CEA is working closely with the State Department of Education and other education stakeholders on
protocols for schools and teachers in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
We agree with Governor Ned Lamont’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Connecticut and his
recommendations to take precautions, including hand washing. As Benjamin Franklin so wisely
observed, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
CEA agrees that it is better to be overprepared than underprepared and the Association is taking
numerous steps to help prevent the spread of the virus and to keep students, teachers, and communities
safe, including
- Cancelling all in-state CEA-sponsored events, workshops, and forums for the month of March
and potentially beyond - Cancelling all out-of-state travel for CEA staff
- Cancelling all CEA Professional Development programs
- Cutting back on face-to-face meetings and utilizing email, conference calls, video conferences,
webinars, and other online platforms that can take the place of in-person meetings - Urging local leaders to work directly with their school administrators regarding options should
schools be closed - Sharing coronavirus updates and guidelines for schools on cea.org
While we understand that this is not an all-inclusive or final list, these steps are the best course of action
at this time. Given how quickly the situation is changing throughout the country, we expect to have
further updates and guidance to share in the coming days.
While we all hope that the coronavirus has a mild effect overall, we must all be prepared for the
potential of a serious outbreak that could shut down all schools and businesses in the state.
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The Connecticut Education Association is Connecticut’s largest teachers’ union, representing active and
retired educators across the state. For further information contact Nancy Andrews at 860-725-6317,
nancya@cea.org. Visit cea.org or follow us on Twitter @ceanews and on Facebook at CTEdAssoc.
