April

CEA Teachers Stand Up for Safe Schools

April 2018 • Volume 60, Number 5 • Published by the Connecticut Education Association • cea.org

Keeping teachers safe from student aggression p. 4 Urging action to prevent school shootings p. 10-13

LEADING

2 CEA ADVISOR APRIL 2018

Enough Is Enough: Share Your Truth

OUR PERSPECTIVE

As the saying goes, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. But this year it is not going out like a lamb, because a growing community of student, teacher, and parent activists are roaring until something is done to end the scourge of violence in our schools. We are so proud of the hundreds of thousands of students and teachers who participated in Walk- Ins and Walk-Outs for Safe Schools, the March for Our Lives rallies, and meetings with lawmakers—all to keep our schools safe from gun violence and to protect our students and teachers from aggressive student behavior. This nationwide anti-school movement, Vietnam War protests, the women’s rights movement— that helped change the course of American history. And that is exactly what today’s students are hoping to do. They are calling on Congress to take action to strengthen the nation’s gun laws committed to not letting this be a one-and-done movement but will continue to push for change. They are already planning more activities and rallies on April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. They say if they do not get changes and commonsense reforms from politicians now, they will get change at the voting booth in November. and prevent future school shootings. The students are We join our students in saying enough is enough. CEA members stood proudly with our students and were well represented at both the D.C. and Hartford March for Our Lives rallies. (See stories on pages 10-13.) We were in the crowd, and in Hartford at the podium and the voter registration table, where staff members urged high school students to sign up to register to vote. CEA is working with the Connecticut Registrar of Voters and with students, and in the coming weeks will hold voter registration drives in high schools across the state, encouraging students to participate in this important democratic right. As teachers, we teach our students classroom lessons about social justice and the need to stand supporting them in their social activism as they strive for change. These students are our future, and we are standing up and violence movement, led by students, is similar to other actions—the civil rights

up and be heard. We are now applauding and celebrating their courage to do just that. Students like Parkland survivor Emma Gonzalez, who has become one of the faces of the national movement, who gives impassioned speeches and called BS on lawmakers who say laws could not have prevented the Parkland shooting. And Naugatuck’s Tyler Suarez, who spoke so powerfully at the Hartford rally about dedicating his life to speaking out against gun violence and promoting commonsense gun laws after his aunt, Dawn Hochsprung, principal of Sandy Hook Elementary School, was killed in 2012. These students are our future, and we are standing up and supporting them in their social activism as they strive for change. We are their teachers. We taught them about civic responsibility, and this has been a powerful learning opportunity for them to see that government is theirs, and if they engage— especially as voters—they will effect change. Your voice matters While Connecticut has among the toughest gun and school safety laws in the country, more must be done, especially to help protect students and teachers from continued aggressive behavior and assaults by students. We are so grateful to the thousands of teachers who took time to send written testimony to legislators on the issues of aggressive student behavior and the need to roll back the teacher tax. (See stories on pages 4-5.) Our democracy works when individuals participate. You stepped up and shared your personal stories, and they were impactful. Legislators told us they were shocked at the prevalence of teacher assaults. Three courageous teachers testified in person before legislators. Hundreds more told their stories in emails to legislators. You make a difference, and when we stand together, our voices are stronger and more powerful. Speak your truth! The teachers who went on strike in Connecticut, especially in Bridgeport 40 years ago, spoke their truth. They were not concerned about calling out their district or administrators. They were concerned about their colleagues and their students. They spoke out, and many of them were arrested, threatened, and terrorized. Though they were treated like criminals, if you ask any of the teachers who participated in the Bridgeport strike, they will all tell you it was worth the fight, and they would do it again. They shared their truth, and because of it, we have fair wages, good benefits, and the ability to negotiate for them. Hundreds of thousands of teachers have

benefitted from these now commonly accepted and expected—but hard-won benefits—brought about by these teachers’ brave actions. The lessons from the Bridgeport strike are more relevant today than ever before as we tackle societal issues that are causing harm to our teachers and students—issues that include not just gun violence but aggressive student behavior in the classroom. Teachers are being kicked, bitten, knocked down, and having chairs and books thrown at them. They are dealing with a sharp rise in aggressive student behavior that impacts not only them, but also their students. Because of the bravery of some teachers willing to share their truth, legislators are standing up and taking notice. We know that many administrators are telling teachers not to report being assaulted by students, and that their jobs are in jeopardy if they do. We know students are committing assaults and being returned right back into your classrooms with no consequences for their actions, and more importantly, with no mental health services or guidance. We know that teachers are fearful of retribution—of being targeted as troublemakers for reporting assaults—and nontenured teachers risk not being renewed. We know you need to make a living. We understand, but we cannot remain silent. Enough is enough, and we are always here to help you. Because of the bravery of some teachers willing to share their truth, legislators are standing up considered that would strengthen laws regarding assaults on teachers and keep our schools safe from gun violence. We are hopeful that the proposals CEA has put forward will be adopted by legislators. There are just a few short weeks left in this year’s legislative session. When we reach out to you and send you Action Alerts, we urge you to respond, take action, and share your truth with your legislators. We are teachers, and we must educate lawmakers about our important issues. Tell them why they must vote for the issues so important to us and to our students. Always remember we are in this fight for our students, our profession, and our future, and as teachers we must always tell our truth and stand up for what is right. Enough is enough! March 27, 2018 and taking notice. Several Connecticut bills are being

Sheila Cohen CEA President

Donald E. Williams Jr. CEA Executive Director

APRIL 2018 CEA ADVISOR 3

IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS BRIEFS

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LEADING Teachers share their stories and stand up for themselves and their students to keep schools safe. Through social activism and legislative outreach, they strive for change. For too long, student aggressions against teachers have been swept under the rug. Teachers are now sharing their stories of assault and administrative inaction, and legislators are taking notice. Learn how you can join your colleagues to ensure schools are safe places to work and learn.

