If you watch politics right now, you are aware that finding something that Democrats and Republicans can agree on is nothing short of a miracle. When it comes to protecting Indiana students, a miracle is exactly what was needed. Indiana Republican Sen. Aaron Freeman from Beech Grove and House Democratic Rep. Carolyn Jackson from Hammond delivered.
Freeman authored Senate Bill 342 with hopes of closing dangerous loopholes in Indiana’s teacher misconduct code.
At the start of this year’s General Assembly, it was 100% legal for a teacher to have a substantiated Department of Child Services case for abuse and/or neglect, numerous convictions for Class A Misdemeanors, and a history of grooming students at previous schools. Teachers were able to be on active probation and serving incarceration on an intermittent basis. Meaning teachers that had been convicted of criminal offenses and received jail time to be served on weekends and vacations could leave school on Friday, check themselves into jail for the weekend, then leave jail and walk back into their classrooms full of vulnerable and unknowing students on Monday morning.
Due to employment laws and DCS confidentiality measures, criminals were able to hide behind laws that were meant to protect law-abiding teachers and vulnerable children. As advocate Ashley Nation shared, “Human Resources protect adults, they don’t protect children. In my case, one of my old teachers who suspected what was happening to me sent numerous messages to administration but there was nothing that could be done. Years later she brought me a huge stack of emails to show me how hard she had tried to stop my abuser. She felt awful that there was nothing more she could do as my teacher seeing this happen.”
SB 342 hasn’t received a single no vote in the entire 2023 session. This is a testament to how important it is to tighten up loopholes during the teacher shortage. The measure is heading to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk for signature in the upcoming weeks and should go into effect this summer, ensuring that Indiana students and law abiding teachers will be safer and school leaders will have more information to make decisions when school reopens in the fall of 2023.
Representative Jackson authored House Bill 1138 as her fifth attempt to protect children from lead contamination in schools and this year made it through overwhelmingly.
As a former probation officer, she fully understands the impact that lead can have on a community. She said, “As a probation officer I always felt like I was working backwards to address the pipeline to prison. So many of my cases needed mental health support and couldn’t read. I know schools are trying really hard to get kids back after COVID and the General Assembly has identified mental health as a priority. 1138 will provide support for schools to support both of these priorities.”
Research has shown that lead contamination, in even small doses, can drastically reduce a child’s cognitive skills and increase their behavior issues; the two leading indicators for special education placements.
HB 1138 has also received all yeas and not a single nay in the entire 2023 session. This is a testament to how important it is to offer real support for schools trying to combat lead contamination. After signed into law, it will ensure that Indiana students and families will be healthier, and schools will have the critical information necessary to protect young Hoosiers from the dangers of lead contamination when school reopens in the fall of 2023.
Addie Angelov is a career-long educator. A former teacher, coach and director of research for the Indiana Department of Education, she is co-founder and CEO of the Paramount Health Data Project. This commentary previously appeared at indianacapitalchronicle.com. Send comments to editorial@therepublic.com.
