Summer Beckons

After more than 180 days of teaching, counseling, coaching, mentoring, and inspiring, educators around the state are—or will soon be—closing classroom doors for the last time this school year and taking some much-deserved time to relax and reflect. Teachers use summer break for a wide variety of activities from teaching summer school to professional development…

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Bridgeport Bilingual Students’ Work Showcased

Bridgeport Middle School students showed off their talents at the 3rd Annual Bilingual Talented and Gifted (TAG) Expo at Cesar Batalla School on June 4. Student presentations covered a wide variety of topics including science, medicine, history, and debates on several  subjects. The event also recognized students, parents, and community leaders for their support throughout the year.…

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Getting the New Teacher Evaluation System Right

There will no longer be any ambiguity about whether school superintendents can cede authority to others for final dispute resolution connected with a school district Educator Evaluation and Support plan. Questioned by CEA Executive Director Mark Waxenberg at a public meeting this week, the State Department of Education’s Chief Talent Officer Sarah Barzee confirmed that…

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New Transparency & Oversight Ensured for Connecticut Charter Schools

**UPDATE: On July 7, 2015, Governor Malloy signed SB 1096 into law.** Charter schools, which have become a parallel school system in Connecticut—allowed to play by a different set of rules than those that govern traditional neighborhood public schools—are now subject to some much-needed oversight thanks to Senate Bill 1096 that passed the state House…

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Bill to Reduce Testing Passes Both House and Senate

A bill that eliminates SBAC testing for eleventh graders and calls for an examination of SBAC’s impact on younger students tonight passed the State House of Representatives after passing the Senate last week. Education Committee Co-Chair Rep. Andy Fleischmann called Substitute Senate Bill 1095 “an important step forward for all students affected by mastery testing [SBAC]…

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CEA Has Prominent Role at Hartford Earth Festival

“It’s all about the future,” emphasized Katy Reddick, who teaches Latin at Strong Middle School in Durham, when asked why issues of climate change and environmental consciousness resonate so strongly with teachers. Anthony Sorge, a Naugatuck High School English teacher, agreed. “We spend our time with young people who will be inheriting the world we’re…

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