PENSION PLANNING FOR EARLY-CAREER TEACHERS CEA helps members prepare for the future You may be years away from retirement, but it’s never too early to start planning. Join us at one of four upcoming workshops that give an overview of the Connecticut Teachers’ Retirement System, with a particular emphasis on issues relevant to teachers in the early phase of their career (less than 15 years of service). Workshops are free and open to all CEA members, regardless of years of service. Light dinner will be served. Workshops run from 4:30 to 6 p.m., with check-in at 4 p.m. Register at cea.org/members/events/pension-issues.cfm . Open to CEA members only.

4 ILLUMINATING

5

ADVOCATING CEA teachers and leaders continue pushing back on the teacher tax.

Monday, April 30 South Windsor High School Thursday, May 3 The Academy of Information Technology and Engineering (AITE), Cyber Café, Stamford Tuesday, May 8

6-7 LOBBYING

A number of proposals before the legislature can help or harm public education. Stay up to date on key

proposals this legislative session and make your voice heard. Read how CEA is leading the charge on legislative initiatives that support teachers and students. One out of eight Connecticut teachers will be at the center of a DCF investigation at some point in their careers. Would you know what to do if this happened to you? ADVOCATING Connecticut union members explain how the federal court case Janus v. AFSCME has serious implications for every union member. Meet this month’s Building Rep Superhero—as well as CEA’s legislative coordinator, who tracks every piece of legislation that could affect your profession. In Connecticut’s capital, the nation’s capital, and cities and suburbs throughout our state, teachers are standing up with students to demand meaningful action for safe schools. See photos and highlights from multiple walk-ins and marches, where educators joined their students in saying #Enough. The Connecticut Education Foundation celebrated the year’s biggest literacy event with a six-town Read Across America bus tour across northeastern Connecticut. CEA-RETIRED Save the dates for the CEA-Retired Spring Annual Business Meeting and Spring County Meetings. REPRESENTING See who is running for the office of CEA President, Vice President, NEA Director, and NEA Director Alternate at the 170th annual CEA RA, May 18-19. immigrants, read the inspiring stories of immigrants who have been supported by teachers and students in their Connecticut communities. Learn more about CEA professional development on this timely topic. Teachers were among those marching in Hartford as well as Washington, D.C., standing with students to demand safe schools. Hartford panorama photo credit: Clarice Silber, CTMirror.org . Used with permission. INSPIRING In a climate that is often hostile to

Cheshire High School Wednesday, May 9 Kelly Middle School, Norwich

8 INFORMING

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TEACHER LEADER INSTITUTE TO BE HELD MAY 22 2018 theme: Enabling creativity, collaboration, and innovation

CEA is pleased to partner once again with Central Connecticut State University on the Teacher Leader Fellowship Program Institute (TLFPI), which will be held on Tuesday, May 22, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at CCSU’s Student Center Alumni Hall. The theme of this year’s program is teacher leaders as enablers of creativity, collaboration, and innovation in their classrooms and beyond, and the program is open to all public school teachers. Two internationally known education thinkers, Ottawa’s Dr. Peter Gamwell and Finland’s Dr. Pasi Sahlberg, will deliver morning keynote addresses. Their work has been influential on the structure of education in their respective countries, which are recognized as education superpowers and supporters of teachers as professional leaders. The day will include breakout sessions featuring TLFPI teacher leader fellows and

their administrators, and it will end with a panel of Silicon Valley startup entrepreneurs, many educated in Connecticut schools. They will weigh in on what it takes to conceive of and implement a startup—and how schools can nurture innovators, collaborators, and problem solvers in their classrooms. Offered by CCSU in partnership with CEA, AFT-CT, and Duke University TeachHouse, the program is open to 400 public school educators. Admission is $75, and space is limited.

10-13 RALLYING

Dr. Peter Gamwell

14-15 CELEBRATING

Dr. Pasi Sahlberg

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Register at ccsu.edu/seps/TLFP/TeacherLeaderInstitute.html .

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CONNECT WITH CEA

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The CEA Advisor is mailed to all CEA members. Annual subscription price is $7.63 (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, Hartford, CT 06106-8001

April 2018 Volume 60, Number 5 Published by Connecticut Education Association 1-800-842-4316 • 860-525-5641 • cea.org CEA Advisor CEA Advisor Staff Nancy Andrews................. Communications Director Lesia Winiarskyj.................................Managing Editor Sandra Cassineri................................Graphic Designer Laurel Killough...................... New Media Coordinator

ON THE COVER

Production date: 4-5-18

ILLUMINATING

4 CEA ADVISOR APRIL 2018

TEACHERS’ EMOTIONAL STORIES OF AGGRESSIVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR TRIGGER LEGISLATIVE ACTION CEA outlines new measures to keep classrooms safe

