Speak up in support of increased education funding for students and a fair state budget this Monday during a hearing of the legislature’s Finance Committee. Giving live testimony over Zoom or submitting written testimony are both important ways to make sure legislators hear from teachers.
The budget Governor Lamont has proposed freezes education funding levels and drastically cuts state aid, replacing it with federal funds. Now more than ever we need increased education funding to help our students recover from the pandemic.
If you have never testified before the legislature before or submitted written testimony, don’t let that hold you back. CEA can help. If you’re interested in testifying or submitting testimony, email myvoice@cea.org.
“State education dollars must not be supplanted with one-time federal funds,” said CEA President Jeff Leake. “Those federal funds are intended to help address the impact and inequities of the pandemic, especially in our urban and high-poverty school districts.”
Supplemental federal funding Connecticut will receive from the American Rescue Plan should go to address the needs of English learners, students living in poverty, students who have experienced trauma, those harmed by asthma and poor air quality, and special needs students facing unique challenges in these times, Leake added.
Connecticut leads the country in income inequality, leaving the poorest residents to deal with education gaps, health disparities, unattainable home ownership, and other hardships. Years of austerity and disinvestment have worsened inequities and hampered economic growth.
The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated these problems. Vulnerable populations, who struggled to make ends meet before, now battle to survive while the wealthy continue to profit from a booming stock market.
You can also speak up in support of a fair state budget by joining other teachers, students, parents, community members, religious leaders, and labor organizations at a rally in Danbury this Thursday.
The Fund Our Future Speak-Out will take place at Rogers Park Middle School in Danbury on March 24 at 4:30 p.m. Participants will call for a state budget that invests in schools, families, and communities and gives everyone the opportunity to succeed.
Speak up in support of a true recovery for all.
