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Connecticut Education Association
Advocating For Students and Teachers
Connecticut Education Association
  • ABOUT
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  • ABOUT
    • What Is CEA?
    • Commissions and Committees
    • Connecticut Education Foundation
    • CEA Elections
    • CEA Leadership
    • CEA Staff
  • MEMBER BENEFITS
    • Value of Membership
    • Teacher Discounts
  • RESOURCES
    • Coronavirus News
    • Professional Development
    • New Teacher Resources
    • Legal Services
    • Grants and Awards
    • Retirement Information
    • Special Education
    • Certification & TEVAL
    • Contracts and Negotiations
    • Classroom and Teacher Safety
    • Member Engagement Resources
    • Jobs
  • NEWS & EVENTS
    • CEA County Forums
    • CEAdaily
    • Events Calendar
    • Publications
    • News & Info
    • News Releases
    • Podcast
    • CT Ed Watch
    • Webinars & Videos
      • CEA Videos
      • CEA Webinars
  • LEGISLATIVE
    • Legislative Resources
    • Teacher Priorities
    • Find Your Legislators
    • Legislative Comparison
    • Statewide Candidate Offices
    • Legislator Report Card
    • Take Action
  • MEMBERS
    • Local Presidents
    • Board of Directors
    • Treasurer and Membership Chairs
    • Building Reps
    • CEA-Retired
    • Aspiring Educators
    • NEA RA Delegates
    • CEA RA Delegates

‘I Would Die for My Students, But I Shouldn’t Have To’

In the wee morning hours on Saturday, March 24, Connecticut teachers filled a bus bound for Washington, D.C., in a major show of support for students and safe schools.

Teachers from Avon, Bloomfield, Cheshire, Clinton, Cornwall, Coventry, East Hartford, Killingly, Manchester, Mansfield, Newington, Norwich, Tolland, Trumbull, and Waterbury—as well as retired educators from around the state—participated in the student-led March for Our Lives at the nation’s capital, joined by their colleagues in marches throughout Connecticut and worldwide.

Teachers gathered at Union Station in New Haven in the wee hours of Saturday morning to board a bus to Washington, D.C.

“We are here to support our nation’s students in their demand for meaningful action for safe schools,” said Bridgeport teacher Mia Dimbo. “It’s time to honor the victims of school shootings by passing commonsense gun laws and providing funding for mental health services and other school resources.”

Vote them out

Survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, headlined Saturday’s event, calling out politicians who have refused to budge on commonsense gun laws and calling on rally supporters to “vote them out.”

“My hometown needs the alliance of other communities to properly spread this message,” Parkland student Jaclyn Corin told the crowd—hundreds of thousands strong—gathered on the Mall. “Our elected officials have seen American after American drop from a bullet, and instead of waking up to protect us, they have been hitting the snooze button. But we’re here to shake them awake! We cannot ‘keep America great,’” she added in air quotes, “if we cannot keep America safe.”

East Hartford High School language arts teacher Kayla McDonald, who joined CEA’s bus to D.C. with her educator husband, Robert, said, “I am a teacher in an at-risk district, and I need my kids and my colleagues to feel safe in our schools.”

East Hartford teacher Kayla McDonald pictured with her educator husband Robert said, “I need my kids and my colleagues to feel safe in our schools.”

Reaping what we sow

“We are so proud of all of our students for speaking up, getting engaged, and taking action on the causes they believe in,” said Montville teacher Jenny Natale. “I’m thrilled to be a part of this, I’m inspired by the students of Parkland and Newtown who are here today, and I’m proud of my fellow teachers.”

She explained, “As teachers, we always encourage students to think critically about social justice issues, and today we applaud their efforts. We’re always happy to see our lessons in the classroom come alive for students in the real world.”

Tolland teacher Amanda Bellman, who attended the D.C. rally with her 14-year-old son Joshua, agreed.

“As a teacher, I encourage my students to help change the world for the better; it’s a message I always write in their yearbooks,” she said. “What we’re seeing today is exactly that—a group of social activists.”

Tolland teacher Amanda Bellman attended the D.C. rally with her 14-year-old son Joshua.

Teachers like Bellman, McDonald, Natale, and Dimbo were a strong presence in D.C., meeting up with fellow teachers from as far south as Florida and as far west as Oregon at the headquarters of the National Education Association (NEA), which opened its doors to educators and students over the weekend so that they had a place to gather, meet, make signs, and step off together for the historic march.

