Hunger Hurts: School Breakfast Program Helps

“Connecticut needs to stand up, do the right thing, and feed our children — because hunger hurts,” CEA President Sheila Cohen told participants at today’s second annual Connecticut School Breakfast Summit. “An equal opportunity for all children is essential, and balancing the scales for the poorest children begins with fulfilling one of our basic needs—food,”…

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RESPECT Takes on New Meaning for Educators

Yesterday the U.S. Department of Education released a blueprint for RESPECT (Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence, and Collaborative Teaching), representing a critical first step in ensuring quality schools for our students. NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said the Obama Administration’s blueprint for RESPECT offers a positive agenda for change by elevating and transforming the teaching…

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Budget Includes 25% Contribution to Retired Teachers’ Health Insurance Fund

The legislature’s Appropriations Committee today released its budget, which includes a 25% state contribution to the Retired Teachers’ Health Insurance Fund for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. State law requires the state to make a 33.3% contribution to the fund, but the governor and legislature can override this law. The original budget proposal would have…

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Pilot Evaluation Districts Share Experiences with Colleagues

“It’s extremely helpful to hear from the pilot districts as we all plan for implementing the new evaluation guidelines next year,” said Shelton High School Principal Beth Smith. The sentiment was shared by the other members of the Connecticut Advisory Councils for Administrator and Teacher Professional Standards who gathered recently for a joint meeting. The…

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Governor Signs Historic Gun and School Safety Law–Honors Victims of the Newtown Massacre

“Through our efforts today we honor those we lost,” said Governor Dannel P. Malloy, before he signed into law an historic gun and school safety bill, developed in response to the Newtown massacre that left 20 children and six educators dead. Several Newtown parents, including Nicole Hockley, who lost her son Dylan in the Dec.…

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