April

RALLYING

10 CEA ADVISOR APRIL 2018

Enough Is Enough Teachers join students in Connecticut march to end gun violence C hanting “Enough is enough,” and “We want gun control now,” students, teachers,

worry about whether she can get away; she can’t run.” Demanding action Former Trumbull paraprofessional Jane Tipler said her school’s close proximity to Newtown packs an emotional punch for her community. Originally from the United Kingdom, Tipler believes the U.S. needs stricter gun control laws. “We have to stand up for our students,” said Southington Education Association President Dan Hart, who attended the rally with his wife, Susan, a retired math teacher. “Being here with students sends a message to lawmakers. It shows them what the people want,” which, he said, includes eliminating bump stocks and high-capacity magazines, among other things. Inspired by the students in Parkland and those in Hartford and at rallies throughout the nation, Trumbull High School teacher Nicole Caruso Garcia expressed hope for the future. “These students CEA sponsored one of the many voter registration tables at the rally to encourage students who will turn 18 by the November election to register to vote. CEA is also working with the Connecticut Registrar of Voters to hold voter registration drives in schools across the state, encouraging students to participate in this important democratic right. Senator Richard Blumenthal had a warning for his congressional colleagues who put guns before students. “There will be consequences this November and in 2020, because young people will vote, hold you accountable, and kick you out of office.” are getting things done, and I encourage them all to vote.”

the tough laws Connecticut passed after the Sandy Hook shooting 3. Provide funding for school resources and mental health services Connecticut, which already has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, could see additional changes if legislators approve two bills currently before them. The bills would further improve school security and address aggressive student behavior. (See story, p. 4.) Standing under a makeshift desk and chair at the rally, Westport teacher Kerstin Rao (pictured, top right) illustrated the horror that students face when an active shooter is in their building or during drills to prepare for such a nightmare. “The desk represents every parent’s worst nightmare and every teacher’s heartbreak. I am standing under the desk symbolizing a lockdown drill. We have a culture of anxiety, fear, and complacency with the NRA, and it is time to stop.” Family activism A number of teachers, such as Manchester’s Laurel Botting (pictured below), attended the rally with their children. “I teach because I love kids,” she said. “I don’t want to see them hurt or killed.” Botting, whose 7-year-old daughter is in a wheelchair, fears for her child’s safety. “I don’t want to

parents, and community members marched from the Corning Fountain in Bushnell Park to the steps of the State Capitol for the March for Our Lives rally in Hartford—one of nearly a dozen held across the state. “A change is coming, and it starts right now, led by students like me,” said rally organizer Tyler Suarez. “Our young voices will be heard.” A freshman at the University of Bridgeport, Suarez has dedicated his life to school safety after his aunt, Sandy Hook Elementary School Principal Dawn Hochsprung, was killed. “Educators stand in solidarity with our precious and powerful students, and we stand with you in saying ‘Enough is enough,’” CEA President Sheila Cohen (pictured at right) told the estimated crowd of 15,000. “This is an issue that affects every single one of us. There must never be another single teacher, administrator, coach, custodian, bus driver, cafeteria worker, administrative assistant, or any school personnel whose obituary reads, ‘remembered for giving his or her life in the line of duty.’” “As a teacher, I want to do anything I can to support the civic awakening of students,” said Greenwich Education Association President Carol Sutton. “That is happening here in Hartford, and it is where I needed to be. We are so proud of our students for their activism. This generation has to run with this, because adults have been unsuccessful so far.” The March for Our Lives rallies are part of the nationwide anti- school violence movement that began after the latest school shooting, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 students and teachers dead. The movement is drawing attention to the need to 1. Ensure schools are safe learning environments 2. Urge Congress to pass strict gun and school safety laws similar to