Teachers carried signs with powerful messages such as

  • Teachers Pack Knowledge, Not Heat
  • Students Should Be Dodging Balls, Not Bullets
  • Arms Are for Hugging
  • Trained to Be a Teacher, Not a Sharpshooter
  • Freedom from Fear Is a Civil Right for Students and Teachers
  • Actually, Guns Do Kill People
  • I Would Die for My Students, But I Shouldn’t Have To

Students also held up heart-wrenching posters from their own perspective.

“There Are Better Ways to Reduce Class Size” read one teenager’s sign showing an image of an AR-15.

An elementary school girl’s handmade poster, with each letter drawn in a different color, read simply, “I Shouldn’t Have to Call My Mom from Under My Desk.”

CEA members on their way to the mall in D.C.

Change is coming

“Too many schools, too many churches, too many movie theaters, too many neighborhoods, too many homes—enough is enough,” said Newtown student Mathew Soto, whose sister was one of the first-grade children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on the day her class had eagerly awaited to make gingerbread houses. “America, I am pleading for you to realize that this is not O.K.” Soto urged his fellow young people to register to vote and “bring power to the polls.”

In the wake of Sandy Hook, Connecticut enacted historic laws addressing school safety, mental health, and guns—some of the toughest in the nation—and they were passed with Republicans and Democrats working together. CEA has urged other states to follow Connecticut’s lead.

“As soon as I found out CEA had organized a bus for us, I knew instantly I would be on it,” said Trumbull teacher Carolyn St. John. “It’s important to encourage these young voices to speak their truth. They are going to be the ones who change the world. It’s time, and they’re going to do it.”

Manchester teacher Regina Gatmaitan brought along a sign she had made for her district’s Walk-In for School Safety a few weeks earlier. It showed Norman Rockwell’s famous 1943 painting Freedom from Fear, which Gatmaitan pointed out is “unfortunately still as relevant today as it was during World War II.”

Retired teachers Shaye Sheehan and Judy Richey said their commitment to student safety is just as strong today as when they were in the classroom.

“This is an issue I’m passionate about,” said Sheehan, adding, “The so-called solution of arming teachers is ridiculous. Connecticut residents haven’t lost their second amendment rights, but look how much we’ve done to increase school safety and enact commonsense gun control since Sandy Hook. We have to take national action now.”

“It’s been a very emotional day,” said Tolland teacher Happy Hill, who is also a parent. “We all care so much about our students, and it’s nice to be all together here, feeling that and showing that.”

Click here for more photos of CEA teachers marching in D.C.

Categories: CEA News, Education newsMarch 26, 2018
Tags: #MarchForOurLives#MarchForOurLivesDCD.C.gun violencemarchMarch for Our Livesschool safetyschool violenceWashington

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PreviousPrevious post:‘I Would Die for My Students, But I Shouldn’t Have To’NextNext post:Register Now for Teacher Leader Institute

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March 21, 2023
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March 20, 2023
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March 17, 2023

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‘I Would Die for My Students, But I Shouldn’t Have To’

Mar262018

In the wee morning hours on Saturday, March 24, Connecticut teachers filled a bus bound for Washington, D.C., in a major show of support for students and safe schools.

Teachers from Avon, Bloomfield, Cheshire, Clinton, Cornwall, Coventry, East Hartford, Killingly, Manchester, Mansfield, Newington, Norwich, Tolland, Trumbull, and Waterbury—as well as retired educators from around the state—participated in the student-led March for Our Lives at the nation’s capital, joined by their colleagues in marches throughout Connecticut and worldwide.

“We are here to support our nation’s students in their demand for meaningful action for safe schools,” said Bridgeport teacher Mia Dimbo. “It’s time to honor the victims of school shootings by passing commonsense gun laws and providing funding for mental health services and other school resources.”

Vote them out

Survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, headlined Saturday’s event, calling out politicians who have refused to budge on commonsense gun laws and calling on rally supporters to “vote them out.”

“My hometown needs the alliance of other communities to properly spread this message,” Parkland student Jaclyn Corin told the crowd—hundreds of thousands strong—gathered on the Mall. “Our elected officials have seen American after American drop from a bullet, and instead of waking up to protect us, they have been hitting the snooze button. But we’re here to shake them awake! We cannot ‘keep America great,'” she added in air quotes, “if we cannot keep America safe.”

East Hartford High School language arts teacher Kayla McDonald, who joined CEA’s bus to D.C. with her educator husband, Robert, said, “I am a teacher in an at-risk district, and I need my kids and my colleagues to feel safe in our schools.”

East Hartford teacher Kayla McDonald pictured with her educator husband Robert said, “I need my kids and my colleagues to feel safe in our schools.”

