1-Oct-Nov 2020 BACK TO SCHOOL pp 1-11 Advisor

October–November 2020 • Volume 63, Number 2 • Published by the Connecticut Education Association • cea.org CEA

BACK TO SCHOOL IN A COVID CRISIS

TEACHERS, UNION WORK TO ENSURE  Health and safety  Equity  Social-emotional support

2 CEA ADVISOR OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2020

LEADING

Advocating for safe schools and a strong democracy Leading: Our Perspective

This special issue of the CEA Advisor , the first of the 2020-2021 school year, tackles two important subjects for teachers: school reopening in a time of pandemic and an election whose impact will be felt not only by members of our profession but also by generations of students— those we have graduated, those in our classrooms now, and those we have yet to encounter. This issue is divided in two, with a back-to-school section and a flip side that confronts

sustained focus and collaboration to change. As the saying goes, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Over the summer, CEA’s Equity Task Force began its work to ensure that we are effectively addressing implicit bias and systemic racism within both our organization and the teaching profession. It is clear that racial dynamics, disparities, and divisions permeate our society, our communities, and our schools. Although we are aware that some district administrations may react negatively, we must

Jeff Leake, CEA President

the election challenges and opportunities ahead. We hope you will hold onto it as a reference guide for the work that is being done to strengthen our schools and our democracy and the ways in which teachers are active participants in that work. We welcome you back to a new school year by acknowledging the tremendous effort you and your colleagues have put forth since March—the quick pivot to whole new ways of interacting with our students; the extraordinary work during the ensuing months as we moved to close out the year; the

be prepared to create the space to talk about race in our schools and communities. Members of the task force look forward to working with our members, local leaders, and our communities as we face these issues head-on. (See page 8.) Tragically, on the subject of racism, our current president has accused public schools of “indoctrinating children” and has disparaged the way history is taught as “child abuse.” Educating public school students about systemic racism and acknowledging our nation’s history and the

Tom Nicholas, CEA Vice President

exemplary work of our local leaders in preparation for the 2020-2021 school opening; and the reimagining that you are doing now to create the best learning environment for our students under extreme and ever-changing conditions. We know that success has not readily arrived in all districts, but we celebrate the cooperation that led to successes for many of our local

consequences of slavery are efforts President Donald Trump has labeled “prejudiced,” “toxic propaganda,” and “ideological poison.” He has in fact said, “Teaching this horrible doctrine to our children is a form of child abuse in the truest sense of those words.” We must work hard to elect a president who values public education, who understands that the climate crisis is real, and who gets that we have suffered too long with systemic racism—a leader who will unite instead of

The hard facts laid bare by the pandemic—and in many ways made worse by it—will take intense and sustained focus and collaboration to change.

Donald E. Williams Jr. CEA Executive Director

CEA GOVERNANCE Jeff Leake • President Tom Nicholas • Vice President

associations. (See stories on pages 4-5.) We will continue our work with our members, local leaders, and CEA staff and governance to ensure the highest standards of safety and academic excellence, all while attending to the even greater social and emotional needs of Connecticut’s students. (For more on recent SEL initiatives, see pages 6-7.) One significant outcome of all of this energy and effort is that we are increasingly aware of the discrepancies and inequity that continue to exist in our state. We understand even more clearly than we have in the past how crucial it is to intensify our advocacy for a public school system that demands the elimination of the opportunity gap. For too long, that gap has limited the potential of too many Connecticut students. We must also continue our work with others to address the widening economic inequality that affects our state and our nation. Across our country, the richest ten percent of Americans own more than two- thirds of the nation’s wealth. Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, has pointed out, “In three months about 600 billionaires increased their wealth by far more than the nation’s governors say their states need in fiscal assistance to keep delivering services to 330 million residents. Their wealth increased twice as much as the federal government paid out in one-time checks to more than 150 million Americans. If this pandemic reveals anything, it’s how unequal our society has become and how drastically it must change.” The hard facts laid bare by the pandemic—and in many ways made worse by it—will take intense and

Stephanie Wanzer • Secretary David Jedidian • Treasurer

further divide this great country. For these reasons and others, NEA RA delegates overwhelmingly voted to endorse the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris team. Additionally, our CEA Board of Directors voted to endorse Biden/Harris as well as all members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation, each of whom has earned an A on NEA’s report card. Every member of Connecticut’s current delegation has continued to meet, talk, and work with us for the betterment of our students, our members, and our communities. They deserve our continuing support in their re-election efforts. (See the flip side of this issue for a side-by-side comparison of the presidential candidates on key education issues as well as information about Connecticut’s congressional delegation, legislative races, and a CEA Report Card and Honor Roll that help teachers see which legislative candidates are public education allies and deserve our support at the polls.) We must continue our fight for the schools our students deserve, for economic, social, and racial justice, and for national political leadership that understands what must be done to unite our nation. To that end, I urge you to keep in mind the words of our immediate NEA Past President Lily Eskelsen García in her book Rabble Rousers – Agitadores : “If we are going to be part of creating the citizens our times demand, the society that all of our citizens deserve, we must work with others, stronger together, to be fearless fighters for social justice.” September 28, 2020

