Sec. 27. (a) In an effort to fill a vacant teaching position, offer a new program or class, or supplement a program currently being offered, the governing body of a school corporation or the equivalent authority for a charter school or nonpublic school may issue an adjunct teacher permit to an individual if the following minimum requirements are met:

(1) The individual has at least four (4) years of experience in the content area in which the individual intends to teach.

Terms Used In Indiana Code 20-28-5-27

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
(2) The school corporation, charter school, or nonpublic school conducts an expanded criminal history check and expanded child protection index check concerning the individual as required under IC 20-26-5-10.

(3) The individual has not been convicted of a felony listed in section 8(c) of this chapter or described in section 8(d) of this chapter or the individual’s conviction has been reversed, vacated, or set aside on appeal.

However, the governing body or equivalent authority may establish stricter requirements than the requirements prescribed by this subsection.

     (b) If a governing body of a school corporation or the equivalent authority for a charter school or nonpublic school issues an adjunct teacher permit to an individual under subsection (a):

(1) the school corporation, charter school, or nonpublic school may enter into an employment agreement for employment with the individual as a part-time or full-time teacher of the school corporation, charter school, or nonpublic school;

(2) the individual who holds the adjunct permit may teach in any content area, including a career and technical education content area, in which the school corporation, charter school, or nonpublic school allows the individual to teach based on the individual’s experience described in subsection (a);

(3) the individual must be assigned a teacher mentor for support in pedagogy; and

(4) the individual must complete the following training within the first ninety (90) days of employment:

(A) IC 20-26-5-34.2 (bullying prevention).

(B) IC 20-28-3-4.5 (training on child abuse and neglect).

(C) IC 20-28-3-6 (youth suicide awareness and prevention training).

(D) IC 20-28-3-7 (training on human trafficking).

The training described in subdivision (4)(D) may be completed through the online platform described in IC 20-19-3-29.

     (c) An adjunct teacher may not provide special education instruction.

     (d) The salary of an adjunct teacher under an employment agreement described in IC 20-28-6-7.3 is not subject to the requirements under IC 20-28-9-1.5 or a local compensation plan established by a school corporation as described in IC 20-28-9-1.5.

     (e) Except as otherwise provided in a collective bargaining agreement entered into or renewed before July 1, 2022, an employment agreement entered into under this section is not subject to a collective bargaining agreement entered into under IC 20-29.

     (f) It is not an unfair practice for a school corporation to enter into an employment agreement under this section.

     (g) Each school corporation or charter school that hires an adjunct teacher under this section shall report to the department the following information:

(1) The number of adjunct teachers who hold a permit issued under this section that the school corporation or charter school has hired each school year, disaggregated by the grade level and subject area taught by the adjunct teacher.

(2) The following information for each adjunct teacher described in subdivision (1):

(A) The name of the adjunct teacher.

(B) The subject matter the adjunct teacher is permitted to teach.

(C) A description of the adjunct teacher’s experience described in subsection (a)(1).

(D) The adjunct teacher’s total salary and any other compensation paid to the adjunct teacher during the school year.

(E) The number of previous adjunct teaching employment agreements the adjunct teacher has entered into with the school corporation or charter school or any other school corporation or charter school.

     (h) A school corporation or charter school shall post a vacant adjunct teacher position on the department’s online adjunct teacher portal established under IC 20-19-3-25.

     (i) A school corporation may notify the parents of students enrolled in the school corporation of a vacant adjunct teacher position.

     (j) The governing body of a school corporation shall announce any vacant adjunct teacher positions at meetings of the governing body.

As added by P.L.168-2022, SEC.11. Amended by P.L.160-2023, SEC.4; P.L.170-2023, SEC.18; P.L.200-2023, SEC.11.