Advocates say pay and politics drive teachers out of classrooms

Public education advocate Justin Oakley says a mix of political pressure, low morale, and shrinking budgets is driving teachers out of Indiana classrooms. In an Interview with Indy Politics, Oakley accused the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general of turning educators into political targets. “Within a day of taking office, they were attacking teachers-saying they have no free speech rights,” Oakley said. He pointed to a memo from the Indiana Attorney General’s office that lays out case law the state claims limits what teachers can say. Oakley argues that the document leaves out important context. “We actually have case law that shows teachers do have free speech rights,” he said. He believes unclear guidance on what’s allowed in classrooms is already silencing educato