Palma Adams was an elementary school teacher in Watertown until a permanent disability, the culmination of years of student abuse, changed her life. “I would like to explain how my career came to an end,” she told lawmakers. “On September 28, 2007, I was working one-on-one with a multi-handicapped student when he turned, stared at me with a glazed expression, spit in my face, and proceeded to punch me in my left temple. While I tried to get him to his designated safe area, he punched both of my breasts, back- kicked my right ankle to the bone, and bodychecked me to the cement wall.” Attacks such as these were repeated over many years, by many students. “I felt overwhelmed and was unprotected and unsafe in my workplace,” said Adams. “I requested help from school administration for problematic students, but none came.” Silent no more Special education teachers, like Adams, as well as regular education teachers, are sharing alarming stories about being assaulted by their students. A steady rise in student aggression, combined with inadequate administrative attention to the problem, has pushed hundreds of Connecticut teachers to step out from the shadows and speak up. And legislators are sitting up and taking notice. “I came to Manchester a very healthy, active 33-year-old woman,” school social worker Charity Korb recalled, “but I’ve been injured by students so many times that I’ve never been able to heal.” Korb, along with Waterbury middle school teacher June Kozloski and retired Norwich art teacher Heidi Kapszukiewicz, have testified in person about these aggressions. Many others have submitted written testimony detailing the horrors of assaults that resulted in lost teeth, broken jaws, life-changing back and leg injuries, chronic pain, and the anxiety and other post-traumatic stress symptoms that accompany repeated attacks. “I’ve been injured multiple times by different students over the last few years,” said Kapszukiewicz, who retired just weeks earlier from a career teaching art in Norwich. “My career was suddenly stopped short because of a host of injuries,” she explained. “I loved what I did, but when I got punched in my right shoulder and tore my rotator cuff, I was robbed of my career. No student, no teacher should go to school afraid of what might happen to them that day.” (In a video at cea.org/assaultstories , she describes how student assault ended her career.) “These behaviors and lack of support for teachers are adversely affecting the learning environment for students,” said CEA President Sheila Cohen. “The safety of students and teachers in the classroom should be paramount, but in many cases, it

classroom, including the disruptive one, are learning,” Kaplan-Cho says. “Just last week, a teacher told me that from the time an incident with one of her students began and the time her class was able to safely return to her room, three hours had elapsed. In addition to the trauma of witnessing aggressive behavior, that’s three hours of instructional time lost.” CEA Executive Director Donald Williams stressed to lawmakers, “Ignoring these problems undermines school safety and robs students with behavioral issues of the opportunity to get assistance— before school issues become criminal justice issues.” Contact your legislators. Tell them to support SB 453.

is being ignored. Oftentimes, disruptive students are returned to their classrooms almost immediately, where the aggressive behavior continues.” CEA Program Development Specialist Robyn Kaplan-Cho calls the issue a crisis and notes that student assault has become most prevalent in the elementary and pre- kindergarten classrooms—a fact that surprises many outside the education community. Calls for policy change After hearing teachers’ firsthand accounts, the legislature’s Education Committee raised a bill, SB 453, aimed at improving teacher safety. The bill, which will be voted on by the full legislature, includes CEA’s proposal to allow a teacher to remove from the classroom a student who has assaulted someone, poses a threat to the safety of others, or repeatedly bullies other students. The bill recommends placing the student in an appropriate setting that does not threaten other students, and it requires that the student receive appropriate supports before returning to the classroom. Other CEA-supported measures in the bill include • enhancing response and establishing appropriate procedures regarding violent behavior • requiring that administrators report violations of classroom safety to parents and the board of education • requiring administrators to meet with teachers within two days of an incident to establish a plan to address violent behavior on an ongoing basis Ripple effect Korb, who is the only social worker for the 300 students at her elementary school, says, “There’s such a large number of students who need significant behavior supports that I can’t ever bring anything to fruition.” Every day, she says, she misses regularly scheduled appointments with students who have IEPs or 504 plans because other students are acting out and disrupting their classes. “If a classroom has to be cleared several times per week because a student is having a meltdown, throwing chairs, and pulling down bulletin boards, no students in that

Several student assaults caused a shoulder injury that ended Heidi Kapszukiewicz’s teaching career.

Rates of violent incidents in

80

Connecticut schools In recent years, the number of violent incidents reported in Connecticut public schools has risen steadily, even as enrollment has declined. Teacher testimony also points to the serious issue of school administrators underreporting violent incidents.

60

40

20

Incidents per 1,000 students

Source: Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, CTMirror. org. “How Safe Are CT Students At School?” (based on data from the Connecticut Department of Education)

0

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

IN THEIR OWN WORDS Hundreds of teachers are sharing their personal stories of being assaulted or threatened by students—and having administrators sweep their concerns under the rug. Their courage to speak has made an impact on lawmakers, who are working to pass legislation to make classrooms safe. Here are some excerpts from teachers’ powerful testimony: • A colleague and I were both assaulted by a student this year. The student in question pushed each of us. My colleague was in her second trimester of pregnancy at the time. I suffered from a herniated disc. • I was physically attacked a few years back. A child kicked me so hard that I needed to have knee reconstruction surgery. I now limp. • I was physically assaulted by a student last year and had to go on disability leave. I now have permanent back problems. • Assaults on school personnel are a major problem that doesn’t get addressed. We are punching bags and disrespected on a regular basis. • I received a sexually harassing email from a student, and the principal told me I should be lucky he didn’t sexually assault me. I received no support from administration, and no action was taken. • A good friend and colleague had to give up her running hobby after a student kicked her so hard that her leg fractured and never fully recovered. • I have been violently shoved around in my classroom. The administration and resource officer did nothing. They blamed me. • I had rotator cuff surgery and was punched by a fourth-grade student. The punch was forceful and purposeful, and nothing was done about it. • My colleagues who have been assaulted have left the profession because they felt abused and not supported by the administration. • I have been hit, kicked, scratched, and pushed. • I have had my clothes ripped and ruined; had large chunks of my hair ripped out, causing my scalp to bleed; been bitten to the point of scarring; and been kicked so hard that bruises lasted for weeks. • Students are scared and stressed, and the teachers are fearful that if they file an assault report they will lose their jobs. • There isn’t enough strong action to help students who witness these attacks, which result in decreased learning in the classroom, witnessing the removal of a fellow student, and a guest teacher coming to their room because their teacher is receiving medical attention.

