Some state legislators are holding citizen budget forums this week, and they need to hear from teachers. Some budget proposals currently being considered threaten public education and teacher pensions.
If you live or teach in New London, East Hartford, Stratford, Hartford, Wallingford, Cheshire, or Southington please attend a forum and share your views about how these plans would hurt students and teachers. (See times and locations below.)
The two plans being considered would:
- increase teacher contributions to pensions by 30% (from 6% to 8% of salary); and
- shift state costs for teacher retirement plans onto cities and towns, resulting in higher property taxes and cuts to local public school funding, layoffs, larger class sizes, and fewer resources for communities across the state.
Tell your legislators to keep their promise to teachers and not balance the budget on the backs of students and teachers. Legislators should not put the future of our children at risk. Here are the top 5 points to stress to your legislators:
- Create a budget that works for all of us and invests in public education.
- Oppose a cost shift because it raises property taxes and cuts local school budgets.
- Avoid any increases or taxes on teachers’ retirement contributions.
- Teachers do not receive Social Security.
- Teachers have done and continue to do their part and pay their fair share—especially compared to other states—and should not be the scapegoats for the state’s failure.
You may also share with them the following:
- Connecticut needs an identifiable, stable, and reliable source for funding the state’s constitutional obligation to provide educational opportunity to all of Connecticut’s public school students.
- Be fair, responsible, and transparent in decisions affecting the state budget and state funding for our schools.
- Create a budget that examines new revenue sources to address continued deficits and the state’s chronic underfunding of our public schools.
- Connecticut’s teachers are dedicated professionals who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
- The teaching profession is in jeopardy.
- Enrollment in state teacher preparation programs is down more than 30% and schools are facing shortages in key subject areas.
- Connecticut needs education and budgetary polices that attract people to teaching rather than discouraging them from entering the profession.
Please speak with your legislators and share these facts with them, as well as your own personal stories.
Legislators have scheduled the following budget forums this week.
New London State Budget Forum
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
5:30 p.m.
New London Public Library Community Room
63 Huntington Street, New London
Stratford Town Hall Meeting on the State Budget
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
6 p.m.
Baldwin Center
1000 West Broad Street, Stratford
Wallingford Budget Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
4 – 5:30 p.m.
Wallingford Public Library
200 North Main St, Wallingford
East Hartford Citizen’s Budget Workshop
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
6 – 8 p.m.
Raymond Library
840 Main Street, East Hartford
Cheshire Budget Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
6:30 – 8 p.m.
Cheshire Town Hall
84 Main St, Cheshire
Hartford State Budget Forum
Thursday, July 13, 2017
5 p.m.
West Indian Social Club
3340 Main Street, Hartford
Southington Budget Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, July 13, 2017
6:30 – 8 p.m.
Southington Town Hall
75 Main St, Southington
