A Reuters article Tuesday reported that the education reform group StudentsFirst, headed by controversial former D.C. Chancellor of Schools Michelle Rhee, received financing for its recent entry into Connecticut politics from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Private individuals and foundations are increasing funding to education reform groups and leveraging that funding in new ways…
DetailsTeachers’ commitment to students and public education was a clear presence at the State Capitol today as Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed Connecticut’s new education reform law. What a difference teachers make when they advocate through political action. This spring, legislator after legislator commented on the volume of communications they received from teachers. CEA President…
DetailsA story about CEA rallies by CTNewsJunkie, a political news site read by policymakers, was the most read article on the site last week. Lawmakers have been hearing from teachers and we must keep up the good work. Here are some additional highlights of the rally coverage by news organizations last week. Watch the television…
DetailsStatement from CEA Executive Director Mary Loftus Levine In the wake of news reports that the U.S. Department of Education is aware of the legislative debate underway in Connecticut and is monitoring the developments relative to approving Connecticut’s waiver application, CEA Executive Director Mary Loftus Levine today issued comment. She emphasized that the U.S. Department…
DetailsTeachers tonight rallied for public education at the State Capitol urging legislators to get reform done right. Tonight’s event mirrored yesterday’s impactful rally where teachers emphasized that their voices need to be prominent in education reform because they are in the classroom every day. Were you among the many dedicated teachers who stood up for…
DetailsStudents lose out when there’s too much focus on teaching to the test, and low-income students lose out the most, writes an English teacher in a powerful opinion piece in the New York Times. For seven years she taught classic works of literature to students who had not previously read them, but this year she’s…
DetailsNEA made a powerful statement when it helped host an International Summit on the Teaching Profession last year. CEA leaders attended and were struck by the success of school models in other nations where teachers are empowered. In places like Finland, Singapore, China, and Canada, teachers have a real voice in developing, monitoring, and setting…
DetailsNew Canaan teacher Kristine Goldhawk can’t find direct causation between the governor’s education plan and improved student achievement. She was one of the people who entered a lottery last night winning the opportunity to ask Governor Dannel P. Malloy a question during the latest stop on his education reform tour in Norwalk. Goldhawk raised concerns about…
Details“I think the Substitute Bill 24 really takes into account a teacher’s perspective,” Kristen Record, a Stratford teacher and Connecticut’s 2011 Teacher of the Year, told the hosts of Channel 8’s Good Morning Connecticut today. “So often teachers feel education reform is done to us rather than with us, and I think the lawmakers really…
DetailsCEA sent the letter below to the commissioner of education March 28. For background on the Performance Evaluation and Advisory Council (PEAC), read The Point on PEAC and New Framework for Teacher Evaluations on cea.org. Dear Commissioner Pryor: As you are aware, the full PEAC committee has not met since February 6, 2012. The February…
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