Tara Flaherty • NEA Director Katy Gale • NEA Director

CEA ADVISOR STAFF Nancy Andrews • Communications Director Lesia Day • Managing Editor Sandra Cassineri • Graphic Designer Laurel Killough • New Media Coordinator Eric Ahrens • Web Designer and Developer October–November 2020 Volume 63, Number 2 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 USPS 0129-220 (ISSN 0007-8050) is published in August (regular and special editions), October/November, December/January, February/ March, April (regular and special editions), May/June, and summer 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,

Hartford, CT 06106-8001. Production date: 10-7-2020

OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2020 CEA ADVISOR 3

News Briefs

IN THIS ISSUE

4-5 REOPENING

Becky Pringle Is New NEA President

As schools have reopened (and in some cases, shut back down), they have done so under mixed models, with mixed results. See how strong union voices and community outreach are uncovering challenges—and in many cases, delivering results. Also see how CEA has pushed for greater flexibility in teacher evaluation and paid quarantine leave. The moment the coronavirus closed schools, concerns about students’ social, emotional, and physical well-being spiked. Hear how teachers and school counselors are handling children’s trauma, anxiety, and loss (as well as their own) and how a free course offered through CEA and Yale can help you navigate these uncharted waters. DIVERSIFYING Education equity requires that we recognize our own biases, confront racial disparities, and make diversity a priority—starting from within. Read how CEA is working to make equity not just a goal but a reality in our schools, our profession, and our union. ADVOCATING Even while schools were closed, the hard work of the union continued. Read how CEA successfully fought to return a suspended teacher’s lost pay and clear his record. Also catch up on your rights during a COVID reopening as explained by CEA’s legal team. REPRESENTING Inspired by the work of your union? Why not represent and assist your colleagues by serving on CEA’s Board of Directors or as an NEA state delegate? Get your nominations in by December 1.

lives of too many students, Pringle told NEA RA delegates, “We cannot—we will not—put off for one more second creating schools that

On September 1, former NEA Vice President Becky Pringle took the reins as president of the nation’s largest teachers union, succeeding Lily Eskelsen García, who served in that role for two terms, beginning in 2014. Pringle was elected to her new position at the NEA Representative Assembly (RA), where she won 93 percent of the vote. She is currently the highest-ranking black female labor leader. An educator for 31 years, Pringle taught in Philadelphia and the suburb of Harrisburg, where she worked as a middle school science teacher. As an NEA officer for more than a decade, she has worked to combat institutional racism, shine a light on educational injustice, and advocate for students who have disabilities, identify as LGBTQ+, are immigrants, or are English language learners. She has co-chaired NEA’s Task Force on School Discipline and the School to Prison Pipeline and has led the association’s work to transform the teaching profession and improve student learning. Most notably, she led the workgroup that produced NEA’s groundbreaking “Policy Statement on Teacher Evaluation and Accountability.” In a stirring call to action for educators to confront the forces that have jeopardized the education and Between safety concerns and a crushing workload, this school year is like none before it, and with it comes a high level of stress and anxiety for many teachers. CEA is partnering with Community Health Resources (CHR) to get the word out about a new resource that provides immediate assistance in managing acute stress during the coronavirus crisis. The Hero Hotline, 888-217-4376, is available to teachers, parents, and others struggling with stress or anxiety during the pandemic. Staffed by licensed therapists who are trained in the treatment of acute stress reactions, the service is available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. “CEA is proud to work with CHR to provide this free service for educators,” says CEA President Jeff Leake. “It’s vital that teachers have access to the mental health supports that they need.” Callers who use the Hero Hotline may remain anonymous and do not need to provide insurance or personal contact information. “We want to make sure teachers know about this service, because we appreciate how stressful the

serve the needs of all our students regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, immigration status, or language. Now is the time to address the systemic inequities that beset our most vulnerable students.” School safety in the era of COVID-19 is of primary importance to Pringle, who notes that educators have been “bullied from the highest office in the land to reopen school buildings and campuses.” Teachers coming together to demand resources their students and schools need are a powerful force, she says, with “the kind of energy and power I want to unleash. We’re done being forced to make the false choice between living and learning; blamed for the failure of this administration to bridge the gaps in equity and fairness. We’re done.” start of the school year is,” says CHR Vice President of Communications Maureen McGuire. “Teaching is not an easy job to begin with, but there are a whole host of issues that make this year different and more challenging.” A call to the Hero Hotline is free, and there is no time limit. HERO HOTLINE 888-217-HERO are interested with ongoing support and care—at which point contact and insurance information would be required. “The intention is that this is an immediate service,” McGuire says. “If you have a tough day, you can make a phone call and be connected right away.” She adds that telehealth services make seeing a therapist more convenient than ever for those balancing the demands of work, family, and other obligations. Be sure to check out other benefits available to you as a CEA member by visiting cea.org/discounts . Therapists can also help connect any callers who

6-7 HEALING

8

Free, Confidential Hotline for Teachers Managing Stress and Anxiety New addition to CEA Member Benefits

9

10

ON THE COVER

Teachers at the forefront of ensuring safety in Marlborough

CEA Launches New Website Newly updated, cea.org makes it easier to find everything you need, from breaking education news to free professional development, job opportunities, coronavirus protocols, and more. Log in using your CEA member ID, found on your membership card and on the mailing label of your CEA Advisor . Your CEA membership card was recently mailed to you. Keep it in a safe, accessible place; it's your key to accessing cea.org and unlocking special members-only discounts and offers.

