Thank you to all of the CEA members who have called and emailed their legislators explaining why the state’s education commissioner needs to be required to have education and experience. Unfortunately the Connecticut legislature has decided not to hold an override session. Below is a statement from CEA Executive Director Mark Waxenberg.
STATEMENT FROM CEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARK WAXENBERG
Educators across the state are shaking their heads in disbelief today wondering why legislators, who overwhelmingly passed HB 6977, An Act Establishing Qualifications for the Commissioner of Education, have today decided against an override of the governor’s veto of the bill.
Clearly there is something wrong when state law requires high standards for all professionals in the education community except the person at the helm—the Commissioner of Education.
It’s distressing that the Commissioner of Corrections who oversees prisoners is required to have specific industry experience, while the state’s education chief, who safeguards our most precious resource, our children, is not required to have education experience.
We will revisit this issue again in the next legislative session and urge legislators to once again support the measure and right this wrong by requiring reasonable qualifications for the state’s education chief, similar to the qualifications required of the Commissioners of Corrections, Public Health, Emergency Management, and other state agency heads.
Our children deserve a highly qualified educational leader who has walked in the shoes of teachers and administrators and has the experience needed for this critical job.
Reblogged this on All Day Kindergarten and commented:
Shame on the State of Connecticut! All educators are required to be professional, certified and accountable except for the Commissioner of Education! Cronyism at its worse.