Thousands of teachers expected at Indiana Statehouse protest

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Thousands of teachers are expected to pack the Indiana Statehouse for a rally calling for further increase teacher pay in the biggest such protest in the state amid a wave of educator activism across the country.

Teacher unions says about half of Indiana’s nearly 300 school districts will be closed while their teachers attend Tuesday’s rally on the same day legislators gather for 2020 session organization meetings.

Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb and leaders of the GOP-dominated Legislature have avoided direct criticism of teachers or the decisions by school districts to close, but don’t expect to take action on further boosting school funding until at least 2021.

Teacher unions say members are frustrated over seeing little or no pay raises in a decade.