All fifty states are dealing with a tough economy and tough budget choices. But when award-winning teachers are getting laid off in the middle of Teacher Appreciation Week, as they are in Indiana, that’s a pretty unmistakable sign that state budget cuts have gone too far:

Honorees at a Statehouse ceremony recognizing Indiana teachers Thursday included two who face losing their jobs following $300 million in state education spending cuts. (…)

[Jackie] Macal, 24, an English teacher at Batchelor Middle School, was one of six people recognized by state Superintendent Tony Bennett as part of Teacher Appreciation Week. The honor was a high point but comes at a troubling time for Macal, whose job at the middle school was her first full-time teaching position.

Gaylene Hayden, one of 150 teachers who received layoff notices from Tippecanoe school district in Lafayette, sat at the ceremony with her husband, Jason, who also lost his job with an automated payroll company last week.

Indiana was the site of one of the messier budget battles in the country, as the Democratic-controlled State House (led by Speaker and DLCC Board Member Pat Bauer) fought to save as much of Indiana’s public school system as possible from budget cuts demanded by the Republican Governor and State Senate.

Even with the narrow Democratic advantage in the State House to keep the Republicans in check, the Indiana State Teachers Association predicts that 5,000 to 7,000 teachers and support staff will be laid off statewide because of the cuts. Had the Republicans had free-rein to pass whatever budget they wanted, the situation would be much, much worse.

Sadly, the Republican strategy of cutting education will do long-term damage to our economy and society. Good schools are one of the most important keys to long-term business development and job creation. And of course, a good education is a key determinant of every individual child’s future.