April_2019

PROTECTING

APRIL 2019 CEA ADVISOR 7

TEACHER’S COURAGE, UNION ADVOCACY MAKE CLASSROOM SAFETY A PART OF TEACHERS’ CONTRACTS

After five years as a paraeducator and three as a classroom teacher— all in her hometown—Sara Loftus’s dream of a lifelong teaching profession came to an abrupt end. But even though she left the career she’d always envisioned for herself, she was instrumental in making the experience better for her New Canaan colleagues and the town’s future educators. “Sara had endured repeated classroom assault—a trauma that ultimately led her to leave the profession,” says CEA’s Robyn Kaplan-Cho. “But her determination to set things right and her union’s advocacy on her behalf resulted in clear protocol in her district to inform teachers and administrators of steps needed to ensure greater teacher safety.” “This protocol will become part of every New Canaan teacher’s contract, showing a commitment on the part of both the teachers union and school administration to keep educators and students safe,” says CEA UniServ Representative Brendan Murphy. “It will regularly be reviewed and updated, and it serves as a model for every other school district in our state. If this could be in every teacher’s contract, it would go a long way toward ending the crisis of disrupted learning and disruptive behaviors in classrooms across Connecticut.” “If this could be in every teacher’s contract, it would go a long way

five weeks of the school year and returned in the fall with a full-time position working with four students. It was a heavy but manageable caseload, she recalls, and the students were high-functioning enough that there was conversation and laughter with them. “I loved it,” she says. “I enjoyed working with my students and participating in their IEP meetings.” The following year, Loftus had a very different population of students—one she describes as “more significantly involved.” One student, who had come from out-of- district, was nonverbal and highly aggressive. “This was when violence in the classroom first became an issue for me,” Loftus says. “This student had significant needs, and we needed a safety assist plan for him. The days were definitely harder, the student was throwing things, and at one point, he punched me in the face. I had to miss work as well as get trained in restraint.” Although a safety assist plan was developed, first responders were not always there within those critical first minutes. “I was often a target for this dysregulated student,” Loftus recalls, “and I frequently had to clear the room, with each episode lasting two to three hours. Meanwhile, I was losing a lot of one-on-one instructional time with my other students, and their behavior began to deteriorate for lack of individualized attention.” The student was eventually outplaced to a private special education facility, and Loftus’s classroom became manageable for the remainder of the year. In her third year, everything changed. Downward spiral “Over the summer, I worked with a child who was transitioning into the middle school,” Loftus says. “He was very verbal, and I didn’t see anything alarming at first, but it spiraled pretty quickly. The teacher’s aide who had worked with him in elementary school transitioned up with him and warned us, ‘There is a lot of behavior here, times when your room will be destroyed.’ I learned very quickly that this was all true. “When he entered my classroom, he showed a lot of outward

Sara Loftus continues to work with young people, such as former student Andrew Blackwell, outside the classroom.

aggression toward other students, and anytime he was upset, he would curse or attack them as well as our school resource officer. That third year of my teaching career, my caseload also went up from four students to eight self-contained, highly involved students, each requiring six hours of direct daily instruction from me.” One day, she recalls, this particular student shattered her glasses. “I had to leave work and get contacts. He was ripping things off the wall, hitting, kicking, and using vulgar language.” Shortly after, he bit and bruised her forearm, sending her out for medical care once again. “I had to get a tetanus shot,” she explains. “We had no typed-up protocol about any of this, and no behavioral forms to fill out for written documentation.” New Canaan Education Association (NCEA) President Vivian Birdsall became aware of Loftus’s situation and addressed it with administrators. “We needed to get help for this teacher and critical supports for her students,” Birdsall says. And that’s exactly what NCEA and CEA did.

Paving the way Because of Loftus’s courage to speak out and her determination to set things right for her colleagues, New Canaan now has clear classroom safety protocol as part of its collective bargaining agreement. “Sara’s bravery and honesty paved the way for the New Canaan Public Schools to make a positive change that can, in turn, impact the lives of many Connecticut teachers,” says NCEA Vice President Ronna Van Veghel. “Initially it was bittersweet for me,” Loftus explains, “because I wish I had had these same guidelines and protections, but it’s awesome for teachers going forward, especially early-career teachers who might be afraid to come forward for fear of being labeled a problem.” “This protocol is in effect now,” says Murphy, “and New Canaan principals have notified teachers of their rights and responsibilities when it comes to classroom safety. This will now become part of each teacher’s procedural handbook.” Key provisions include • Teachers’ ability to invoke their rights to notify the police under Assault Statute 10-233g • A team—including the involved teacher—determining when an aggressive student may return to the classroom • Parents of the aggressive student notified in writing of any incidents • Incident reports sent to the school superintendent “If you find yourself in a position like Sara did—with an aggressive student and no guidelines to help you,” says Kaplan-Cho, “keep your union representative apprised of what’s happening. Elementary school teachers are often the least likely to raise their voices about aggressive student behavior, perhaps because their students are so young—but this is where a majority of the aggressive behavior is happening.”

toward ending the crisis of disrupted

learning and disruptive behaviors in classrooms across the state.”

Brendan Murphy, CEA UniServ Representative

In the beginning When she was in kindergarten, Sara Loftus had a classmate with autism. “I was asked to be his peer helper,” she recalls, “and from that experience, what unfolded was a desire to work with children who have special needs.” Loftus, who has dual certification as both a K-6 regular education teacher and a special education teacher, began her career as a teaching assistant at Saxe Middle School in New Canaan, where she— and her parents before her—grew up. “For five years I worked one-on- one with a child who had significant needs,” she explains. “It opened my eyes to the world of special education, and I wanted to continue working with children whose needs were severe. This is where I wanted to make an impact.” When a position opened up in 2015, Loftus was thrilled. She began as a long-term substitute in the final

A BRIGHTER FUTURE Though Loftus left the teaching profession, she has not abandoned her dream of working with special needs students. Recently she teamed up with a former student who wanted to be part of the youth football team. “I’m close with the parents of many former students, and I’m happy to work with them on the things they love and need,” Loftus says. “Andrew, who has Down syndrome, is very social, and being involved in youth football is a way for him to grow socially with his peers. This past fall, I attended all of his practices with him, worked with him on following directions and understanding the game, and coached him on the sidelines. My love for working with children with special needs is still there, and I am finding ways to be fulfilled outside the classroom.”