Advocates: Better pay, mental wellness programs would help Indiana attract and retain teachers

The average salary for teachers in Indiana is over $60,000, according to last year's teacher compensation report. Although teacher pay is up from previous years, the state still pays less than most others.

An advocacy group said increasing pay and mental wellness programs could help retain talent across the state.

Teacher turnover has gone up in recent years, said Liz Coit, president of the Marion County Commission on Youth. She said raising wages could give teachers a better quality of life and help schools across the state attract new talent to fill open positions.

"We give them the most important job in our economy, which is teaching and raising our children, and then they can't make a living off of it," Coit said.

She said mental wellness is another issue that contributes to turnover. It plays a crucial role with teachers' ability to do their job. She said the more emotionally stable children are, the easier it is to teach.

"Our educator workforce is strained always," Coit said. "It's a hard job and they bring a lot of heart to it, which makes it an even harder job."

MCCOY piloted a program in September that trains teachers to help students process their emotions — reducing stress on teachers. Students can also log how they feel throughout the school day, allowing teachers to use that information to help address students' emotional needs.

Timoria is our labor and employment reporter. Contact her at tcunningham@wfyi.org.