By State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond)
As the school year wraps up, the importance of our educators cannot be understated. In addition to the curriculum they teach, they are role models for our children and have a major impact on their lives. Above and beyond words, however, my colleagues and I hope the legislation we passed this session will show the value we place on teachers throughout the state.
To help children focus in class, I authored Senate Enrolled Act 185, which requires schools to set a policy restricting cellphone use during instructional time with limited exceptions. Teachers can still authorize students to use devices for educational purposes as they see fit.
Many teachers have attempted to implement similar policies in their classrooms already, and this bill will help ensure teachers have the support of school administrators when enforcing the policy if they get pushback from parents or students.
I also supported House Enrolled Act 1004, which gives retired teachers and other public employees a 13th check in 2024 and lays the financial groundwork for a stable, long-term plan to provide annual benefit increases. I also authored an amendment to House Enrolled Act 1042 that allows any balance remaining in the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship fund at the end of a fiscal year to fund additional Transition to Teaching Scholarships.
Recognizing the impact teachers have, it is important to ensure financial barriers aren't keeping people who may have realized a love of teaching later in life from getting the education they need to be licensed.
These laws continue the work of previous sessions. In 2023, I sponsored House Enrolled Act 1591, which requires school districts to spend at least 62% of the state tuition support they receive on teacher pay and benefits. The 2024-2025 state budget also included an additional $2.9 billion investment in K-12 education.
Thank you to all the teachers in our state who aim to make such a difference in the lives of students every day. I hope to continue to show my appreciation, especially to those in District 27 as I serve them in the legislature.
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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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