Watch Charity Korb tell her emotional story at cea.org/assaultstories.

ADVOCATING

APRIL 2018 CEA ADVISOR 5

TEACHERS, CEA LEADERS TO LEGISLATORS: ROLL BACK THE TEACHER TAX

CEA is fighting back on an increased pension contribution for teachers that is causing financial hardship for CEA members. Passed by legislators last year without so much as a public hearing, the payroll tax increase—combined with increases in healthcare costs, furlough days, and little or no wage increases—means that many Connecticut teachers are taking home less pay this year. In a March 16 public hearing on whether to repeal the increase in the teacher payroll tax, CEA Executive Director Donald Williams told the legislature’s Finance Committee that “teachers were singled out for the largest per capita tax increase—an average of about $700 per teacher. The dollars collected by the state were not used to offset the state’s unfunded liability in the Teachers’ Retirement Fund, but rather were used to reduce the state’s contribution to the fund.” The payroll tax increase from 6 percent to 7 percent is not a one- percent increase but a 16.6-percent increase in what teachers are required to pay. In fact, our teachers pay just as much as other teachers across the U.S. when you consider that salaries are higher here because of the significantly higher cost of

living. A 6-percent contribution by a Connecticut teacher is comparable to an 11-percent contribution by a teacher in Texas or 10 percent by a teacher in Maine or Louisiana. Teachers do not participate in Social Security and are dependent on their retirement fund. Over the years, teachers have always paid their fair share into the teacher retirement plan, but the state has not fully funded or paid its share—creating an unfunded liability that jeopardizes the solvency of the fund. “Teachers have been paying more than their fair share for decades. They have paid 6 percent of their salary since 1993—a much greater share toward their pension than in many other states for that length of time,” Williams said. He urged legislators to pass HB 5430, rolling back the unfair increase in the teacher payroll tax. More than 450 CEA teachers submitted testimony urging the same. Teachers James Tierinni (Manchester) and Matt Macaluso (Somers) were able to attend the hearing and testify in person. “Teachers are middle-class employees, and this is a huge tax on middle-class families,” Tierinni said. He added that many teachers in his

Manchester teacher James Tierinni told legislators that many of his colleagues work second jobs to make ends meet.

school are already working a second job just to make ends meet. Macaluso said that his additional $800 contribution equals the cost of a month of groceries for his family of four. “The Connecticut legislature broke the piggy bank in the form of years of underfunding the Teachers’ Retirement Fund,” he said. “Now teachers are expected to glue it back together.” “The state’s budget woes should not fall squarely on the backs of public school educators, nor should

teachers be penalized for the state’s mistakes,” Williams asserted. “There is a better, fairer way to address the state’s unfunded liability for teacher retirement. It is not to unfairly tax teachers more but rather to meet the state’s obligation in a way discussed by the Teachers’ Retirement Viability Commission—placing the State Lottery into the retirement fund, or finding other sustainable revenue streams to ensure the fund is solvent for decades to come.”

PAYROLL TAX HITTING TEACHERS HARD Some of the stories of hardship teachers have shared include the following: • You have literally removed $1,800 from my yearly household operating budget (we are a two-teacher family). With rising costs for all things, and especially high-deductible healthcare costs, this constitutes a big hit. • When districts cannot afford classroom books, teachers buy them. When district budgets cannot cover the cost of art supplies, teachers buy them. When kids come to school hungry, teachers provide snacks and food. When kids come to school without coats, teachers buy them. We support kids because we care. It would be wonderful if our state appreciated all that we do and supported us the same way. • I have already suffered through years of increased insurance costs and 0% to 1% raises. I have been treading water for years, financially; this unfair tax should be repealed. • I still don’t have enough money to properly rent or own a place of my own while maintaining loan payments, paying bills, and buying food to eat. I buy notebooks and pencils for my class out of my own pocket. I buy books for my students to promote literacy—books on their level that will also spark their interest—again, out of my own pocket. • The increase in the teacher payroll tax more than offsets any raise we get, and coupled with our increasing share of health insurance, we are going backwards. • My paycheck leaves no extra for my children’s college savings.

The Lottery and the Teachers’ Retirement System: A Win-Win for Teachers and the State

The Teachers’ Retirement Viability Commission, created by the legislature last year, determined that placing the Connecticut Lottery into the Teachers’ Retirement Fund in 2019 would result in an immediate reduction in the state’s unfunded liability. Furthermore, the Teachers’ Retirement System assets would benefit by a stable source of significant income. “If structured correctly,” said CEA’s Donald Williams, “this transfer would utilize a public asset for a public purpose, significantly pay down the state’s unfunded pension liability, and as a result, reduce the state’s yearly financial obligation.” In Canada, says Williams, Ottawa provides a useful model for this—using their lottery for a public purpose and retaining it as a public asset. The Connecticut Lottery is valued at approximately $5 billion. Placing the lottery into the Teachers’ Retirement Fund would result in an increase in the fund’s value by $5 billion, going from about 56% funded to more than 70% funded. This would dramatically reduce the state’s unfunded liability—and the state’s yearly payment, since there would be less unfunded liability to pay off—and result in greater predictability and stability for the state and greater retirement security for teachers.