Holiday Bear Project Delivers for Children in Need Nominate a child, lend a hand

Every year, the Connecticut Education Foundation (CEF) makes the holidays a little brighter for children in need through its Holiday Bear Project. This gift-giving program matches CEA teachers, staff, businesses, and other members of the community with students whose families are experiencing financial hardships. More than 10,000 Connecticut public school students have benefited from the holiday program since it began in 1998, and this year, because of devastating economic losses resulting from the pandemic, the need is expected to be greater than ever. CEA Vice President and CEF President Tom Nicholas points out that while Holiday Bear will operate differently this year because of health and safety concerns related to the pandemic, the gift-giving program is more essential than ever. “Every year, our members, our staff, and civic-minded organizations open up their hearts to some of our neediest students across Connecticut,” Nicholas says. “This year, because of COVID-19,

many more families have experienced job loss, illness, or food and housing insecurity. The Holiday Bear Project will help bring much- needed joy and relief to those families and children.” If you know one or more students who could benefit from this program, or if you’d like to sponsor a child, contact CEA’s Mary-Pat Soucy at marypats@cea.org .

CONNECT WITH CEA

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youtube.com/ ceavideo

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twitter.com/ ceanews

instagram.com/ cea_teachers

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REOPENING

4 CEA ADVISOR OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2020

CEA WORKS FOR SAFETY, TEACHERS’ RIGHTS IN SCHOOL REOPENING

Mixed Models Deliver Mixed Results

Less than threeweeks into school reopening, at least 68 confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported in schools throughout Connecticut, with hundreds more individuals quarantined and some schools having to shut their doors within days of reopening. Those numbers are only expected to rise. As schools have resumed classes throughout the state—some delaying the reopening of buildings, others testing out hybrid, cohorted, or in- person models with the challenges of synchronous and asynchronous learning—flexibility, vigilance, and a demand for every necessary protection have been key. “No matter which approach a school takes,” says CEA President Jeff Leake, “close monitoring of the school community’s health and safety is crucial to success. We have pushed—and continue to push—for adequate PPE, adherence to CDC recommendations and protocol on disinfectant use, social distancing, and more, and the opportunities for teachers and students to work remotely when that is the safest option for them.” Governor Ned Lamont recently announced that Connecticut expects to receive about one million new rapid COVID-19 tests from the federal outsource some of their instruction and grading to a virtual education platform but dialed back on those plans when they heard teachers’ concerns. East Lyme Teachers’ Association President Scott Mahon explains, “It is vitally important for our district to support its own teachers who are at high risk of serious illness from coronavirus because of underlying medical conditions, who reside with high-risk people, or who have childcare issues caused by the hybrid model being widely adopted. We advocated for allowing these educators to teach remotely to students at home, or in a classroom with a proctor.” The state, he said, has made money available to help districts pay for this model. “It does not make sense to hire a virtual outside contractor to take on virtual teaching of our students when we have loyal veteran teachers of our own who could perform the exact same role,” Mahon says. “We should be supporting our existing teachers before turning to an outside contractor. The State Board of Education approved Emergency Educator Certification Endorsements that allow existing teachers to teach outside their certification during the 2020-2021 school year, which makes utilizing our existing teachers much easier, whether in a direct or supporting instructional role. While we understand that districts presently face certain challenges, the ELTA does not support the contracting out of the work of our teachers, who have strong connections with the students and families of the East Lyme community, to a company that exists

government, starting in early October, so that students and teachers who have symptoms or may have come in contact with the virus can be tested; this could reduce the need to quarantine or close schools. CEA UniServ Reps and local association leaders throughout the state have worked all summer and into the fall on MOUs to ensure that school environments and learning models prioritize safety and equity. They have put off school reopening when conditions were unsafe, demanded additional PPE when supplies fell short, and set aside commercial virtual learning products in favor of real-time remote instruction from qualified teachers. In districts such as Marlborough, where teachers have a strong voice on their school reopening committee, the return to school has been safer and smoother than it might otherwise be, with bus monitors to ensure proper distancing and mask- wearing; replacing student tables with desks taken out of storage as well as purchasing new standing desks; smaller class sizes that allow six feet between desks in most rooms; and efforts to eliminate as many touchpoints as possible by installing touch-free faucets, paper towel dispensers, and water connections. We do not believe that that is in the best interests of the students, the district, or the teachers.” In addition, the virtual platform that East Lyme was prepared to use—Edgenuity—has been widely • Standardization of test questions that makes it easy for students to cheat • Parent complaints that the platform is frustrating for children, difficult to load, and hard to understand, with low- quality microphones set at low volumes and teaching videos that have not been updated since 2013 • A scoring algorithm that looks for certain keywords in students’ answers, making it possible for students to receive no credit for a correct answer or full credit for an incorrect answer that simply includes the right keywords CEA UniServ Rep Mike Casey got involved in the ELTA’s case. Thanks to an online petition that circulated in the East Lyme community and overwhelming pressure from teachers and parents, the town put its virtual learning platform plans on the back burner. “Over the summer, a group of us engaged in negotiations with the superintendent, board of education attorney, and several administrators,” Casey says. “We strenuously pitched our proposal that teachers seeking accommodations be permitted to teach remotely from home to students in a physical classroom at the East Lyme schools or remotely at their homes. Thanks to a strong criticized for a variety of shortcomings, including on a virtual format and uses instructors who have no such

dispensers.

