Why We Oppose the New Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG)

Earlier this school year, the Noblesville Teachers Forum surveyed our members about the state’s new format for the Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG). The question was simple: Should Noblesville Schools apply for this grant?  The answer from our members was overwhelming: No.

The new TAG does not honor teachers. Instead, it divides them. It pits teacher against teacher, creates inequity among colleagues, and undermines the collaborative culture every strong school depends on. Appreciation should unite us.  It should not fracture the profession.

For decades, Indiana public schools have complied with an endless list of legislative mandates. Rather than rewarding us for our commitment, the result has been more rules, less trust, and policies that make our work harder while offering little support in return.

When the state released this new TAG mandate, teachers across Indiana spoke loudly and clearly: We do not want a program that labels some educators as more deserving than others. When lawmakers ignore the voices of the very people they claim to “appreciate,” it renders the word meaningless.

If legislators genuinely value educators and want to show appreciation, these funds should be returned to the state’s education formula.  Doing this would support every teacher and every student, not just a chosen few. That is how you build a stronger profession. That is how you strengthen public schools.

We want this to be the final year that the Teacher Appreciation Grant fosters competition and division.  Real appreciation means investing in ALL teachers. Real appreciation brings us together, not pulls us apart.

On Behalf of the Noblesville Teachers Forum,

Traci Millikan

President, NTF