CEA is pushing hard for this plan, and so should you. Details on how this plan would work are at cea.org/lotterypensions .

CEA Executive Director Donald Williams urges lawmakers to roll back the teacher tax.

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6 CEA ADVISOR APRIL 2018

KEEPING PUBLIC EDUCATION FRONT AND CENTER AT THE CAPITOL CEA Leaders, Staff, and Members Testify on Key Legislative Proposals

CEA President Sheila Cohen asks legislators to restore funding to Connecticut’s schools. She is joined by teachers Shay Lewis (CREC), Cathy Davis (West Hartford), Tim Zeuschner (South Windsor), and Ethan Spinelli (Region 8, Hebron).

source for all students, regardless of where they live.” Restore TEAM funding The budget cuts also wiped out state funding for Connecticut’s Teacher Education And Mentoring (TEAM) program, one of the most highly regarded new teacher induction and support programs in the country. Teachers unanimously called for the reinstatement of funds for this key program. CREC Museum Academy fifth- grade teacher Shay Lewis recalled, “I have been in districts with and

without mentoring programs, and I found that the districts that supported me as a new teacher were the ones where I was the most successful. When teachers are not professionally supported, nurtured, and given the opportunity to grow, it is difficult to keep them in the profession.” Recruitment and retention of teachers who reflect the diversity of the students they serve is particularly crucial, she said—and particularly challenging without programs such as TEAM.

SUPPORT Full, Fair Education Funding

Quality public education does not happen without adequate funding. That was the message from CEA teachers and leaders who held a news conference at the Legislative Office Building and later testified at a public hearing before the legislature’s Appropriations Committee. Teachers pushed for the restoration of • education cost share (ECS) funding for schools • TEAM, a critical program that supports new teachers • a budget that ensures veteran teachers who have dedicated their professional lives to Connecticut’s children can retire with dignity “Our Teachers’ voices are critical. Keep the pressure on lawmakers. Remind them that including fewer resources, the elimination of programs, and increases in class size,” said CEA President Sheila Cohen. “Legislators must restore public school funding so that all students have the resources, tools, and support they need to achieve.” “What’s at stake here today is the future of stable, quality public schools in our state,” said CEA Executive Director Donald Williams. “All during the last session, legislators worked very hard to keep ECS funding whole. Despite their efforts and the resulting bipartisan biennial budget, the governor has since cut almost $67 million in education funding from that budget.” The districts most severely cut have not been in wealthy towns, your issues are important and that their actions have a real, measurable impact. students and teachers are dealing with the destructive consequences of budget cuts,

Williams pointed out, but in those struggling to make ends meet— municipalities that serve a diverse population and have significant pockets of poverty. “The schools in those cities and towns,” he said, “are under attack. We’re here today to ask the Committee to restore critical funding to our schools, or class sizes will increase and quality will decline.” In addition to urban districts, small, rural communities were some of the hardest hit. “We are already doing more with less, and our schools can’t absorb more cuts,” said Ethan Spinelli, a middle school science teacher in Regional District 8. “We must find long-term solutions to the state’s chronic underfunding problem and develop a new, fair funding plan that ensures that every student has the necessary resources and support to be successful.” “These cuts are on top of last year’s cuts, which decimated our school budget,” added Tim Zeuschner, a social studies teacher at South Windsor High School. West Hartford second-grade teacher Cathy Davis observed, “In a year when I see more and more classrooms with students whose needs are so severe that we have to clear the room so that their emotional needs can be attended to in a way that is safe for all students, the governor proposes less funding for schools. Class sizes are so high already that meeting students’ individual needs is a constant struggle. With these cuts, it will become impossible.” “Connecticut must stop underfunding and endangering our students’ futures,” Cohen reiterated. “We must develop a new ECS plan that provides a fair, reliable, sustainable, and equitable funding

Contact your legislators and urge them to support education funding.

SUPPORT Expanding the Rights of Teachers Injured at Work When Schools Fail to Remedy Known Hazards CEA has successfully advocated for a bill that would enable

teachers to file a civil action in court against their employers, as well as collect punitive damages and compensation for attorneys’ fees, if they are hurt on the job after a school fails to address a dangerous situation that has been reported in writing. “We have had situations where school administrators who are aware of a real threat to a teacher’s welfare—such as a student who is violent—fail to take steps to ensure the classroom is a safe working and learning environment,” said CEA’s Robyn Kaplan-Cho, who testified in support of the bill that would

expand teachers’ rights. “This bill could prompt administrators to take more immediate action to address a known risk.”

SCHOOL YOUR LAWMAKERS With less than a month remaining in Connecticut’s legislative session, it’s important to make your voice heard on proposed laws that affect you, your profession, and your students. Join your union and your colleagues in making sure lawmakers understand which proposals protect students, teachers, and public education—and which ones do harm. Call your legislators today. Quickly look up your state senator and representative at cea.org . Go to Legislation and Politics, then Find Your State Legislator.

REJECT Education Savings Accounts to Pay for Private Schools In testimony before the legislature’s Education Committee, CEA President Sheila Cohen urged lawmakers “to reject even exploring the insidious idea of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) being introduced in our state.” Cohen explained that ESAs are a voucher-like mechanism for privatizing public education and redirecting taxpayer dollars away from public schools. “These neo-voucher plans, together with similar proposals like ‘scholarship’ vouchers, are envisioned to be used for private and parochial school tuition, homeschooling, tutors, online and ‘virtual’ education, and transportation,” Cohen said. “They are ill-conceived and threaten our nation’s commitment to providing public education for all students.”