got us five TV news crews, two newspaper reporters, and a radio interview, which really improved our negotiations. The board of education needed us to settle a memorandum of understanding, because we had so much media attention and public support as a result. Andrews and CEA Organizer-Trainer Joe Zawawi did an unbelievable job, so if your district needs help, I’d recommend reaching out to them.” “CEA’s Communications Department has helped amplify teachers’ voices by securing television and newspaper interviews for local presidents throughout the state, providing guidance on press releases, and assisting with other messaging,” says Andrews, adding, “We will continue to work with our local leaders and their members to make sure our teachers are heard loud and clear.” “Our teachers have worked—and continue to work—long hours as they rise to the challenge of teaching in a time of pandemic,” says Leake. “We are advocating for every right and resource they need to do their jobs effectively.” For more on your rights in a COVID environment, watch a members-only video presented by CEA’s legal team. (See story, page 9.)

Marlborough Education Association Co-President Amy Farrior says the steps her district has taken so far have helped put many teachers at ease. A survey of MEA members this summer found that teachers felt either comfortable or somewhat comfortable about the return to in-person learning. “Giving teachers a voice in how schools reopen is so important,” says CEA President Jeff Leake. “They understand what’s realistic, safe, and equitable.” CEA, communities amplify teachers’ voices While challenges remain throughout the state, teachers’ collective voices in board of education meetings, on reopening task forces, and in media coverage have made a difference. East Haven Education Association President Michael Archambault says his local association filed an unfair labor practice when the board of education refused to negotiate. “We had more than 160 teachers show up and protest before the first day of school because the board of education wouldn’t accommodate high-risk teachers,” he recalls. “CEA was a huge help. Their director of communications, Nancy Andrews,

East Lyme, East Haven Unions Persuade Boards of Education: Virtual Learning Product No Substitute for Teachers Some districts planned to

East Haven Education Association President and technology teacher Michael Archambault is interviewed by NBC Connecticut’s Matt Austin.

union and administrators willing to listen, this was a big win for us.” CEA UniServ Rep Gloria Dimon achieved similar success in East Haven, where the union organized teachers and parents in reviewing Edgenuity online and convincing the board of education to implement it only as a supplemental tool, not a

substitute for East Haven teachers. “We were able to create a better environment for both our members and their students, and we now have a detailed memorandum of agreement that spells out various other protections for our dedicated teachers,” Dimon says.

Hamden, Wilton Put the Brakes On Hearing teachers’ concerns, the Wilton Board of Education voted to postpone the start of in-person learning, citing the need for more time to prepare. Instead of returning to the classroom on the originally scheduled first day, Wilton students were initially taught remotely on a half-day schedule, with teachers using the extra time to train on various distance-learning technologies. The delay also came as a result of five coronavirus cases being discovered in Wilton over a six-day period and the fact that several orders for personal protective equipment were held up. Hamden similarly pushed back its school start date after two high school teachers tested positive for COVID-19 and concerns arose over both safety issues and the shortage of educators.

REOPENING

OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2020 CEA ADVISOR 5

CEA TACKLES QUARANTINE LEAVE When a student or staff member tests positive for coronavirus, a school district should require all individuals who have had close contact with an affected person, as defined by the CDC, to quarantine. But there are great disparities in how teacher quarantine is handled from one district to the next. Until the end of 2020, all teachers are entitled to paid leave under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, limited to 80 hours, when they have been directed by either a government entity or healthcare provider to quarantine. Some districts incorporate additional paid quarantine leave into their MOUs, while others lack a policy, potentially forcing teachers to take their own personal sick time. “Paid quarantine leave is something CEA is working hard to advance uniformly in all school districts,” says CEA Executive Director Donald Williams. “It’s unfair for educators to have to use their earned leave anytime a quarantine is necessitated by someone in the school community testing positive for COVID-19. We have been in conversations with administrators and other education stakeholders and have advanced this issue with the governor. Thanks to a CEA Action Alert issued to all members, thousands of teachers have already emailed the governor and legislators.” CEA believes teachers who must quarantine should first be allowed to teach remotely; if that is not possible, they should receive paid quarantine leave.

CEA SECURES TEVAL FLEXIBILITY CEA’s strong push for greater flexibility in

teacher evaluations this school year contributed to the State Department of Education’s decision to offer Professional Development and Evaluation Committees (PDECs) the option of adopting a formative process that does not rate teachers or require a standardized indicator. CEA was part of a consortium of education stakeholders including AFT Connecticut and Connecticut Association of Boards of Education that urged the CSDE to offer a more flexible option, and at press time, dozens of districts opted for the flexible plan. Under the flexible plan, student growth goals may focus on social-emotional learning or student and family

Kate Field, CEA Teacher Development Specialist

engagement instead of only academic growth. Goals need not be SMART or outcome-driven, and summative ratings for the 2020-2021 school year have been waived for those districts that opted for the flexibilities. (Districts had until October 8 to choose this option.) “We urged far greater flexibility for our teachers,” says CEA Teacher Development Specialist Kate Field, “because no one knows what to expect this year, although continuous disruptions to teaching and learning seem very likely. Teachers have had to adapt, with minimal professional development, to an entirely new way of teaching. The work teachers do is extraordinarily stressful. That was true even before the pandemic, but it’s much worse now, as are levels of student anxiety. CEA pushed for more flexibility to allow teachers the option of focusing on their students’ emotional well-being or their own SEL growth without fear of a low rating. Everyone—teachers, students, parents, and administrators—will need extra support and compassion this year.” To learn more about TEVAL and the new flexibilities, visit cea.org/certification .

