Issue Position: Quality Education

Issue Position

In all things education, the focus must be on what helps kids learn. This simple truth seems to be lost in the midst of the partisan debates we find ourselves. Reforms must be child focused and recognize that education starts at home first. Parents and local communities are in the best position to know how best to meet the needs of each individual child, not the federal government. We must ensure that every Hoosier child will be prepared to succeed in the future through a first-rate education.

Martin has supported and authored several bills to help support educators and public schools!

Co-Authored the bill that decoupled teacher's pay with the results of the I-learn test. One test does not reflect teacher performance. Martin called for this back in 2012 and he is happy that it finally got this done in this year's session.

Co-Authored the bill that created a tax credit for teachers who buy supplies for their own classrooms.

Authored a bill that would have required voucher receiving schools to produce an annual report on how they spend their voucher dollars.

Supported the Scholarship program that encourages seniors entering college to pick education as their major and stay here in Indiana

Every Budget passed into law, Martin voted for on the condition our public schools would get more money despite falling enrollment. All 4 budgets that Martin supported, FWCS has saw an overall increase in total funding from the state budget.

Supported a bill setting a goal of spending 85% of every state tax dollar in the classroom to encourage teacher salary increases. Locals school through Union negotiations set teachers pay. We want to encourage those negotiations to favor increases to teachers not just to expanding administration costs.

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