Reaping what we sow

“We are so proud of all of our students for speaking up, getting engaged, and taking action on the causes they believe in,” said Montville teacher Jenny Natale. “I’m thrilled to be a part of this, I’m inspired by the students of Parkland and Newtown who are here today, and I’m proud of my fellow teachers.”

She explained, “As teachers, we always encourage students to think critically about social justice issues, and today we applaud their efforts. We’re always happy to see our lessons in the classroom come alive for students in the real world.”

Tolland teacher Amanda Bellman, who attended the D.C. rally with her 14-year-old son Joshua, agreed.

“As a teacher, I encourage my students to help change the world for the better; it’s a message I always write in their yearbooks,” she said. “What we’re seeing today is exactly that—a group of social activists.”

Tolland teacher Amanda Bellman attended the D.C. rally with her 14-year-old son Joshua.

Teachers like Bellman, McDonald, Natale, and Dimbo were a strong presence in D.C., meeting up with fellow teachers from as far south as Florida and as far west as Oregon at the headquarters of the National Education Association (NEA), which opened its doors to educators and students over the weekend so that they had a place to gather, meet, make signs, and step off together for the historic march.

Teachers carried signs with powerful messages such as

  • Teachers Pack Knowledge, Not Heat
  • Students Should Be Dodging Balls, Not Bullets
  • Arms Are for Hugging
  • Trained to Be a Teacher, Not a Sharpshooter
  • Freedom from Fear Is a Civil Right for Students and Teachers
  • Actually, Guns Do Kill People
  • I Would Die for My Students, But I Shouldn’t Have To

Students also held up heart-wrenching posters from their own perspective.

“There Are Better Ways to Reduce Class Size” read one teenager’s sign showing an image of an AR-15.

An elementary school girl’s handmade poster, with each letter drawn in a different color, read simply, “I Shouldn’t Have to Call My Mom from Under My Desk.”

CEA members on their way to the mall in D.C.

Change is coming

“Too many schools, too many churches, too many movie theaters, too many neighborhoods, too many homes— enough is enough,” said Newtown student Mathew Soto, whose sister was one of the first-grade children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on the day her class had eagerly awaited to make gingerbread houses. “America, I am pleading for you to realize that this is not O.K.” Soto urged his fellow young people to register to vote and “bring power to the polls.”

In the wake of Sandy Hook, Connecticut enacted historic laws addressing school safety, mental health, and guns—some of the toughest in the nation—and they were passed with Republicans and Democrats working together. CEA has urged other states to follow Connecticut’s lead.

“As soon as I found out CEA had organized a bus for us, I knew instantly I would be on it,” said Trumbull teacher Carolyn St. John. “It’s important to encourage these young voices to speak their truth. They are going to be the ones who change the world. It’s time, and they’re going to do it.”

Manchester teacher Regina Gatmaitan brought along a sign she had made for her district’s Walk-In for School Safety a few weeks earlier. It showed Norman Rockwell’s famous 1943 painting Freedom from Fear, which Gatmaitan pointed out is “unfortunately still as relevant today as it was during World War II.”

Retired teachers Shaye Sheehan and Judy Richey said their commitment to student safety is just as strong today as when they were in the classroom.

“This is an issue I’m passionate about,” said Sheehan, adding, “The so-called solution of arming teachers is ridiculous. Connecticut residents haven’t lost their second amendment rights, but look how much we’ve done to increase school safety and enact commonsense gun control since Sandy Hook. We have to take national action now.”

“It’s been a very emotional day,” said Tolland teacher Happy Hill, who is also a parent. “We all care so much about our students, and it’s nice to be all together here, feeling that and showing that.”

Category: CEA NewsMarch 26, 2018

Post navigation

PreviousPrevious post:Teachers Ask for More Protection Against Unruly StudentsNextNext post:‘I Would Die for My Students, But I Shouldn’t Have To’

Related Posts

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March 24, 2023
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March 23, 2023
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March 22, 2023
Attend Upcoming CEA County Forums and a Budget Meeting
March 21, 2023
Fixing CT-SEDS: Teachers Share Suggestions for Improvement with State Department of Education
March 20, 2023
News Media Amplifies Teachers’ Call for Landmark Education Legislation
March 17, 2023

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Contact Shannonw@cea.org for more information


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Please enter your CEA Membership ID below. Your membership ID is on your membership card that you received at the start of the school year. It can also be found on the label of your CEA Advisor.

 

If you do not have your ID, you can access it by logging into NEA Ed Communities. First-time visitors must create a personal profile.

 

For name and/or address changes, contact your membership chair or building rep.

 

If you are still experiencing problems logging in, contact our web team.