Teachers Stand Up, Speak Out Against Broken Promises, Safety Gaps

Some teachers were provided with commercial face shields, while others received handmade versions stuck together with painter’s tape (photo at left). SEA leaders brought their concerns to the superintendent and were told that the district received 4,000 canisters of disinfectant wipes. The following week, Stratford teachers had yet to see them in any school. “We have many teachers who have serious health issues and have to be in the classroom unless they’re taking unpaid leave,” says SEA President Michael Fiorello. He and Record spoke to reporters at Channel 8 and the Connecticut Post and have continued to advocate for school safety for students and teachers. Darien rallies Similarly, Darien teachers have come out in force before board of education meetings to let their community know about serious concerns surrounding a full reopening of schools in a district whose neighbors are experiencing growing numbers of COVID cases. Concerns include an inability to provide six feet of distance between students, a lack of disinfecting supplies, and teachers’ input excluded from district plans. “We are rallying for best practices, for clear and consistent protocols, and to be

fight for the health and safety of their school communities. Stratford is one such community. The same day schools reopened, the district reported its first COVID-19 case of the new school year. When students arrived, there were no hand-sanitizing stations at building entryways. “The district

Many districts have benefited from strong, positive relationships between teachers’ unions and administrators and their communities’ investments in their schools. Superintendents elsewhere, however, have refused to hear teachers’ concerns, prompting educators to speak up, organize, and

a part of the process,” says Darien Education Association President Joslyn DeLancey. “I couldn’t be prouder of our teachers. We love our students and want to keep them safe.” DeLancey penned an op-ed published in The Darien Times on behalf of her union, cautioning that a return to full in-person learning carries enormous risk, with students crammed 25 to a room in some schools. Read the op-ed at cea.org/blog . “Students at the middle school and high school and in some elementary school classrooms will not be sitting three feet apart. Many will not be able to sit six feet apart and eat unmasked. Fourteen hundred students at the high school will not be able to walk the halls socially distanced.” CEA President Jeff Leake and Secretary Stephanie Wanzer joined Darien teachers at a rally to demonstrate their support for keeping schools safe. “Darien teachers are excellent role models—they’re showing their students the importance of standing up and speaking up when something isn’t right,” says Leake. “Darien students and staff all deserve safe learning and teaching environments, and CEA is working with Darien teachers to keep schools safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

promised they would provide us with CDC- approved cleaning supplies and PPE,” says Kristen Record, a high school physics teacher and secondary vice president of the local union. “Students are now back in our classrooms, and we don’t have the supplies promised to us. Teachers were given one canister of alcohol wipes—which are not on the CDC’s list of approved disinfectants against COVID-19—and we do not have access to soap and water in

While some Stratford teachers received commercial face shields, others were given handmade versions stuck together with painter’s tape.

most of our classrooms.”

Stonington Accommodates Teachers Who Need to Work Remotely, Limits Students’ Screen Time

“At a certain point, we can have students work on their own or move them into breakout rooms,” he says. “For the kids’ sake we pushed really hard in our MOU to limit the amount of time they would be sitting and staring at a screen. Four 75-minute periods is a long time.” To the best of his knowledge, Freeman says, every teacher who has a health-related issue or a spouse with a health issue is teaching remotely. Approximately 15 of the districts’ 203 teachers are distance teaching. “In our district we have a good relationship between the administration and the union. It was easy to get them to understand the need for the safety protocols we requested.”

the kids for most of my classes, which makes me more comfortable as an older teacher who has health issues,” says Freeman, who has only seven or eight students in his classroom at a time. “I’ve looked out into the hallway, and it’s not overly crowded,” he says. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I’m a stickler for rules, and not once have I seen a student without a mask. They’ve been very cooperative.” Freeman does say that he and most of the faculty he’s talked to find simultaneously teaching students in person and online a challenge that will take a while to master. Classes at the high school are 75 minutes long, but students learning from home don’t have to be online for the entire period.

Most Connecticut students are now back in school, but reopening has not gone smoothly in all districts. Several districts were forced to institute quarantines or shut down entire schools because of confirmed COVID-19 cases. In Stonington, local president Michael Freeman says, “I’ve been really excited to see my students in person after more than five months. There have been nice smiles and enthusiasm from the kids, so that bodes well.” Stonington, which closes one day a week for deep cleaning, is using a hybrid model with only half the high school students in attendance on any given day. “I have considerable space between myself and

HEALING

6 CEA ADVISOR OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2020

CEA FOCUSES ON ADDRESSING PANDEMIC’S SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL TOLL School counselors discuss children’s concerns, experiences, new norms

