“Politicians need to be reminded: There’s 43,000 of us, and we all vote,” said CEA-Retired member Lisa Tryon. Tryon and dozens of other active, retired, and aspiring CEA members crowded the halls of the State Capitol Wednesday for CEA Lobby Day to make sure legislators heard teacher priorities loud and clear.
In the final weeks of the legislative session, bills to ensure fair termination for teachers, protect educators’ privacy, ban cell phones in schools, increase education funding, and more are still alive but need a push to make it over the finish line. Every educator who came to the Capitol has education priorities they’re passionate about, and Lobby Day offered them a chance to speak from the heart to legislators. Some teachers are on April break this week, and others came to the Capitol after school ended for the day.
“Even though it’s spring break in my district this week, I felt that it was important to be present to let our legislators know that we really and truly care about our students and our working conditions,” said Bridgeport teacher Kristen Clark. “Being here in person allows lawmakers to put names to faces and sends a message that we’re taking the time to come out and we and our students deserve to be heard.”
Among the issues Clark wanted to discuss with legislators was the need for increased education funding.
“I see firsthand what the deficit in ECS funding has cost us in student achievement as well as teacher retention, teacher satisfaction, and resources for students,” she said. “It just makes it so difficult when you have to make do with so much less all the time.”
One of the legislators Clark particularly wanted to connect with was Senator Paul Cicarella.
“Although he is not in my district, he is a former student of mine,” Clark says. “I reconnected with him about five years ago when he was canvassing the neighborhood, and I recognized him from when he was in my sixth grade class in East Haven.”
Education Cost Sharing (ECS) Funding was also a top priority for Stafford Education Association President Diane Glettenberg, a first-time CEA Lobby Day attendee.
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve faced some really bad budget cuts,” Glettenberg said. “We have a huge special ed population for such a small town, so we really do rely on ECS Funding to help offset some of our budget concerns.”
As a high school teacher, Glettenberg said the bell-to-bell cell phone ban is another priority for her, and she sees how important paid student teaching would be for young people looking to enter the profession.
“As an early career educator, paid student teaching would be astronomical for our aspiring educators,” said Ledyard teacher Kate Green. “When I went through my student teaching I wasn’t paid, and life was just a lot more difficult than it had to be.”
Green is a repeat attendee at CEA Lobby Day. Last year she connected with Ledyard’s state representative and invited him to her school.
“Last year at CEA Lobby Day I connected with State Rep. Brian Lanoue. I invited him to come visit my classroom, and he actually took me up on it,” Green says. “This past November, he came to my classroom and read to my students and talked about what it’s like working up here at the Capitol. So today I’m looking forward to reconnecting with him and having some more conversations.”
Fair termination and teacher privacy are top concerns for Greenwich Education Association President Margaret Jackins who was able to connect with Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff as well as other legislators.
“Protecting teachers’ personal information isn’t just about the individual,” Jackins says. “It’s also about the family, because many teachers live in the towns where they teach. If there is discontent or antagonism from parents it filters down to their children, which can filter down to the classrooms that those teachers’ children are in.”
Tryon echoed Jackins’ concerns.
“I’m concerned about teachers’ safety right now,” she said. “We’re in such a divisive time. A teacher teaching the Constitution or a teacher teaching evolution can get called out by a parent, and it’s scary that they can get your home information.”
“Whether you’re active or retired, teachers are on the front lines, and we need to make our voices heard,” said CEA-Retired Vice President Gary Peluchette, for whom fair termination is a big priority this session. “Even as retirees, we’re active in our communities and see what’s going on. I still talk to my active teacher colleagues, and I want to make sure our legislators know what’s going on in schools.”
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