 

NEA DELEGATE MEMBERSHIP UNITS OPEN FOR ELECTION

POSITIONS OPEN FOR NOMINATION

CEA may be eligible to elect up to 30 state delegates to the NEA RA in 2020. Here are descriptions of the open positions:

Category 1 At-Large/State Delegate: Fifteen Positions (Term: two years)

Category 1 At-Large/Ethnic Minority Concerns: Four Positions (Term: 2

years)

These categories must have Active classroom teachers (Membership Type AC-1) or NEA Life members (Membership Type AC-7) in local affiliates are eligible for these positions.

Aspiring Educators: one Position (Term: 1 Year)

Only Aspiring Educators with a SEA and NEA membership are eligible for this position.

Membership Units: nine positions from specific Membership Units (Term: one year)

Only active members (Membership Type AC-1) or NEA Life members (Membership Type AC-7) who teach in a local CEA affiliate in one of the seventeen Membership Units may be nominated for these positions. The nine open units include E, F, H, J, K, L, M, P & Q.

Unit E:

Bethel, Brookfield, CEA New Milford, Easton, NEA Danbury, New Fairfield, Sherman

Unit F:

Amity, Bethany, Branford, Derby, East Haven, Milford, Orange, Oxford, Seymour, Woodbridge

Unit H:

ACES, Cheshire, Hamden, North Haven, Wallingford, Wolcott

Unit J:

Berlin, Farmington, Newington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, Thomaston, Wethersfield

Unit K:

Cromwell, East Hartford, Glastonbury, Manchester, Rocky Hill

Unit L:

Bloomfield, CREC, East Windsor, Enfield, South Windsor, Suffield, Windsor

Unit M:

Avon, Canton, East Granby, Granby, Simsbury, West Hartford, Windsor Locks

Unit P:

East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Preston, Project LEARN, Stonington, Voluntown, Waterford

Unit Q:

Clinton, East Haddam, East Hampton, Guilford, Haddam-Killingworth, Madison, Old Saybrook, Regional 4, Regional 13, Regional 18, Portland, Westbrook

Category 2 At-Large: One position (Term interim position open this year)

Nominees for the Category 2 At-Large position must be Active members (Membership Type AC-1) in supervisor/administrator positions or NEA Life members (Membership Type AC-7) who are no longer teaching—but only if they are not also NEA-Retired members. (NEA Life membership is a special category terminated in 1973.) Members with Active Life Memberships who are not retired from teaching are eligible for Category 2. NEA-Retired Members for Life (Membership Type RT-7) or annual Retired members (Membership Type RT-8) ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CATEGORY 2

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Bethany Education Association
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Litchfield County

Barkhamsted Education Association
Canaan Education Association
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Cornwall Consolidated Faculty Association
Gilbert Education Association
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Kent Center Faculty Association
New Hartford Education Association
Norfolk Teachers’ Association
North Canaan Faculty Association
Salisbury Center School Faculty Association
Shared Services Teachers’ Association
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Andover Education Association
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For complete information on joining, please contact Cheryl Hampson at cherylh@cea.org,
800-842-4316 or 860-525-5641 ext. 6335.

Committee Opportunities

Standing Committees of CEA-Retired are appointed by the CEA-Retired President with the advice of the Advisory Council after the CEA-Retired Annual Meeting in May. This typically takes place in June with additional appointments made in September. Terms will be for one year commencing on August 1.

If you are interested in serving on one of the committees, please indicate your willingness below. Please remember that committees have a limited membership and not all of the requests can be filled. By giving a first and second choice, CEA-Retired members will have a better chance of being chosen. If you filled out a form and returned it at the Annual Meeting, please do not fill out another form.

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The Henry Barnard Fund helps retired teachers who are experiencing financial difficulty — especially teachers who retired before the Enhancement Act was passed.

 For inquiries or donations, visit http://henrybarnardfund.org/index.html

Contact CEA Retirement Specialist Robyn Kaplan-Cho at 860-525-5641, 1-800-842-4319, or Robynk@cea.org.

Bargaining Special Education Language: Where Students’ Rights and Teachers’ Rights Intersect

Your contract can serve as an important vehicle for protecting your rights and advancing your concerns as a teacher working with special education students. In this workshop, teachers will learn how to integrate special education issues into the collective bargaining process. Participants will study the pros and cons of negotiating contract provisions related to performing health procedures, teacher notification and scheduling of PPT meetings, professional development opportunities, class-size limitations, local dispute resolution procedures for special-education-related problems, placement decisions, and many more related topics. Model contract language will be provided. This workshop is ideal for negotiating committees and teachers with a particular interest in this area of the law.

 

Length 2+ Hours

Presenter: Robyn Kaplan-Cho, CEA