As Connecticut schools work to make up for lost learning and navigate safe reopening, the toll that COVID-19 has taken on students’ social and emotional well-being has not gone unrecognized. Research published this summer, The State of Young People During COVID-19 , reveals that young people are more worried than usual about their basic needs, including food, housing, medicine, and safety. The study, which looked at a nationally representative survey of 3,300 high school students in June, found that 30 percent are significantly more concerned about their health and the health and financial stability of their family during the pandemic, and more than a quarter report losing more sleep, feeling more unhappy or depressed, experiencing constant strain, or losing confidence in themselves. “Many students and teachers returning to school are starting from a very different place, profoundly changed by events over the last six or seven months,” says CEA President Jeff Leake. “The collective trauma and ongoing uncertainty they’re experiencing point to the need for prioritizing their social and emotional well-being and mental health. It’s critical that teachers are equipped with the tools to not only understand and manage their own emotional response to the pandemic but help their students navigate those complex feelings as well.” That’s exactly the approach school counselors, social workers, psychologists, and classroom teachers have taken since schools reopened, knowing that having the supports necessary to cope with their stress will help students learn effectively and better handle the uncertainty ahead. “It’s a tall order with schools remotely, alternate online and in- person instruction, and often close unexpectedly due to outbreaks,” says Leake. “But our committed educators have spent a lot of time and energy preparing.” Eileen Melody and Kristina Lee, school counselors in Mansfield, can attest to that—and to the fact that returning to school this fall comes with new challenges. “Our school reopened with a cohorted hybrid model,” says Lee, describing a model where students are divided into smaller groups that having to enforce safe social distancing measures, operate

are in fifth and sixth grade. “Not every school has that. Some have to share personnel between buildings. I feel for students and teachers in districts where there have been staffing cuts, where there is no counselor or social worker, or not enough of them. We are the people in the building who are resources when a teacher identifies a student with challenges at home. We have the knowledge and experience to work with those students and their families, and without that kind of support, it falls to teachers who are already overworked in their own classrooms and are now being asked to manage students’ social and emotional needs. Teachers do everything they possibly can for their students, but when they are working without adequate support services, their own time, resources, and health are being compromised by an unreasonable workload.” COVID slide and the new normal Now in her 14th year as a school counselor, Lee says while students are generally happy to be back to school, their stamina for classroom engagement is low after not having been in a classroom for six months. “Things are taking time,” she says, “and the last period at the end of the day is tough. They get an outdoor activity period and mask breaks, which help. Most impacted are special education students, who benefit so much from talking to teachers in person. They get a lot done when it’s face to face, whereas 45 minutes on Zoom is often not as effective.” Lee has also been working on how she’ll help fifth- and sixth-graders transition. “We do a lot of transition work typically in the spring with our fifth-graders, so we put together a video Padlet for families to meet staff, and we do Zoom lunch groups from home.” Padlet is an online bulletin board. “While it isn’t ideal, because we’re adding to students’ screen time, at least it allows kids to see each other when they’re not in the same cohort.” “We’re both tracking students who aren’t showing up for remote learning—often the same kids who didn’t participate in the spring,” she says. “We’re vigilant about it, because we need to counter the lack of engagement and understand why some students are not participating. Often it’s the challenges of technology, like spotty Internet with everyone working from home. For some, it’s the lack of a morning routine, maybe with parents having to tend to their own work needs, and children not quite independent enough to manage school schedules on their own. In the spring, we had to teach all these new virtual learning norms, such as the need to get up and dressed, eat, and turn screens on, and now that we know what the pitfalls are, we’ve set new protocols this year.” “These kids are amazing,” Melody adds, “and we know what they can achieve.” A Yale course in SEL is available free to CEA members. See facing page.

Eileen Melody (left) and Kristina Lee are school counselors in Mansfield.

meet in person and remotely on alternating school days. “The kids are really happy to be back,” Melody says, “and some wish they could be here in person every day. We’ve done a lot of coaching and prepwork on new norms and protocols for how things are going to be different because of the pandemic, and our students are impressively resilient and flexible. At first, the uncertainty of things preyed on them, but our routines and schedules have helped give them a sense of structure and purpose. They know, ‘I have these responsibilities,’ and they want to learn.” Not business as usual Under the cohorted hybrid model, Melody explains, “Our building is really quiet now. We’re usually a school of 550 that’s bustling, with noisy hallway transitions, buzzing with energy and excitement as students bring their stuff to locker rooms or drop their instruments off in the band room, but all of that is different now.” Still, Lee says, “Everything is kind of shiny and new, and students are rolling with it. I’ve had kids pop into my office for quick checks on things, but as the dust settles and we adapt to a new normal, I expect to see bigger situations crop up.” Melody and Lee acknowledge that some students have returned with deep apprehension about their families and their health and security. Job loss and financial hardship are a key concern for students whose parents are out of work or facing that threat. “Students take on the worry of that,” says Melody, a 25-year veteran school counselor who sits on the state’s legislatively appointed Social and Emotional Learning and School Climate Advisory

Collaborative and on her district’s SEL task force for the past two years. The threat of food or housing insecurity, loss of a family member, months of social isolation, and cases of neglect or abuse at home during quarantine have had a very real impact on students across the state. “Educators have worked all summer long preparing for this,” says Melody. “I don’t think I took a day off this summer without doing something related to reopening plans. This summer, our district’s SEL task force put it all together in a framework identifying social and emotional skills we want our students to hone, and each grade experiences an SEL period while they’re here in the building. Our mission is to rebuild a community these first weeks of school by facilitating relationships and helping students understand that all these new protocols are in place because we’re a community, and we want to be safe and protect each other. Teachers are now trained in conducting SEL, focusing on prosocial skills and helping students understand their emotions. We will eventually dive into conflict resolution, perspective- taking, and more.” SEL triage Melody recently worked with a student who lost a parent just as school reopened. Because of competing needs for social distancing, interpersonal connection, and privacy, she often talks with students outdoors, away from classroom windows, or in quiet hallways so that they are assured of privacy. Before COVID, she says, “We used to meet regularly in lunch groups with around 20 students, and we would see individual students in our offices. Our current proactive strategy is to walk into all of our classrooms, which are now about eight students per class, and remind our kids that we are just an email away. I tell them, ‘I’ll come get you if you need to talk.’ We’re fortunate that we have a nice physical facility, both indoors and out.” Mansfield is also lucky, she says, in that the district has support services in every building. “There is such benefit in that. We’re fortunate that we have a school psychologist and the two of us as school counselors for different grades within the same building.” Melody works with seventh- and eighth-graders, while Lee’s students

