The INDIANA PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS, INC. believes that the practice of excluding particular teachers from being considered for appointment to various school committees because they are not members of an exclusive representative organization is an egregious case of discrimination. 

            Furthermore, the practice of limiting school committee appointments to members of the teachers’ union is a form of patronage designed to empower union officials to reward close allies and compliant teachers while punishing non-members.

 Furthermore, the practice of exclusion is designed to intimidate independent teachers into joining the teachers’ union so that they can be eligible to participate in school activities.  All teachers should have the right to be considered to participate in school activities.

 Furthermore, eligibility for appointments to school committees should be open to all teachers regardless of their professional affiliations.  Particular skill sets or experience relevant to a particular committee’s purpose are valid items in considering appointments and should factor equally for all teachers in a school.

             Furthermore, to exclude independent teachers from school committee membership unnecessarily limits the scope of input and opinions that a diverse set of teachers could bring to a discussion.

            Furthermore, the practice of exclusion creates an atmosphere of conflict in discussions, planning and other activities for school-wide improvement efforts.  Such activities should involve as broad a section of willing teacher participants as possible and practical.

             Furthermore, administrators ignore the best interests of their schools, students and the entire teaching staff when they concede to teacher union control to discriminate against independent teachers.

             Furthermore, involvement in school committee activities is becoming part of the teacher evaluation process; therefore, to exclude or deny independent teachers the opportunity to participate is patently unfair.  It could have an impact on a teacher’s career.

             Furthermore, the practice of exclusion is not consistent with the protections provided to teachers from compulsory unionism embodied in Indiana law.

             Furthermore, matters distinctly in the area of school business should not be part of the exclusive representative’s powers under the state’s collective bargaining law.  School committees are charged with doing school business, not private or union business. 

             Furthermore, school committees exist to do work for the school, for students, for parents, for the community and for the taxpayers.  To exclude independent teachers is to violate the trust of parents and the community and use tax dollars to promote union controls.

             For these and other reasons, the INDIANA PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS, INC. strongly opposes all practices designed to exclude independent teachers from equal access to participate in school committees through appointments and related activities.

 Approved by the IPE Board of Directors on December 3, 2005