House Democrats...... 860-240-8500 House Republicans.... 860-240-8700 Senate Democrats..... 860-240-8600 Senate Republicans... 860-240-8800

LOBBYING

APRIL 2018 CEA ADVISOR 7

REJECT CEO-Led Commission Recommendations— Raising Taxes, Taking Aim at Worker Freedoms and Teacher Pensions Raising the state sales and gas taxes, eliminating the estate and gift taxes, selectively raising business taxes, eliminating collective bargaining for state workers, and reforming the Teachers’ Retirement System were just a few of the recommendations released by the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth. The 14-member commission, made up mostly of wealthy business executives— nine of whom have strong ties to the Connecticut Business and Industry Association—proposed 10 key recommendations, the majority of which take aim at the state’s middle class. “There is much to unpack in the commission’s report, but raising taxes that disproportionately harm the middle class while providing tax cuts for the wealthy is not a formula that makes sense,” said CEA Executive Director Donald Williams. “Raising the state sales tax and gas tax while eliminating the estate and gift taxes and lowering income taxes most significantly for the wealthy are not the bold reforms our state needs to help grow our economy. While we agree with other recommendations to improve our infrastructure and cities, we oppose taking away the rights of working men and women that will worsen wage inequality and make Connecticut less attractive for skilled employees,” Williams said. While the commission called for increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour, it also called for striking collective bargaining rights for state workers, which would put state employee pension benefits and funding in the hands of the legislature—the very body that has underfunded the Teachers’ Retirement System for decades, thereby creating a significant unfunded liability that has jeopardized the fund’s solvency. The group also recommended changes to the contribution levels and benefits of the Teachers’ Retirement Fund. CEA is advocating against the most egregious parts of this plan and urging legislators not to accept these harmful proposals. One proposal put forth by the commission—using revenue from the state lottery system for the Teachers’ Retirement Fund—is a concept CEA could support, said Williams, noting that it could reduce the unfunded liability, ensure a consistent revenue stream, and improve the long-term viability of the fund. (See story, page 5.)

REJECT Lower Standards for Teacher Certification and Provisional Certificates to Charter School Teachers as a Way of Recruiting Minority Educators trauma, coupled with displacement and uncertainty,” said Rossomando. “The educational needs of these children go beyond classroom space and include English language assistance, access to social workers, trauma- informed instructional practices, and potentially additional aid to provide for daily necessities. CEA urges the legislature to consider these additional needs as it determines how best it can serve the children of Puerto Rico who are now the children of Connecticut.” SUPPORT Assistance for Schools That Have Enrolled Students from Puerto Rico Displaced by Hurricane Maria An estimated 1,500 children from Puerto Rico are enrolled in Connecticut schools after being displaced from their homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, and these schools have received no additional funds or support. Ray Rossomando, CEA’s Director of Policy, Research, and Government Relations, testified in favor of a bill to help school districts serving these students. “The children affected by this disaster have experienced a severe

A bill that would relax teacher certification requirements, ostensibly as a way of recruiting minority teachers, is “a slap in the face to the decades of struggle that people of color have spent overcoming the stigma of not being as good as our non-minority colleagues,” said Bridgeport teacher Mia Dimbo. Dimbo, a member of Connecticut’s Minority Teacher Recruitment Policy Oversight Council and CEA’s Ethnic Minority Affairs Commission, testified against the proposal, along with Dr. Lara White, a The bill, they said, opens the door to business-run charter schools to “certify” teachers who do not meet the same standards as their counterparts in Connecticut’s traditional public schools. “This bill reduces professional standards under the pretext of luring more minorities into becoming classroom teachers,” said Dimbo. “I am social studies teacher at West Hartford’s Hall High School. socioeconomic barriers to prove they are as capable as their colleagues. There is a difference between removing requirements that create unnecessary hurdles and lowering professional standards.” “I ask that the members of the panel support districts that are creating innovative programs to identify and recruit students of color to careers in education,” said White. “As a practicing teacher of color, I cannot support any proposals that would lower the standards, professionalism, or expectations for any Connecticut educator.” “It is obvious,” Dimbo said, “that the intent of this bill is to make teacher certification more dependent on who you know than what you know. Certainly, the state’s business-run charter management organizations welcome this bill.” In some business-run charters, she noted, more than half the teaching staff is uncertified, which exceeds the legal maximum of 40 percent. Teacher turnover in those schools is excessively high, with most teachers leaving within three years. “This is one of the many insidious ways that business-run charters profit from taxpayer monies. They hire unqualified teaching staff to deliver scripted lessons and zero-tolerance discipline policies, pay them low wages, insulted, as are all teaching professionals who overcame

overwork them, and repeat this cycle every time one of them resigns because they are tired of being exploited. This bill would certify individuals to teach even if they do not have a single college-level course in teaching.” “As an experienced teacher of color who has taught in Connecticut magnet, charter, and public schools and who has tirelessly supported efforts to recruit and retain more teachers of color, I have concerns about the contents of this bill,” White added. “I am apprehensive about suspending professional credentials and preparation programs to allow charter schools to hire teachers who would be unprepared and overwhelmed.” The chronic problem of high teacher turnover and lack of teacher preparation within business-run charters, she said, would only be exacerbated by a bill that lowers the bar. Teachers Mia Dimbo (above) and Dr. Lara White (below) object to a bill that weakens teacher certification standards.