Teachers throughout the state are doing their best to mitigate against trauma, ensuring students are safe and feel welcome.

HEALING

OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2020 CEA ADVISOR 7

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL TRAINING HELPS TEACHERS NAVIGATE CLIMATE MARKED BY TRAUMA, HEALTH CONCERNS, RACIAL AND POLITICAL UNREST CEA partners with Yale, other stakeholders to offer free course

Daly adds, “We all know students and teachers alike have faced trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the experiences we’ve had and transitions we’ve been asked to make have impacted how we instruct, how we interact with students, and how students interact with us. We have a lot of needs to address. Meeting children’s social and emotional needs is paramount to what we do. We can’t address the academic needs without addressing social and emotional needs. And teachers need a toolbox of coping strategies too. As a school community, we are all working with students. Teachers and support staff are tuning in to verbal and nonverbal cues, learning how to interpret them, and integrating our experiences and shared learning as a community—not just as individual teachers, but as a network.” “This is, by far, the highlight of 2020 for me,” says CEA Vice President Tom Nicholas. A school social worker, Nicholas is also president of the Connecticut Education Foundation, which provides critical assistance to children and teachers in times of crisis and need. “This is what it looks like to change teaching and learning. This is what it looks like when we understand the need to invest in educators so that they can support their students.” For additional information or to register, visit ycei.org/selcourse .

importance of a comprehensive approach to addressing student trauma and promoting social- emotional learning,

professional credential from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, under the direction of Dr. Marc Brackett, a top researcher in the field of social emotional learning. “Strong student-teacher relationships are vital to students' success in school,” says Leake. “Those relationships as well as trauma- informed practices will be more critical than ever this school year, as our teachers welcome back students who have faced significant challenges at home, many of them related to the pandemic. Our partnership with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence is providing our dedicated teachers with the skills, resources, and knowledge to identify and address student trauma, ensuring students receive the support they need.” Third-grade teacher Erin Daly, president of NEA Danbury, says, “Our dedicated educators understand the

CEA has been providing training for members in both trauma-informed instruction and social emotional learning (SEL) since before COVID-19 struck, as part of a framework of support for students in crisis. “Our members were seeing greater numbers of dysregulated students in their classrooms, often as young as preschool age, and their behavior is clearly a cry for help,” says CEA President Jeff Leake. CEA continues to push for legislation and resources to make all students and classrooms safe, and the Association offers free professional development in SEL and trauma-informed practice through its Professional Learning Academy ( cea. org/professional-development ). In addition, a collaboration between CEA, the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Dalio Education, the Connecticut State Department of Education, AFT-CT, and the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents has made a social and emotional learning course available free to teachers looking to navigate a successful return to school in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial, political, and socioeconomic divides. The course is self-paced, and registration is open until December 31, 2020. Participants who complete the 10- hour online course, Social and Emotional Learning in Times of Uncertainty and Stress: Research- Based Strategies , will earn a

especially in districts like Danbury, where the need is high and the budgets for student support services have been decimated. We know that students returning to school have greater needs and trauma caused by the pandemic and require additional resources and assistance from school counselors, social workers, and teachers. This professional learning program is providing educators with the training they need to integrate social emotional learning and trauma- informed instruction into the classroom and promote the well-being of their students.” Erin Daly

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY AND STRESS: RESEARCH-BASED STRATEGIES This 10-hour online course offered by CEA and the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence is free to CEA members. Register by December 31 ycei.org/selcourse

DIVERSIFYING

8 CEA ADVISOR OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2020

CEA TAKES THE LEAD ON EQUITY IN EDUCATION Leading and teaching with an equity lens

