Visitors to the Wadsworth Atheneum’s Festival of Trees and Traditions on a recent morning were treated not only to brightly decorated trees and sparkling lights, but also to the sweet sound of holiday classics performed by middle school musicians from West Hartford. First String, a selective chamber orchestra from Sedgwick Middle School in West Hartford,…
DetailsWhen Holiday Bear season comes to Avon “there’s real excitement in the air,” says social studies teacher Lil Diachenko. Diachenko and her seventh-graders today filled up a whole U-Haul truck with gift donations from across the Avon Public Schools. Homeroom teachers, student clubs, educators, and families work together every year to purchase, compile and wrap…
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As a CEA member, you can save hundreds—even thousands—of dollars a year on everything from groceries, furniture, and home appliances to school supplies, travel, and car purchases and repairs. And now it’s even easier to find out what discounts are available. CEA has redesigned the member benefits portion of the website to improve navigation. The…
DetailsBuilding reps are often a teacher’s first point of contact when questions arise—ranging from practical matters to sensitive subjects. They are their colleagues’ contract enforcer, organizer, and spokesperson. That’s why, here at CEA, we’re recognizing building reps around the state for their dedication to their colleagues and their willingness to devote time out of their…
DetailsThe holidays seem to get more expensive and more stressful every year. Gift spending was up $47 in 2016 over 2015 spending, according to American Research Group, Inc., and American shoppers planned to spend an average $929 for the 2016 holidays. Getting caught up in the holiday whirlwind can leave us overscheduled, overtired and overspent.…
DetailsAs our national day for giving thanks approaches, I cannot help but think of what a challenging time this has been and will continue to be for so many of us. However, this special day does also usher in a holiday season that underscores that for which we should be grateful, and inspires the hope…
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State funding for TEAM, the Teacher Education And Mentoring program, was unexpectedly wiped out in the budget that passed in October. TEAM is one of the most highly regarded new teacher induction and support programs in the country, and we all would like to see it remain so. What does this funding elimination mean for…
DetailsSometimes teachers only think about their union when it comes to matters governed by their contract, but leaders of the Ellington Education Association (EEA) are trying to change that. “We don’t want to just be ghostbusters—the people you call when there’s a problem,” says President Mark Mahler. “A union should be a big group that…
DetailsIn public school classrooms across the state, students whose families are facing financial hardship have been nominated by their teachers to receive gifts through the Holiday Bear program. A project of the Connecticut Education Foundation (CEF)—CEA’s charitable arm—Holiday Bear brightens the holidays for children in need. You can make a difference by sponsoring a child!…
DetailsThe Connecticut Education Association and its 43,000 members are calling on Hartford HealthCare and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to end their negotiating impasse.
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