INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Wednesday marks the middle of Teacher Appreciation Week. America’s largest teachers’ union wants to use the occasion to advocate for higher wages among teachers.

The National Education Association says Indiana ranks 36th in the nation for wages. The average teacher in the state makes $57,015 a year. That’s down from the national average of $69,544 a year.

According to the NEA’s data, teachers saw an average pay bump of 4.1% in the 2022-23 school year.

The union’s president, Becky Pringle, says while wages have seen increases in some states teachers still have a long way to go.

“We know that [teachers] are entrusted with the important role of making sure that we have the innovators [of the future],” Pringle said. “All of the other professions depend on the profession of teaching. We know we must and we can do better.”

Teachers make 26% less than other professionals with the same amount of experience in their fields.

Pringle says this week is the time to shine a light on these disparities.

“Always love the apples real or ceramic,” Pringle said. “I love the bracelets and the perfume and flowers. Oh my goodness, it makes me smile just to think about it. Our students — our babies — are saying to us that they appreciate us. The adults in the system need to come together and actually demonstrate that.”

For Pringle, this is a week to step up for teachers, as she says education continues to be politicized.

“We also are seeing attacks on educators themselves,” she said “Our students have [a] freedom to learn about the complete, honest history of this country, both the triumphs and the tragedies so that they understand the connection of that history to what they are experiencing here today.”

Pringle adds another challenge facing education is several states pushing the “school choice” legislation that allows any Hoosier parent to apply for an annual grant to alternative schools.

“Public education is a common good in this in this country,” Pringle said. “It is the foundation of this and quite honestly any democracy. We have to treat it as such.”

NEA is also focusing on combating a continuing teacher shortage.

According to the Indiana Department of Education’s job board, there are just over 2,000 open teaching jobs across the state, 680 of those are for next year.