The issue of equity has taken on broader dimensions this year, as the pandemic laid bare tremendous inequities in everything from education to healthcare, and high- profile cases of racial injustice have fueled a widespread movement to end systemic racism. Persistent inequities have not only been exposed by the pandemic but exacerbated by it, notes CEA Vice President Tom Nicholas, a school social worker who oversees an NEA grant to address diversity in Connecticut’s teaching profession—another area where gaps exist. CEA, says Nicholas, is leading the charge to ensure equitable, high- quality educational opportunities for all children in Connecticut’s public schools and a teaching force and union that reflect the diversity of our state. That was the impetus behind two virtual training sessions hosted this summer by CEA, including a forum attended by more than 200 members. “These are initial steps in our journey,” said Stamford teacher Sandra Peterkin, ethnic minority director at-large on CEA’s Board of Directors and a member of CEA’s Ethnic Minority Affairs Commission. EMAC Co-Chair Sean Mosley, who teaches in Waterbury, agreed. “We need to hold districts’ feet to the fire so that there is an equal opportunity for every student to hit a homerun in education.” “While we fight for equality, we need equity to make sure all our children are whole and all our schools are whole,” Westport educator Faith Sweeney observed during the virtual training. “That means ensuring all students are seen, valued, and heard.” An NEA director alternate and CEA EMAC member, Sweeney co-chairs CEA’s Equity Task Force, a group of CEA teachers, leaders, and staff charged with addressing racial and social justice and equity in the teaching profession and in the union. (See story at right.) Training the equity lens on our schools Step one in achieving educational equity, say CEA regional organizer-trainers Herman Whitter and Mike Breen, is to gather data, and a school equity assessment offers a good starting point. Whitter and Breen have shared a checklist that asks dozens of specific questions to help teachers examine how intentional their districts are at addressing equity issues. Questions include • Does your school’s faculty represent the diversity of the state? • Does your school offer technology support, such as a help desk for families? • Are accommodations made for staff or students who do not have instructional or safety materials? Gathering data as well as anecdotal information, says CEA Government Relations Director Ray Rossomando, assists local associations in organizing around equity and helps inform state legislative actions to ensure students receive an equitable education.

What do you know personally about them? How are they connected to the community where you teach? You may not know all of your colleagues, so enlist help from teachers you know to identify teachers they know.” In order to build an effective, escalating plan, Zawawi notes, it’s important to understand who has the power to make change at the building level, the district level, and the community level—as well as who might oppose your efforts. “That way, you can get out ahead of them and develop a plan to effect the change you want to create.” A plan for achieving equity in education could start with something

Faith Sweeney

Sandra Peterkin

Sean Mosley

Next steps “We get the data— now what? What do we do with it?” asks CEA Training and Organizational Specialist Joe Zawawi. “We organize around it.” Zawawi emphasizes the importance of relationships within schools and in the broader community to get things done. “That means you go person by person and identify who will help you, who are the activists and natural leaders—people who do the work of the union, who are trusted and respected and buy into the work you’re doing. They bring others along with them.” “Relationships are key,” Whitter agrees. “Approach people you know. Ask them to join with you. Many people don’t get involved simply

because they’ve never been asked. Also look at who might already be involved in social justice inside and outside of school. Bring them in.” “Organizing is about building

“While we fight for equality,we need equity to make sure all our children are whole and all our schools are whole. That means ensuring all students are seen, valued, and heard.” Westport educator Faith Sweeney

power,” adds Zawawi, “and you can’t build power without people. You don’t survey or send emails; you have conversations to see where your fellow teachers stand on the issues.

easy—such as presenting data from your local school equity assessment to your principal or superintendent. If your calls for change are met with resistance, you might circulate a petition and present it to your board of education. “If the board decides not to act,” says Zawawi, “keep escalating until you have a satisfactory resolution to your issue.” Rossomando also notes that data collected in equity assessments, as well as teachers’ personal anecdotes, can be powerful tools for pushing state-level policy change. “Teachers should share their stories with legislators and make those personal connections,” he says. “The energy and observations made at the local level can have a great impact statewide. We have been putting those stories before decision- makers and will continue that work when the legislature resumes.”

CEA Equity Task Force Seeks to Diversify Ranks of Teaching Profession, Union As the state’s largest teachers union, CEA recognizes that achieving equity in education starts from within. “CEA must move forward with an action plan of our own—a plan that includes our internal CEA staff, our Board of Directors, our local associations, and the classrooms we teach in throughout Connecticut,” says CEA President Jeff Leake. This summer, Leake convened a group of volunteers to serve on CEA’s Equity Task Force, chaired by teacher Faith Sweeney and CEA attorney Adrienne DeLucca. The group, which included CEA staff, leaders, and members, met weekly to discuss specific steps to diversify the union and bring equity and racial and social justice to Connecticut’s public schools.

“At the 2016 CEA Representative Assembly,” DeLucca recalls, “a resolution was passed that called on our union to demand change in policies, programs, and practices that condone or ignore unequal justice and hinder student success. One of our group’s tasks was to look at what progress we had made and the work that lies ahead.” In September, the group presented a plan of action to CEA’s Board of Directors. “That will guide our agenda to become the equity champions we want to be and must become,” says Sweeney, who—as one of only two teachers of color in her Westport elementary school—understands not only what it’s like to be

CEA Attorney Adrienne DeLucca

underrepresented in her profession but also how important it is for students in predominantly white communities as well as communities of color to see and hear from educators like her. The task force looked at how CEA as an employer can welcome and value different perspectives, identities, races, and faiths that represent the population of Connecticut as well as how CEA as an association can welcome, value, and offer diverse opportunities that reflect that same population. Recommendations included implicit bias and equity training (CEA’s staff, governance, and Board of Directors participated in training on October 6 and 8, and similar professional development is available free to members), a more robust internship program that intentionally recruits people of color, and collaborative campaigns and actions that eradicate institutional racism in education, end the school-to-prison pipeline, expand community schools, and support educator-led professional development in areas of cultural competence, diversity, and social justice. CEA’s Board of Directors approved the preliminary report of the Equity Task Force and its recommendations to move forward with expanded training, updates to the internship program, and hiring practices within the Association and local districts.

CEA Organizer-Trainer Herman Whitter frequently delivers training on recognizing implicit bias, conducting school equity assessments, and organizing at the local level for change.