An estimated 10,000 people rallied outside the State Capitol Saturday, and thousands more gathered in towns and cities around the state for “No Kings” rallies in opposition to changes to federal policy.
“Public schools are under attack,” CEA Vice President Joslyn DeLancey told thousands of ralliers in Stamford. “We saw it just last week when they tried to gut the U.S. Department of Education and its special education workforce. Thankfully, we have some great state attorneys general that sued, and that funding, for the moment, has been brought back so that those jobs have not been eliminated.”
In Hartford, CEA President Kate Dias told the crowd that, even though both unions and educators are in the crosshairs of this presidential administration, educators will not give up on their commitment to their students.
“Every one of our educators in this beautiful state shows up every day to ensure our students have the opportunity to grow, thrive, and build something better,” she said. “We will continue to commit our lives to taking care of children and to ensuring their future is secure, that they are knowledgeable, that they are good critical thinkers, and that they can be the protestors of today and tomorrow.”
CEA Vice President Joslyn DeLancey with State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff at Stamford’s No Kings rally.
“If you’re an educator, a union member, a parent, or anyone who cares about truth, fairness, and the right to thrive, this is our wakeup call,” DeLancey said. “If our leaders won’t lead, we have an election on November 4.”
“The single most important thing each or us can do is vote,” Dias said.
Early voting is now underway in every town in Connecticut. Find out more.
“Show up. Hold our elected officials accountable for presenting the vision you want,” DeLancey said. “If they’re not doing it, vote them out. We’re lucky here in Connecticut, we have a lot of people fighting for us that other states don’t. It’s our job to go out and inform all of our neighbors, all of our friends.”
She continued, “Local elections matter. Our school boards, our boards of finance, our selectmen, our alderman—all of these positions matter. This election, we need to show everybody that Connecticut shows up, because in the midterms next year we need to have 100% voter turnout here in Connecticut. If our elected officials won’t support us, we vote them out.”
“We’re doing exactly what true Americans do. We stand up, we fight back, and we demand our government do for us what we need it to do,” Dias said.
“This is a demand for the Democracy we’ve been promised and we deserve,” said DeLancey. “We’re fighting for public schools, for workplaces that protect workers, and for a government that listens when we speak, and that believes in equitable and civil treatment.”
