With days left in the legislative session, lawmakers seem to be making progress in reaching a budget agreement, and there’s good news for students and teachers when it comes to education funding. The governor and legislative leaders have announced an extra $170 million in education funding for public schools.
CEA president Kate Dias commended State Senate Leadership, House Leadership, and Governor Ned Lamont for their commitment to providing significant funding to our schools.
“We appreciate the continued efforts to increase ECS funding and to address critical funding issues in our most distressed communities. Our schools have been doing more with less for far too long. With rising costs affecting everything from school transportation to special education, these investments are critical to ensuring every student receives the high-quality education they deserve,” she said.
NEA Danbury Vice President Julian Shafer and President Erin Daly talk with Danbury State Rep. Ken Gucker.
Earlier this week, teachers from one of Connecticut’s underfunded school districts, Danbury, were at the Capitol talking about the need for additional funding for public schools. NEA Danbury joined students, administrators, and other education stakeholders for Danbury Day at the Capitol—a chance to showcase all the city has to offer and highlight the resources it needs to be more successful.
“We were asked by the Danbury legislative delegation to have a table at Danbury Day this year,” said NEA Danbury President Erin Daly. “We’re here to spotlight the work of our teachers and to let others know that teachers need to have a voice in community decision making.”
Changes to make the ECS formula more equitable are high on Daly’s legislative wish list. Danbury was last in Connecticut in per-pupil spending for years, and even though, thanks to new city administration, funding is finally on the right track, there’s still a long journey ahead for the city.
“Danbury was ranked 169 out of 169 for many years,” Daly said. “Every kid across Connecticut should have the same opportunities.”
Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves greets NEA Danbury members.
“Danbury definitely deserves equal funding for students,” said Curtis Darragh IV, a school counselor at Westside Middle School Academy. “I’m also here as a school counselor who has a caseload of 375 students. The American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of one school counselor for every 250 students, so, I’m here advocating for the mental health supports our students deserve.”
Decades of underfunding have had lasting consequences for Danbury students, Darragh said.
“Right now, our schools are really old, and they need a lot of remodeling and modernizing. I’ve worked in Danbury for 12 years, and I’ve always heard Danbury teachers say, ‘We do more with less.’ We really need to put a stop to that statement. Our kids deserve better and our teachers deserve better.”
Rogers Park Middle School bilingual teacher Luanelly Iglesias says that Danbury teachers are grateful to the city’s legislative delegation and to the current mayor and his administration who are big supporters of Danbury public schools but adds that she came to the Capitol to make sure others are aware of Danbury’s needs.
“I came here to advocate for our wonderful students and wonderful educators,” she said. “We are lacking many resources, and it’s important that lawmakers hear our stories and that they hear what we’re going through, so they can better understand what our needs are to better support our students.”
Iglesias adds, “We believe in public school education, and we believe in the power of unity and the power of supporting and helping one another.”
