Special thanks for all you do.
In the early months of the pandemic, red signs popped up on lawns in every town across Connecticut, as CEA publicly thanked the tens of thousands of dedicated teachers who worked through intense challenges and uncertainty to make sure their students were safe, connected, and supported.
More than two years in, you are still at it, and we are as grateful as ever. So we say it again: Thank you, teachers.
We celebrate you this Teacher Appreciation Week, as we do every day, and offer a special shoutout for your extra efforts last week to pass legislation addressing some of the lingering challenges brought on or made worse by the pandemic. As the session comes to a close this week, we are hopeful and grateful.
Every single CEA member who participated in last Wednesday’s #RedforEd Day of Action made an impact. Thousands of you proudly wore #RedforEd to school, sent us your pictures, emailed and called your legislators, and filled the halls of the State Capitol. Teamwork, civic engagement, and pride were in full view.
None of us entered the teaching profession to get involved in politics, but today that’s just another part of our job, because everything we do is controlled in some way by lawmakers–and if we aren’t speaking out, we are just waiting for things to be thrust upon us.
But that didn’t happen on Wednesday, and you made a difference in advocating for our priorities. The second floor of the State Capitol was a sea of red as we took over and reminded legislators of the important work we do. Legislators told us they appreciated us informing them of the issues, and many said we had filled their inboxes with our emails. It was also exciting to be there when the House passed HB 5001, a bill we have been fighting for that takes steps to address the mental health crisis we are seeing in our schools.
Every day, within our schools and communities, we make a difference in the lives of our students. When we stand together at the State Capitol and when we contact legislators, we are also making a difference–in a broader way–with policy changes that strengthen our profession and public education.
We hope this experience was a good one, and we look forward to having the opportunity to do it again. We are proud to stand with you today and always, and we know that positive change is possible because we are stronger together.
Again–and as always–thank you, teachers.
Kate Dias, CEA President
Joslyn DeLancey, CEA Vice President
