Guide measures legislators’ support for public education; honor roll distinction awarded to education champions
The Connecticut Education Association today released its 2019-2020 Legislator Report Card that evaluates legislators’ overall support for issues important to students, teachers, and public education. CEA’s report card provides the facts so that voters can make their own decisions at the ballot box regarding which legislators are true allies in the fight for quality public education and which ones are not.
“The report card recognizes legislators who are committed to giving students more opportunities for success and are working hard to improve public education and the teaching profession in Connecticut,” said CEA President Jeff Leake. “The report card is especially critical this year, as we face a triple threat from the COVID-19 pandemic, the ensuing economic turmoil, and the continued crisis of institutional racism and unequal justice across the country and in our state that have not adequately been addressed.”
The report card identifies legislators’ positions on top issues, including funding public education, preserving collective bargaining, enhancing the teaching profession, protecting the pension system, keeping schools safe, upholding teacher certification standards, and supporting sound education policy and social justice issues.
“The report card system is transparent and holds legislators accountable. It informs our members of legislators’ positions on key issues and helps them make educated decisions on Election Day,” said Leake. “Just as the Red for Ed campaign highlighted the strength of teachers’ voices, the 2020 election provides an opportunity for teachers to use their voice and their vote to elect those who support public education and stand with our hard-working educators in defending their rights and the rights of their students.”
Each of the 187 incumbent legislators in the Connecticut General Assembly received a grade based on a number of factors. The report card is based on legislators’ voting records, co-sponsorships of bills, advocacy, and responsiveness. Because the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure before any education-related bills were voted on during the 2020 session, the report card is a combination of last year’s scores and legislators’ actions and advocacy supporting the rights of teachers to have a voice in the education of their students, the working and learning conditions of their school, and their ability to bargain for fair wages and benefits.
CEA Honor Roll
Incumbent legislators and candidates who have gone the extra mile to support students, public education, and the teaching profession in Connecticut have earned a place on CEA’s Honor Roll. Honor Roll designations are included on the report card, as well as on the CEA website election information page, which provides a side-by-side comparison of the candidates running for election in each race.
“Just like in our public schools, those with the highest report card scores are placed on the honor roll, providing clear factual information to inform educators of candidates’ positions on issues that are important to them. Those
receiving the honor roll distinction have proven themselves to be champions of students, teachers, and public education,” said Leake.
Leake concluded, “The report card is an easy-to-use guide to better inform educators, parents, and community members about legislators who do what is right for our students and our schools. Together with our website’s election information on each race, voters can be better informed and help get candidates who support public education elected on November 3.”
To view the complete report card visit cea.org/legislator-report-card.
To see the candidates’ positions on specific issues and how they compare to their opponents, visit cea.org/district-comparison.
