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2 CEA ADVISOR FEBRUARY – MARCH 2023

Leading: Our Perspective

Spring is right around the corner—we can feel it in the air. In this season of growth and renewal, CEA is focused on renewing our profession, our resolve to improve our working conditions, and our commitment to our members, including the fight for better salaries.

reading survey has been suspended and free school lunches for students have been extended this year (see page

9). A tremendous overhaul awaits teacher evaluation in April, thanks to CEA’s collaboration with education leaders and the State Department of Education. This is a big change that has been a long time coming! Speaking of the power of stories, participate in CEA training designed to amplify your voice and establish you as a teacher leader for equity and change. Workshops like 1, 2, 3…Eyes on Me walk you through the how and why of sharing your story with legislators. On a more personal level, think about how you’ve made a lasting impact on a student’s life. See page 11 for real-life teacher stories and share your own in CEA’s Because of a Teacher campaign. Just getting started? Our popular Early Career Educator Conference is designed especially for members in their first seven years of teaching. Come together with colleagues from every corner of the state and learn from each other and from mentors about improving your practice and make the most of your union membership. The conference takes place on March 25, and registration is open now. And remember the power of staying local: Regional County Forums offer an opportunity to talk to other local educators and discuss issues specific to you; check CEA’s events listing online for dates and locations. While the legislative session is our primary focus right now, it’s only a part of our work as a union. May 12–13 is the 175 th CEA Representative Assembly (RA), our time to gather, celebrate, and make decisions about the future of our organization. We will follow that up with the NEA Representative Assembly July 2–6 in Orlando, where we get to participate in a national vision for the future of teaching. Both assemblies are the highest governing bodies of our organizations, and adding your voice to the mix is a terrific opportunity. If you are interested in attending either RA, your local president has details on becoming a delegate. This is your time. Seize the day, tell your story, and demand a better future for yourself, your colleagues, and your students. February 21, 2023

The legislative session is moving along fast and furious, with our work situated front and center. Forty-five members strong, the Education Committee is the third-largest committee in the legislature this year, and committee members are focused on making education a top priority, starting with solutions to the teacher shortage (see story, pages 4–5). Discussions about play, kindergarten start age, funding, school safety, class size, salaries, and pandemic pension credits are just a few of the early conversations we have been having with legislators. We are pushing hard to ensure your needs are at the center of this session, and we kicked off that effort with a legislative breakfast on February 4—the coldest day in recent history. Despite the weather (frozen pipes and dead batteries), teachers and legislators showed up in force. The day was full of opportunities to share our experiences with the people who will make decisions about our funding and working conditions. Educators shared their concerns about their salaries, growing expectations placed on them, and the overwhelming workload of special education teachers specifically, including the problematic CT-SEDS program and the need to fix it (see story on pages 6–7). Legislators encouraged all CEA members to reach out and keep the conversation going; your stories have great power to shape the narrative of the legislative session and its outcome. Looking ahead, we have a lot of additional opportunities to engage. Sign up for the CEA Daily and look out for Action Alerts that let you know when our issues are being discussed and debated and when legislators need to hear your perspective. (Read story on pages 8–9.) Mark your calendar for CEA Lobby Day at the Capitol on April 26, where you can speak one-on one with local lawmakers about issues affecting your profession and your day-to-day. Add your voice to the legislative process—your stories matter! Thanks to your advocacy at every level, we’ve scored some great wins already. Because you shared your experiences with legislators and leaders, the SURVEYING When CEA took the pulse of Connecticut voters, we found that they overwhelmingly back teachers and CEA’s efforts to support them. Read how having the public on our side can help move the needle on key issues. Teachers explain why their colleagues are disappearing from the classroom, what that looks like, and how to fix it. CT-SEDS, the state’s new special education data system, has been plagued with problems since its rollout. Teachers detail the program’s many shortcomings, and upcoming Fix-It Forums are aimed at solving them. More than 100 educators met with elected officials over breakfast to describe the challenges facing today’s teachers and hear how lawmakers plan to help. CEA’s Because of a Teacher campaign continues to shine a spotlight on educators, whose influence often lasts a lifetime. Hear 4-5 REBUILDING 6-7 REMEDYING 8-9 ADVOCATING 10-11 CELEBRATING IN THIS ISSUE 3

Kate Dias, CEA President

Joslyn DeLancey, CEA Vice President

Donald E. Williams Jr. CEA Executive Director

CEA ADVISOR STAFF Nancy Andrews • Communications Director Lesia Day • Managing Editor Laurel Killough • New Media Coordinator Stephanie Boccuzzi • Graphic Designer Eric Ahrens • Web Designer and Developer Marcus Patterson • Administrative Assistant CEA GOVERNANCE Kate Dias • President Joslyn DeLancey • Vice President Tara Flaherty • Secretary Stephanie Wanzer • Treasurer Tanya Kores • NEA Director Katy Gale • NEA Director

from former students about some of the special figures in their lives, and see what other CEA projects have been recognized for communications excellence. The CEA Representative Assembly (RA) and NEA RA are in the offing. Meet newly elected delegates and candidates. If your local has fewer than 76 members, learn how to send county cluster delegates to the 2023 NEA RA. HONORING Connecticut is home to some of the finest educators anywhere, so it’s no surprise that they continue to be recognized at the national level. Meet two of the latest honorees. CONNECTING Count on CEA’s Action Alerts, social media, and more to keep you up to speed on everything happening in the 2023 legislative session and ways you can make sure it ends in victory for public education.

13-14 REPRESENTING

CEA Advisor

February – March 2023 Volume 65, Number 4 Published by Connecticut Education Association 1-800-842-4316 • 860-525-5641 cea.org

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The CEA Advisor is mailed to all CEA members. 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, October/November, December/ January, February/March, April, 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.

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Production date: 2-24-2023