ADVOCATING FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

Over 100 schools across the state participated in Hats for Hope last year, and Sandy Henry, whose 12-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare form of pediatric cancer, is one of several Connecticut educators involved in the cause. As the veteran kindergarten teacher turned her attention to her son’s care, her union, colleagues, and administration rallied behind her, ensuring her students were cared for and that others facing similar ordeals were supported as well.

Information about student loan forgiveness is constantly changing. Make sure you know about the latest changes to Income-Based Repayment, Parent PLUS loans, and new challenges if you need to take out additional education loans. 

Flanders Elementary has been participating in the Holiday Bear Project for the past eight years, and the kindergarten teachers say that it’s a fantastic way to teach young children about the power of giving.

Thanks to a law that passed last legislative session, educators who recently completed their student teaching are now entitled to student loan reimbursement up to $5,000 a year for 50 or more hours of uncompensated work necessary to earn their degree.

Are you an Alliance District teacher with private student loans? You may qualify for a 3-percentage-point interest rate subsidy when you refinance your existing student loans.

Do you know an exceptional educator whose impact deserves to be celebrated? Maybe it’s a colleague you admire—or maybe it’s you. Nominate them (or yourself!) for the John McCormack CEA Award for Teaching Excellence.

Teachers show up for their students every single day, and today we’re focusing on Giving Tuesday to strengthen the safety net children depend on.

On a bright but chilly Saturday in November, CEA Aspiring Educators rolled up their sleeves at two Connecticut middle schools, bringing color, creativity, and appreciation to the students and staff who learn and work there every day.

As we enter this season of thanksgiving, we want to begin by expressing our deep gratitude for everything you do for your students, your schools, and your communities.

“One of the challenges in education is that we have too many mandates that sap the joy out of teaching and learning,” said CEA President Kate Dias. CEA’s Reimagining Education Conference serves as an antidote, focusing on practices that make our classrooms places of joy and belonging.

The way the federal government is funneling education dollars through other agencies will result in less fiduciary oversight and less follow through, CEA President Kate Dias told Brian Shactman on 1080 WTIC this morning.

Danbury has long faced an education crisis with insufficient funding, overcrowding in schools, and a teacher shortage. All that is changing, however, and NEA-Danbury can take credit for a new contract that will keep top talent in the district.