(PHOTO: Chris Davis/Emmis)
Some teachers attending the #RedForEd complain-a-thon at the Indiana State House were raging mad at State Rep Jim Lucas over an encounter with him post-rally.
Rep. Lucas joined WIBC hosts Rob Kendall and Abdul-Hakim Shabazz Wednesday afternoon to set the record straight.
Lucas:
“When I asked how they proposed to have the state come in and guarantee every teacher a raise without taking over everything on the local level – because again, teacher pay is determined on the local level; we have nothing to do with it – you get a blank stare. They can’t answer it or they won’t’ answer it, which means it’s nothing more than a talking point.”
Lucas also addressed teachers’ concerns about the 15 hours of required externship as part of their ongoing professional development.
“Teachers want to be treated as professionals, which they are. But every group of professionals that I know of has some kind of requirement for continuing education: accountants, police, firemen, real estate agents, lawyers. Teachers have 90 hours every five years. 15 of those hours are about going out into the community and getting to know the needs of your community and the employers who hire your ‘product’ so to speak. The students are the product because they are providing a service to the employers, right? To me, three hours per year is not asking a lot. When you look at how many thousands of teachers took a day off, that’s it right there! There are your three hours!
But look, when you have people who just refuse to acknowledge facts, they go after the messenger and then it becomes a character assassination.”
Click the link below to hear Rep. Lucas’ full interview with Rob and Abdul.
