Dec 19-Jan 20 Advisor

2 CEA ADVISOR DECEMBER 2019 – JANUARY 2020

LEADING

Leading: Our Perspective

In survey after survey and report after report, Connecticut’s public schools are consistently ranked among the best in the nation. While this comes as no surprise to any of us, we all know there is much more to do in our public

We are so proud of all of our excellent teachers, and this issue of the CEA Advisor celebrates those who have received state or national awards of excellence. (See pages 7-9.) At the same time, we are extremely grateful to every teacher in our state and especially those who took the time to participate in two

Teachers’ Voices at the Forefront

Jeff Leake, CEA President

schools to ensure that our students receive the best education possible, regardless of where they live. Connecticut educators are stepping up in a variety of ways to help improve our classrooms and our students’ educational experiences. Local association members came out in support of their colleagues and helped get dozens of active and

important CEA surveys and share their concerns about the state of education. (See story on pages 10- 11.) Your candid accounts of what is really happening in classrooms across the state became front-page news. Television, radio, and newspaper reports highlighted your concerns regarding sick schools and how mold, rodent droppings, extreme temperatures, and more are jeopardizing the health and safety of both teachers and students and impacting student learning. You also shared how your classrooms and the needs of your students have changed over the years. You highlighted your concerns about the increasing number of students experiencing trauma and the lack of supports to handle the specific needs of these students. Your honest assessments regarding the increasing demand for mental health services and the dire shortage of these supports in our schools was eye-opening for many outside the education community and is a wake-up call that something must be done to get students the supports and assistance they desperately need.

Tom Nicholas, CEA Vice President

Teacher Angie Parkinson (center front) was elected to a seat on East Hartford’s town council. See page 6.

Donald E. Williams Jr. CEA Executive Director

retired educators and education-friendly candidates elected to key seats on town councils, boards of education, and town committees. (See story on page 6.) We have no doubt that these education champions will help our communities reshape policies and priorities that will support Connecticut’s students, teachers, and public schools. We have seen firsthand the benefits of electing education-friendly candidates, including State Treasurer Shawn Wooden, who helped secure our retirement fund and is now tackling the issues of guns and violence. (Read story on page 6.) And of course, Connecticut’s own 2016 National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes has brought her years of classroom teaching experience to the nation’s Capitol. Congresswoman Hayes is advancing the conversation surrounding the teaching profession and focusing her efforts on education policies that are student-centric and that address classroom resources and the changing needs of our students. Read about her priorities and her first year in office on pages 4-5.

CEA GOVERNANCE Jeff Leake • President Tom Nicholas • Vice President

Stephanie Wanzer • Secretary David Jedidian • Treasurer

John Horrigan • NEA Director Tara Flaherty • NEA Director

CEA ADVISOR STAFF Nancy Andrews • Communications Director Lesia Winiarskyj • Managing Editor Sandra Cassineri • Graphic Designer Laurel Killough • New Media Coordinator Eric Ahrens • Web Designer and Developer December 2019 – January 2020 Volume 62, Number 3 Published by Connecticut Education Association 1-800-842-4316 • 860-525-5641 cea.org CEA Advisor The CEA Advisor is mailed to all CEA members. Annual subscription price is $5.72 (included in membership dues and available only as part of membership). Institutional subscription price: $25.00. Advertising in the CEA Advisor is screened, but the publishing of any advertisement does not imply CEA endorsement of the product, service, or views expressed. CEA Advisor UPS 0129-220 (ISSN 0007-8050) is published in August, October/November, December/ January, February/March, April, May/June, and summer (online) by the Connecticut Education Association, Capitol Place, Suite 500, 21 Oak Street, Hartford, CT 06106-8001, 860-525-5641. Periodicals postage paid at Hartford, Connecticut. Postmaster: Send address changes to CEA Advisor , Connecticut Education Association, Capitol Place, Suite 500, 21 Oak Street,

We are seeking solutions to these and other issues in the upcoming legislative session, which begins on February 5, 2020. We will be looking to you, again, to advocate on behalf of your students, share your stories, and help get much-needed legislation passed that will ensure our students receive the supports they need and that our classrooms are safe places to teach and learn. As we enter a new year and new decade in 2020, we urge you to get involved and make a difference. NEA and CEA will be promoting the Strong Public Schools 2020 campaign in the coming year to ensure education champions are elected who will fight for what we believe in. We hope you will participate and be part of the dialogue so that together we can be a strong force in ensuring Connecticut’s public schools continue to be among the top in the nation. December 5, 2019 Danbury teacher Luanelly Iglesias and CEA President Jeff Leake show their support for public schools at the NEA RA in Texas.

Connecticut teachers participated in a panel discussion with WFSB Channel 3 reporter Matthew Campbell. See pages 10-11.

Hartford, CT 06106-8001. Production date: 12-10-2019