CEA Executive Director Donald Williams (left), Connecticut AFL-CIO President Lori Pelletier, and AFSCME Council 4 Executive Director Sal Luciano talk to reporters about the commission’s report.

SUPPORT Protecting Student/Teacher Data Privacy

Data on students—and with it, teacher and classroom data—must be protected from breach, abuse, and misuse, especially by third parties profiting from the collected data. That’s the position CEA has taken in supporting a bill that would ensure parents are informed about data privacy laws and the collection of student data by third parties. “In recent years, CEA sought to protect classroom information from the dangers of insecurity and negligence after incidents of loose data arose in Connecticut when third-party contractors provided services without paying heed to data security,” CEA’s Ray Rossomando told members of the legislature’s Education Committee. “Together

with a handful of other states, Connecticut is setting the standard for online protection. Yet there are a small number of large online companies arguing that compliance is too difficult. They are using their power to force a standoff between compliance and the educational needs of students, and they are arguing that Connecticut should simply roll back its law and defer to FERPA.” Created in 1974, before most people had touchtone dialing in their homes, FERPA is a federal student privacy law that has not evolved with the times. “With this bill,” Rossomando told the committee, “you come down on the side of the children, and we support you on this.”

INFORMING

8 CEA ADVISOR APRIL 2018

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

WHAT TO DO IN A DCF INVESTIGATION

Meet fictional second-grade teacher Iva Heart, who has taught in the same school in the South Haven School District for 18 years. Admired and known as a fun, caring teacher, she gets stellar evaluations, and her personnel file contains many letters of appreciation from parents. On a Friday afternoon, her principal called Mrs. Heart into his office for a meeting with an investigator from the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The assigned classroom paraprofessional, who is always in Mrs. Heart’s room, covered her class during the meeting. The principal explained that he’d received a call from a parent alleging that Mrs. Heart screamed at her daughter during a math lesson the day before. The child reported that Mrs. Heart not only raised her voice and abruptly took her papers away when she didn’t answer a question correctly, but also that she refused permission for her to use the bathroom. After learning her daughter was afraid to return to school, the child’s mother called DCF as well as the school. She said her daughter’s best friend, who sits next to her in class,

would corroborate her story. When the principal questioned the other child, she confirmed her friend’s account of what transpired. Mrs. Heart was crestfallen. She had no idea where this allegation came from. She recalled having a math lesson the day before, and when the two girls were talking, she came over and quietly asked them to return to their assignment. She would never yell or a grab a child’s papers, and while she had a bathroom policy in place, she had never denied any child use of the bathroom. Mrs. Heart told all of this to the principal and DCF investigator, and the investigator asked her many questions about her classroom and behavior protocols. The investigator asked for copies of the teacher’s personnel file. Mrs. Heart did not mention that her paraprofessional was in the room with her the entire day, including the time when the girls were spoken to. It can happen to you If you think allegations like the ones Mrs. Heart faced are rare, think again. Over the course of their careers, one in eight Connecticut teachers will be at the center of a DCF investigation, often facing allegations similar to those made against Mrs. Heart. When these investigations happen, says CEA attorney Melanie Kolek, “they are like lightning strikes. “We have received as many as nine separate DCF cases in a single day,” she says. “If you become the subject of a DCF allegation, do not talk to your colleagues or friends about what has happened, even though you may be shocked, frightened for your job, and looking

10 Dos And Don’ts for Teachers Facing Charges or Complaints of Any Kind 1. DO NOT talk to anyone until you have talked to your CEA UniServ Rep. (The same is true if you are called in to answer questions about a colleague’s behavior.) 2. DO NOT discuss the allegations with a DCF investigator before consulting with CEA Member Legal Services. 3. DO NOT make spontaneous responses to charges brought against you. In crisis, it can be difficult to think clearly. 4. DO NOT appear at an accusatory hearing unless you are accompanied by an Association representative. 5. DO NOT attempt to defend yourself alone. 6. DO NOT accept an “opportunity to resign.” 7. DO NOT submit a written statement to your administrator. 8. DO NOT refuse carrying out an administrator’s orders, even though doing so would violate your contract. Your UniServ Rep will advise you concerning exceptions to this rule. 9. DO write down immediately everything that has happened—a narrative including time, date, location, names of involved persons, witnesses, and actual words spoken. Do not submit this written report to anyone until your UniServ Rep has reviewed it. 10. DO keep copies of all correspondence related to the situation.

for moral support. Your first contact should be your UniServ Rep, and your first line of legal defense is CEA Member Legal Services.” Mrs. Heart should have told her administrator that she wanted union representation with her in this meeting if administration wanted to ask her questions, and if DCF wanted to question her as well, they would need to do so at a later date,

with an attorney from CEA Member Legal Services present. Skilled legal counsel would have been able to determine whether an interview with the DCF investigator was advisable or necessary, and to further determine what other or different important information was helpful for Mrs. Heart to share—in this case, that another adult was in the classroom at all times.

One of the many benefits of union membership is that CEA members may receive free legal representation in various employment-related disputes and complaints.

