecdotal data to make these broad sweeping mandates on people who are already overworked,” said Liz Oshel, a high school science teacher who spoke out against changes in professional development points for licenses.
Education was among the topics addressed Saturday at the Crawfordsville/Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Breakfast. About 25 constituents gathered at Fusion 54 to present their local representatives with issues they want addressed when the three-month session begins in January.
The new teacher licensing requirements have been one of the concerns raised in the “Red for Ed” movement, which drew thousands of teachers to the Statehouse for a rally last month.
Teachers have to accumulate 90 hours of professional development training to maintain their licenses, which typically come up for renewal every five years. A recent state law places additional rules on how those hours can be spent.
At least 15 of the 90 hours now must be devoted to learning about local job opportunities through an on-site or virtual externship with a company or other training that
promotes career navigation or the economic needs of their community.
“It was sold to us as a really great way to connect jobs with students,” said State Rep. Sharon Negele, R-Attica.
The changes don’t apply to teachers who were already working toward their next license renewal, and the state teacher’s union encouraged members to start the process before the law took effect July 1.
Negele and her colleague in the House, Crawfordsville Rep. Tim Brown, and State Sen. Phil Boots, R-Crawfordsville, said they received no push back on the changes before voting on the bill.
While the externship could benefit high school teachers preparing to send students off to the workforce or college, Negele said the option “probably doesn’t make a lot of sense” for elementary school teachers. Boots suggested curriculum directors are better suited for the training.
Gov. Eric Holcomb wants legislators to make the career awareness points optional, but Brown said he wasn’t ready to commit to voting in favor, noting he was “still looking to hear” further discussion from lawmakers.
Brown did signal his support for holding schools harmless for the latest statewide ILEARN scores, which came in lower last spring when compared to the test’s predecessor, ISTEP+.
Federal requirements prevent lawmakers from scrapping the test altogether, but Boots acknowledged the burden educators say ILEARN places on the classroom.
“You’re all trained to teach, I think we should let you teach,” Boots said.
The breakfast was the first in the Chamber’s yearly series of updates on the General Assembly. Monthly events will be held through the end of the session.
The local representatives also addressed questions about wind energy projects. All three lawmakers said they support local communities setting their own wind farm rules without the state getting involved.
