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A Indiana bill would guarantee paid parental leave to the state’s teachers for the first time, and would also raise the minimum pay for teachers.
If enacted, the legislation would make Indiana one of a handful of states to offer this paid leave to educators, and could make the state more attractive to prospective and current teachers.
Senate Bill 146 would grant 20 days of parental leave to teachers who have worked for a school district for at least six months in the event of the birth of their child or their spouse’s child, the adoption of a child, or the stillbirth of their child.
Indiana teachers are currently eligible for unpaid leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. But nearly a quarter of Indiana’s 168 school districts offer some paid leave under their collective bargaining contracts, according to Secretary of Education Katie Jenner.
The bill, authored by GOP Sen. Linda Rogers, would also raise minimum salaries for teachers from $40,000 to $45,000, increase the portion of state funding that must be spent on salaries, and require schools to offer a state employee health coverage plan if it’s less expensive than the district plan.
It would also change the requirements for the state’s Teacher Appreciation Grants and enroll Indiana in the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, which creates licensing reciprocity between member states.
Both pay raises and professional benefits like parental leave for teachers were priorities for new Gov. Mike Braun on the campaign trail last year as avenues to improve teacher recruitment and retention. But anxiety about the state budget left some lawmakers and advocates uncertain about whether the state would raise minimum salaries this year.
Braun is expected to present his budget proposal on Thursday, Jan. 16.
Speaking in support of the bill Wednesday at a Senate education committee meeting, Jenner said it would take around $14 million in additional funding for all schools to reach a $45,000 salary minimum for teachers.
“We have to keep our eye on the ball of teacher compensation,” Jenner said during testimony on the bill. “It really, really matters.”
Jenner said the expectations of the tight budget meant the department had not asked lawmakers for a higher minimum teacher salary this session.
Studies have shown that only a few large districts nationwide offer any kind of paid parental leave to teachers.
The leave granted under SB 146 would run concurrently with time taken under the Family and Medical Leave Act. But the bill does not specify that a teacher must first use their sick or personal days to take the paid leave. That earned praise from Sen. Andrea Hunley, a Democrat and former teacher and principal.
Still, Hunley called for more leave overall, and specifically more leave for part-time employees, who would only be eligible for 10 days of leave under the proposal.
“I think that’s a really great step to support our families who are expanding,” Hunley said. “But 20 days is only four weeks.”
The bill would also change the requirements of the Teacher Appreciation Grant, which currently offers stipends to teachers rated as highly effective. Instead, the grant would reward teachers who meet certain criteria, like teaching special education or English learner education, mentoring other teachers, or overseeing significant student growth.
Lawmakers did not vote on the bill Wednesday, but they’re expected to consider it in a future committee hearing.
Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.
