By State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond)
As we near the middle of the school semester, it is important to reflect on how important teachers are to Senate District 27. They play an important role in uplifting young Hoosiers and helping them reach their academic and career goals. Thanks to their efforts to implement improved Science and Reading curriculum in the classroom, Indiana students recently saw significant gains in reading and math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
This legislative session, I helped authored Senate Bill 146 to ensure teachers receive the compensation they deserve for the important work they do. SB 146 would increase the minimum salary for teachers from $40,000 to $45,000, and direct the Indiana Department of Education to look into the feasibility of increasing school corporation employee health benefits.
I also helped author Senate Bill 249, which would allow schools to increase the pay for certain teachers in high-need fields, like STEM, to ensure they can continue to provide quality education to Hoosier students.
This work builds upon several years of work to increase teacher pay in Indiana, recognizing the important role they play in shaping the lives of young Hoosiers and the future of our state. Those efforts recently culminated in increasing the median teacher salary in our state to $60,000.
I will continue my efforts to support Hoosier educators as I represent Senate District 27 in the Statehouse. To reach me about any concerns you have, fill out a "Contact Me" form on the IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Raatz website or call my office at 800-382-9467.
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State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) represents Senate District 27, which includes
Henry, Union and Wayne counties, and portions of Franklin County.
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