ADVOCATING FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

Are you an Alliance District teacher with private student loans? You may qualify for a 3-percentage-point interest rate subsidy when you refinance your existing student loans.

Do you know an exceptional educator whose impact deserves to be celebrated? Maybe it’s a colleague you admire—or maybe it’s you. Nominate them (or yourself!) for the John McCormack CEA Award for Teaching Excellence.

Teachers show up for their students every single day, and today we’re focusing on Giving Tuesday to strengthen the safety net children depend on.

On a bright but chilly Saturday in November, CEA Aspiring Educators rolled up their sleeves at two Connecticut middle schools, bringing color, creativity, and appreciation to the students and staff who learn and work there every day.

As we enter this season of thanksgiving, we want to begin by expressing our deep gratitude for everything you do for your students, your schools, and your communities.

“One of the challenges in education is that we have too many mandates that sap the joy out of teaching and learning,” said CEA President Kate Dias. CEA’s Reimagining Education Conference serves as an antidote, focusing on practices that make our classrooms places of joy and belonging.

The way the federal government is funneling education dollars through other agencies will result in less fiduciary oversight and less follow through, CEA President Kate Dias told Brian Shactman on 1080 WTIC this morning.

Danbury has long faced an education crisis with insufficient funding, overcrowding in schools, and a teacher shortage. All that is changing, however, and NEA-Danbury can take credit for a new contract that will keep top talent in the district.

Educators gathered recently at Elicit Brewing Co. in Manchester for a lively CEA Hartford County Engagement. Teachers in many counties have gathered for social events this fall that blend camaraderie with practical learning.

This announcement speaks not only to this administration’s lack of understanding about the role and functions of the U.S. Department of Education but also its complete disregard for the education of our students. The children who will suffer the most are the ones who need the greatest support.

American Education Week, an annual observance honoring students, educators, and parents, takes place November 17–21. It’s a time to celebrate the power of public education and the partnerships that make it possible—educators, families, and communities all working together to ensure every student can thrive.

The legislative process can at times be slow-moving and frustrating, but persistent advocacy pays off. That’s certainly the case with teachers’ efforts to repeal the onerous Foundations of Reading Survey which, after years of educator advocacy, led to the Connecticut legislature’s 2025 passage of a bill eliminating the survey requirement.