In a packed state school board meeting on Wednesday, teachers from across the state shared their frustration and anger with the Indiana Department of Education’s rollout of new requirements for early literacy training, which they say place too many burdens on teachers.
Many teachers said they were concerned about how long it will take to complete the training, the lack of fair compensation for the training and the difficulty of the final test. Teachers who meet all these requirements will earn a credential the state is calling an “early literacy endorsement.”
“Colleagues have expressed they would rather let their licenses lapse at the next renewal date than be subjected to more hoops and mandates to prove their worth,” said Diana Reed, a teacher at the Union Township School Corporation near Valparaiso.