Teachers

Offers Tax Credit For Teachers

EVANSVILLE, Indiana (August 12, 2008) - Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels says schools must find a way to increase spending in Hoosier classrooms, and he will propose actions to free resources for student learning.

Daniels will ask the next Indiana General Assembly to require that schools work through the Indiana Department of Administration (IDOA) to purchase goods and services unless they can show they can get better prices another way. A 2006 law encouraging collective purchasing has had some success, but the governor believes much more must be done.    » read more »

FORT WAYNE (August 11, 2008) -- Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels today announced his intention to seek legal protection for teachers and school staff who act in good faith to maintain discipline and order in their classrooms.

"Students can't learn and teachers can't teach in classrooms where kids are disruptive. Some teachers are afraid to restore order when needed because they fear legal harassment. It's unacceptable that a teacher would have that hesitation," Daniels said. "Ultimately, we need parents to recognize that firm school discipline is in every child's interest, and support teachers in doing whatever is necessary to maintain it. But for now, we need action to see that no student's education is damaged by the bad behavior of anyone around him."    » read more »

Statement by Edward J. McElroy, President, American Federation of Teachers, On President Bush’s FY 2009 Budget Proposal

February 4, 2008 -- Note: President Bush released his FY 2009 budget proposal today. It eliminates or cuts many key education programs and slashes Medicare and Medicaid by almost $200 billion. The budget provides inadequate increases to Title I and special education, yet diverts $300 million to a new, unproven national voucher program and adds more than $100 million to a flawed teacher pay plan (the Teacher Incentive Fund).    » read more »

January 23, 2008 -- (Oklahoma City) Saying elected officials must keep their promise to Oklahoma teachers, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry today urged state lawmakers to act this legislative session to complete a five-year effort to raise educators’ salaries to the regional average.

The governor estimates it will take an average $1,200 pay increase to take Oklahoma teachers to the regional level.    » read more »

NEA Calls for Passage of the Social Security Fairness Act

January 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON—Peg Cagle, an architect with 15 years experience, entered the classroom during the 1990s to meet California’s growing demand for math and science teachers. But when she retires, she will pay a huge and unexpected price for her dedication to the children of the Los Angeles Unified School District due to a Social Security offset—the Windfall Elimination Provision.    » read more »

December 20, 2007 -- New York Governor Eliot Spitzer today announced that New York State and the United University Professions (UUP) have reached a four-year agreement covering approximately 34,000 academic and professional faculty on 29 State University of New York (SUNY) campuses. The agreement must be approved by the union membership.

"This agreement is consistent with my commitment to see the State University provide the finest public higher education in the country, as well as our responsibility to govern economically and efficiently," said Governor Spitzer.    » read more »

NEA president warns low teacher pay shortchanges students

December 10, 2007 -- WASHINGTON —Despite the value of education to Americans, the National Education Association published figures today showing that investments in America’s public schools remain stagnant, as the average increase in teacher salary continues to trail behind the rate of inflation for 2005–06. No state has achieved adequate and equitable funding despite years of court cases and education reform proposals.    » read more »