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Sen. Deery Continues Look at Priorities
| Sen. Deery Continues Look at Priorities Last week, I announced my legislation to protect our water and our farms, and to reform the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. This week, I am announcing several proposals to strengthen our schools, support our best teachers, and prepare the next generation of Hoosiers for self-government. I have filed three education bills to address the following priorities: Making it easier for students studying STEM to become trained teachers. In 2022-23, Indiana issued just 17 new teaching licenses in chemistry, five in engineering, and 15 in physical science. This shortage led schools to request emergency waivers, filling positions with individuals who often lacked classroom training. For example, in chemistry, the state issued 412% more emergency permits than new licenses. To address this, my bill would create a pathway for STEM students to graduate college with a teaching certificate if they pass a subject matter test, complete nine specific education credits, and gain field experience in the classroom. Paying teachers in hard-to-fill positions more. Schools face challenges recruiting and retaining teachers in subjects like special education, STEM and English as a Second Language. Factors such as job stress and specialized skills contribute to this problem, but another is the unreasonable expectations from teachers’ unions that all educators with the same experience should be paid the same. This one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t reflect the realities of the job market and isn’t fair to teachers or students. My bill would empower administrators to offer higher salaries to educators in shortage areas. Building an American identity rooted in our founding documents through better civics and history instruction. Nationwide, only 39% of young Americans are grateful for America’s founding. Over half favor writing a new constitution, and at least a third view our Founding Fathers as villains more than heroes. My bill aims to ensure history and civics education cultivate an appreciation for the universal principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence. It also would create a local mechanism to resolve concerns when instruction fails to meet this standard. Prioritizing parental communication in bullying investigations. In 2023, I helped strengthen our laws to prevent bullying in schools, but we need to fix a major shortcoming that remains. When schools investigate bullying incidents, they currently do not need to inform the parents for five days. I believe whether a child was the victim, the perpetrator or it’s not yet clear, parents should know of their child’s involvement so they can better meet the child’s needs. My bill would require schools to make a reasonable effort to notify parents by the end of the calendar day if their child is the subject of a bullying investigation. These priorities are packaged into three different education bills that will be posted online in coming days. Once they are posted, you can view and monitor all my bills here. |
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| Passing a Balanced Budget Last week, lawmakers gathered at the Statehouse for the start of the 2025 legislative session. As always, one of my top priorities is to pass a balanced two-year state budget. Why it matters: Every dollar the state takes in was first earned by a hardworking Hoosier, so it’s important to ensure that money is invested wisely. Passing a balanced budget allows our state government to run efficiently and fund the important services taxpayers expect. As your state senator, I will work hard to ensure the state lives within its means this year, including supporting the passage of a balanced budget. If you’d like to contact me, visit my webpage at IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Deery and click “Contact Me” to offer feedback on legislative issues. You can also click “Request Assistance” if you need help from my office to navigate an issue with a state agency. |