NEA Government Relations Director Mary Kusler told Connecticut teachers gathered this morning for the start of the CEA Summer Leadership Conference that the Congressional Conference Committee finalizing an overhaul of federal education policy will make key decisions after Labor Day. “We can start the school year with optimism that we can get this done,” Kusler said. She…
DetailsAre your children are running low on reading material for the summer? If so, Scholastic has a list of the 50 Best Books for Summer that you might want to check out. The list was compiled from teachers’ suggestions and includes humor, fantasy and adventure, nonfiction, realistic fiction, magic and mystery, and picture books for kindergarten…
DetailsIt might be conventional wisdom that a student doodling during class is a student who is not paying attention, however research indicates that doodling while taking notes can help students retain ideas and improve memory. KQED writes about two instructional coaches who tried out this method of note taking themselves and, impressed with the results,…
DetailsThe 52nd anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom is this August 28. Examine the March and the events leading up to it with these lessons, background resources, audios, and videos compiled by Phil Nast for NEA. Resources for: Grades K-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12
DetailsShopping for all the things you need to get back to school—books, supplies, clothes, and more—can put a serious dent in your budget. For the 2013-2014 school year, educators spent an average of $513 out-of-pocket on classroom supplies, instructional materials and other work-related purchases, says Marci Hansen, CMO for SheerID, a company that verifies teacher…
DetailsThe Connecticut General Assembly held a veto session on Monday, July 20, but didn’t have the votes to overturn the governor’s veto of HB 6977, An Act Establishing Qualifications for the Commissioner of Education. CEA will revisit the issue again in the next legislative session and urge legislators to once again support the measure, and…
DetailsThank 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…
DetailsThe U.S. Senate today voted to improve current education law and shift the focus away from testing and punishing schools so educators can do what they do best—help students learn. The Every Child Achieves Act of 2015, which passed the Senate today 81-17, allows time for students to learn and ensures educational opportunity for every…
DetailsWhile it’s a memorable line, it turns out Juliet was wrong. “A rose by any other name” would not, necessarily, smell as sweet. The names and terminology we use affect how we think about and relate to a concept or issue, and that’s why CEA member Bruce Yarnall introduced a New Business Item (NBI) at…
DetailsThe U.S. Senate is currently debating federal education policy that will impact the future of teaching and learning for years to come. Educators know firsthand how important it is that a new version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allows time for students to learn and ensures educational opportunity for every child. That’s…
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