CEA_Summer 2023 Advisor

ADVOCATING

SUMMER 2023 CEA ADVISOR 5

Union Advocacy Restores Vital Education Funding The East Hampton Education Association’s efforts paid off this summer when voters turned out on a hot July day to pass the education budget. Teachers and community supporters had been organizing and rallying for months, strongly objecting to cuts the town council and board of finance tried to make to the education budget. They successfully rallied the community to vote “no, too low” in a budget referendum, resoundingly defeating a budget that would have eliminated teaching positions and increased class sizes. “Because the budget passed, we can move forward to the next school year without laying off any teachers,” says East Hampton Education Association President and middle school music teacher Neil Shilansky. “We’re very pleased that student class sizes will remain at a favorable level.” Shilansky says that EHEA, with the help of CEA, mobilized teachers and others to speak up at board of education, board of finance, and town council meetings. On school days when there were important

BECAUSE OF OUR UNION Curtis Darragh IV NEA Danbury social chair and Westside Middle School Academy counselor 2021 Connecticut School Counselor of the Year ‘We can fight for what’s best for our kids’

It’s been a huge battle to get appropriate supports for students’ mental health, but our union has been fighting every step of the way. Last year, funding for mental health resources was a major legislative achievement in our state, and this year, CEA succeeded at getting that funding extended in order to expand counseling and social emotional services. I can’t overstate how badly this is needed. In my district, we have no elementary school counselors, and my own caseload is 375 students. We need better counselor-to student ratios. We can do a lot better.

As the 2021 School Counselor of the Year, I’ve heard a lot of what teachers and students were going through. Having worked through the pandemic, I’ve seen it firsthand. There has been a rise of depression and anxiety among students, and in younger children, a lot of this manifests itself in

board of finance or town council meetings, EHEA members wore #RedforEd as a reminder to attend that evening’s meeting. CEA Communications created signs to hold at busy intersections in town, reminding the community to get involved, while CEA Government Relations staff, emailed and texted action alerts to all CEA members who live in town. EHEA also

aggressive behavior—often directed at teachers. This is happening in elementary schools and not only to special education teachers in self-contained classrooms but also to general education teachers. Our school psychologists and social workers are feeling the brunt of this as well. Being involved in my union has been key to making important social and professional connections and agitating for change in education policy and funding. I’ve been a school counselor for eight years, and to every new single teacher, I say this: Your union has your back! When you need help or representation, fighting this fight yourself you can easily lose. I work in a large district, and being active in your union helps you know what’s going on. I’m very thankful for our union, because it means we can fight for what’s best for our kids.

Marquis Johnson Glastonbury High School science teacher 2020 Windsor Teacher of the Year and Connecticut Teacher of the Year finalist ‘They have our backs’ During my time as Teacher of the Year, I talked with a lot of fellow educators about why we entered the field, but in the years since, we’ve seen a deepening teacher shortage. Societal influences that demonize our profession have made it increasingly challenging to do our work. Many excellent educators, both newcomers and experienced veterans, have made the difficult decision to take their talents and energy elsewhere—where they know they will be respected and rewarded. My colleagues and I need to be able to focus on education, pedagogy, making connections with the children in our classrooms—all those rich things we understand lead to better outcomes for our students. To that end, the unions that support us are more important than ever. They have our backs, they advocate for us behind the scenes, they take up the slack, and they push for strong protections and sound education policy so that we can concentrate our attention where it matters most: on our students and their future. Teachers come into this profession because we love making a difference. We have a passion for educating and helping young people.

L-R: East Hampton Middle School math teacher Shawn Quinn, Granby Memorial High School choral director Mindy Shilansky, and EHEA President Neil Shilansky encourage voters to support the school budget.

communicated with the their board of education and administrators about how to pass a budget that retained staff and resources. “We stood side by side holding signs before the initial referendum in May, encouraging residents to vote ‘no, too low,’” Shilansky says. “Passing this budget means students will not have their ability to learn affected by larger class sizes or fewer course offerings,” says EHEA Vice President Richard Storrs, a social studies teacher. “It also demonstrates what can happen when a teachers’ union works with townspeople to defeat underfunding.” What’s Your Plan? When it comes to school budgets, time is of the essence. Members of your boards of education, finance, and selectmen have the power to increase or cut funding and are likely up for election this fall, so get organized now. Find out who’s running for key seats in your city or town, support education-friendly candidates, and get out the vote in November. Fall is typically a time when the following year’s school budgets are drafted. Reach out to your local leadership about getting involved in the process so that you can fight for what you need—and win. Many teachers’ unions with uphill battles this year fought successfully for better budgets. How? They met early and often— and made a plan. They reached out to CEA Government Relations and Communications staff as well as their CEA UniServ Rep to help with messaging and organizing. The sooner your union begins working on the budget, the more you can impact what the final product looks like. You can do this. CEA can help.

Kate Tobin Stamford Education Association treasurer Westhill High School English teacher and building representative ‘We are always stronger together’

As a teachers’ union representative and executive board member, I know firsthand the kind of support our union provides. I am ever grateful we have a union our educators can turn to as a source of comfort and support, and to right wrongs. This job is hard enough. In states where teachers don’t have the same union protections we have in Connecticut, it’s so much harder. I’m happy to be someone whose role is to help organize and pull together our membership in support of common goals and against obstacles to truly effective teaching and learning. When it comes to education, our members are the experts. They need to be respected as such. And when they are not, I help them find their collective voice. We are always stronger together.