Huntington Classroom Teachers Association talks about teacher shortages

HCTA co-president Tom Gross said that while HCTA appreciates the nearly $800 raise they received last year, some of their teachers are receiving wages less than teachers received eight years ago. Gross said the district lost 40 teachers last year and has already lost more than 30 teachers this year due to non-competitive wages and a “lack of commitment” to current employees.

This all came after a recommendation to hire a Spanish teacher at a wage that Gross said was $4,000 more than the average contract for Huntington educators.

“We have a problem that must be fixed for us to continue to be a district of choice for so many families,” Gross said. “Our teacher’s salaries and benefits must be equal to or be above the salaries of the surrounding communities.

In response to the recommendation, Gross said, “HCTA is asking for an average of $8,000 per teacher, which is not unreasonable, to be applied to 364 other educators in the district.”

Gross said he wanted to see a plan in place for teachers already serving the community.

“Respect must be shown to the current employees. Unilaterally bargaining with one teacher is not best for the district,” Gross said.

Board member Kevin Yarger said he appreciated Gross standing up for the teachers of HCCSC, but he said qualified employees are in short supply, especially for specialized positions like the Spanish teacher position.

“While I absolutely hate to do it, I feel like we’re between a rock and a hard place on this particular situation” Yarger said.

HCCSC Superintendent Randy Harris said they only had three applicants to consider for the position and the first offer they made was rejected because the salary was too low.

Harris cited an article he said was published in the Indianapolis Business Journal that talked about the teacher shortage and the possibility for a state-wide teacher strike.

Harris said the chairperson of the committee that determines budgets for schools across the state said the legislature was not going to address the issue because it was a local issue.

“Which to me is absolutely absurd if all the money from our general fund comes from state sources allocated by our state legislature,” Harris said.

The chairperson reportedly encouraged teachers to talk to their local school board and address administrators in their district. Harris said he welcomes the discussion in Huntington County, but he added that teachers and parents need to address the legislature about school funding, rebutting the chairperson’s assertion that it’s a local issue.

Harris said the number of qualified candidates for teaching positions plummeted since around 2008. He said he agreed with Yarger and said that he wishes the corporation wasn’t in this situation.

“I’m extremely fearful that we’re going to have this same situation at our next board meeting or the one after that or going into the future… I feel that the State has placed us in that position, but we’re going to take every method we have to address the problem through contract negotiations and bargaining. But, it’s not going to go away quickly.”

Board Vice President Brian Warpup said the board has been giving teachers raises and that his long-term goal is to increase wages further.

The recommendation was ultimately approved, receiving a unanimous vote from the school board.