ADVOCATING

APRIL 2018 CEA ADVISOR 9

CEA, LABOR LEADERS, LEGISLATORS TAKE A STAND AGAINST JANUS Oral arguments heard in a case aimed at weakening unions

“Stand up. Rise up. Lift up.” That was the rallying cry of more than 350 union members on the steps of the Connecticut Supreme Court in Hartford on February 26, as the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments in the case of Janus vs. AFSCME , a lawsuit aimed at weakening unions. CEA leaders were joined by labor leaders and legislators in speaking out to protect workers’ rights to collectively negotiate for decent, equitable pay, affordable healthcare, quality schools, and vibrant communities. Rallies were held simultaneously in three other Connecticut locations: New Haven, Stamford, and Storrs. “ Janus is an attack on all working people, on our teachers, on our children, on our students, on our caregivers, and on skilled labor,” said CEA President Sheila Cohen. “There would be no middle class without the unions, and make no mistake about it, the Janus case is not only an attack on unions, it is an attack on the middle class. When we are attacked, we stand together and fight back.” “We are here as union members to make things better,” said AFL-CIO President Lori Pelletier. “It’s up to us Each year, when Connecticut’s General Assembly convenes, Susan Heller Williams is at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford closely monitoring bills that affect public school teachers. As a legislative coordinator with CEA’s Government Relations team, Williams works year-round researching and reviewing legislative initiatives, reaching out to CEA members to develop a legislative agenda that works for teachers, and building relationships with Connecticut lawmakers so that they can better understand the view from the classroom. “My job is to lobby for legislation that improves working conditions for teachers, and I work to beat back proposals that could undermine the profession and the classroom environment,” she says. “That means gathering information from teachers, especially those who serve on CEA’s Legislative Commission, and identifying their issues—from standardized testing to student assault and teacher retirement. We lay the groundwork for what we’re going to ask legislators to pass or reject, and we stay in touch with them on these issues all throughout the legislative session.”

street at the State Capitol and all across Connecticut understand that we will not sit idly by while corporate America tries to beat us down.” House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz and Representatives Matt Ritter, Mike D’Agostino, and Matt Lesser told the crowd to keep up the fight. “Everywhere we turn, our values are under attack,” said Aresimowicz. “Now, more than ever, we need to stand together.” He quoted his colleague Rep. Matt Ritter, who said on the House floor,

visible, and be seen. Be here all the way to November, and together we will work on lifting everyone up, not bringing everyone down.” “ Janus is a battle in a much larger war,” said D’Agostino, who held up a bill he said Republicans introduced to reduce the cost of labor in Connecticut. He said the bill is funded by those who support the Janus case with the goal of making Connecticut the next Wisconsin. (In Wisconsin, teacher contracts were replaced with highly restrictive policy handbooks. For a powerful video explaining what happened in Wisconsin, visit cea.org/issues/ news/2017/aug/02/voices-of- wcea.cfm .) “Keep up the fight,” said D’Agostino. “Organize, organize, organize, and get out and vote in November. This is a battle in a larger war we can—and must—win.” A decision in Janus vs. AFSCME is expected later this spring. Sign up at blogcea.org for updates. For Torrington Building Rep, Union Involvement Creates Closer Ties at School Teachers know what it means to have a full plate. But despite her busy schedule, Torrington art teacher Sarah Mobley has carved out extra time to serve as a building rep in her local. “The union is our voice,” she explains. “Together we are stronger and can do more to get the change we want in our schools. That is a power that union membership provides, and it’s important to be a part of it.” The Southwest Elementary School teacher is in her first year as a building rep. “I found out that my local didn’t have any building reps who teach the arts, so I thought: Well, I’ll step up and take that position,” she explains. “With everything we have to do day to day, it’s easy to develop tunnel vision. But getting involved with the union, I find I feel closer with the teachers in my building and can be a conduit for those who may not be as involved. I enjoy being able to help them and keep them informed.” Mobley says the value of union membership is clear in a number of concrete ways, including the fact that class sizes are smaller than in non-union states. “It’s easier and cheaper to have larger class sizes, but we know it doesn’t work. As teachers, we live that reality every day. Our union is where we can say ‘No, we need to have a cap.’ There needs to be a reason beyond economics why you would put five or 10 additional students in the classroom.”

“Collective bargaining is a part of the fabric of the state of Connecticut, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Collective bargaining lifts people up.” He encouraged teachers and other union members to “be heard, stand up, be loud, be

CEA President Sheila Cohen joined labor leaders from across the state and legislators at a rally in Hartford as the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Janus vs. AFSCME .

now, so we are taking this fight to the streets in Hartford, Stamford, New Haven, and UConn today to make sure the people across the

Susan Heller Williams, Legislative Coordinator

Often, Williams says, CEA

collaborates with other groups to jointly advocate for legislation that multiple stakeholders and whole communities see as beneficial—proposed bills, for example, that protect pensions, health insurance, student safety and privacy, or collective bargaining.

Since joining CEA in 2008, Williams says one of her proudest moments was the successful removal of state mastery exam scores from teacher evaluations. “This victory happened at the State Board of Education, but it was the culmination of coordinated introduced, and we had members meeting with their own legislators back home in their towns. The State Board of Education saw our power as a union. They knew we would win this fight.” Before coming to CEA, Williams served for more than 25 years as an organizer and lobbyist for the American Federation of Teachers. efforts everywhere. We had members speaking at public hearings, we had legislation

The legislative session this year runs through May 9, and the closer it gets to the end of the session, the longer the days for Williams and her colleagues, with meetings and public hearings often stretching into the wee hours. “I couldn’t work somewhere if I didn’t believe in the organization’s goals,” she says. “Teachers make the world a better place, and I’m committed to fighting for their rights and the rights of their students.” Williams comes from a family rooted in social justice and community organizing. “My parents were very involved in the civil rights movement, and my father organized major events in Boston and Washington, D.C.,” she recalls. “When I was 14, I helped organize my first action—a march in Hartford to eradicate hunger.”