Dec 19-Jan 20 Advisor

REFLECTING

4 CEA ADVISOR DECEMBER 2019 – JANUARY 2020

NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR ON HOW HER CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE SHAPES HER AS A CONGRESSWOMAN

10 QUESTIONS WITH REPRESENTATIVE JAHANA HAYES

1 When you ran for office, what were some key problems you were hoping to address as a member of Congress? I think at the top of my priority list was just equity and access. Even though that started with education, it expands out to all aspects of our community. I realized that for so many kids, like myself, everything they learned about school they learned at school. So really making sure that they at least had a chance. We heard a lot of conversations about the future of education in our country, and they were deeply concerning for me, because it felt like we were setting ourselves back. I also really wanted to advance the conversation surrounding the profession. I think for too long, all our conversations about education centered on student outcomes, but that doesn’t happen without investing in the teaching profession, and that was really important to me. 2 What are your key education priorities now? I am extremely excited that in this Congress we will advance the College Affordability Act. This ties together so many of the things I am passionate about, such as student loan debt. I know for so many young people, especially marginalized communities, first-generation college students, students who identify as minorities, many of them

out in the classroom has been extremely helpful for me to articulate to my colleagues. It is critical to have someone with an extensive knowledge of classroom experience at the table. 4 How do you hope your position as a U.S. Congresswoman for the 5th district is an asset to your constituents? Connecticut has one of the largest equity gaps in education. I represent exclusive boarding schools in my district and some schools in the Commissioner’s network that are the lowest- performing in the state. Some of the wealthiest and the poorest

footprint and do what you know is right, speak up for your students, and in my experience, that has always served me well. 7 Why is it important for teachers to be involved in politics—not necessarily as elected officials but as involved, informed citizens who vote and who share their hopes and concerns with legislators? That is a great question, because I hear so many of my teaching colleagues (my mind keeps going back and forth because I still consider myself a teacher) say, “I don’t get involved in politics,” and my response is,

communities in the country are in Connecticut’s Fifth District. Bridging the gap with resources, reminding people of the importance of partnerships, being a very vocal advocate for public education, but also recognizing there are other choices and options for education, and people should have those choices—just not at the expense of public education: my district needs to hear that. Municipal taxes are the funding source for most

“That’s unfortunate, because you already are involved.” In my committee, we are having hearings and taking votes every day that will directly impact what happens in a classroom, whether it be the services that are provided, the funding that goes into education, or the regulations that are passed. All of that affects the work we do, and it is unfortunate that there are so many people making these decisions without the level of expertise teachers have. So to elevate your voices and let elected officials know what your students need, what this profession needs, what you need, should not be a political thing or a partisan thing. It is advocating for the profession and the work that we love. In the system we have, Congress and our legislators at the state and local levels are the ones deciding these things. The decisions are being made with or without teacher voices, so we have to do a better job of elevating teacher voices, of amplifying teacher voices, of really standing together in a very cohesive and collective way demanding that we have some input in the future of our classrooms. 8 Tell me about a moment you had as a teacher that you’ll never forget. There are so many moments. I had a career that was exceptional and that most people don’t have. Being named National Teacher of the Year gave me this wide-lens perspective of the body of the work I had done. So many students reached back and came to visit me and shared their stories, and I connected with that in a very different way. Oftentimes as a teacher you do the best you can with students, and they go off into the world, and you think, “I wonder what happened to that kid or how they made out,” and I really had a unique opportunity to hear from so many of my former students. But I think the day that really stands out for me is right after I was named Teacher of the Year and I returned to my school. The announcement was made on CBS, and I then was supposed to go to Washington, D.C., for a week of celebration, but I really wanted to see my students post-announcement. I went back to my school, and kids were in the hall, lined up, and it wasn’t even me that the energy was directed to, but they were so incredibly proud of their school. So proud to be students. I had kids come up to me and say, “I just feel so encouraged,” “I am going to try to make it to the end of the school year,” “I’m going to get back on the horse,” “I’m going to enroll in adult ed.” I think sharing my story and saying, “You’re not done, your journey is not over, you have the right to change the scenario” breathed so much life into so many students, and the energy in the

can’t even imagine a future with college or higher education, and that really is a game changer. It changes trajectories, it pulls families out of poverty. So just to have a variety of options to make college more affordable to students is really important to me. Teacher diversity has always been a priority of mine. Really making sure we have a robust pool of candidates going into our teacher preparation programs, being adequately prepared, and going out and being prepared to teach in our most challenging communities and meet students where they are—that was a

school districts, and it really creates this divide. I would remind people to ask themselves, “Is this the education I would want for my child?” and then let’s try to figure out how to ensure that those opportunities are available to every child in your district. 5 You have always been an active member and strong supporter of your teachers union. Why? Yes. I was never a delegate or heavily involved in union activities, but just a strong supporter of the role of the union, the right to organize and

I also really wanted to advance the conversation surrounding the profession. I think for too long, all our conversations about education centered on student outcomes, but that doesn’t happen without investing in the teaching profession, and that was really important to me.

large part of my platform even during my time as National Teacher of the Year. To be able to be a part of legislation that moves that along is extremely important to me. I think making sure we have opportunities beyond college, whether it be trades, programs, internships, or career training— just helping more people, more students to be self- sufficient adults—is very important to me. 3 How has your experience as a public school teacher influenced your work as a legislator? Being a teacher is probably the best experience to have coming into this space. In a classroom, you can’t pick your students. Whoever comes into your classroom becomes your student. Whatever families you interact with become your families, and I take that same approach here in Congress. I treat people respectfully. I try to have conversations that invite further discourse and to be respectful of opposing viewpoints and opinions. You know, I always ask myself, “Is this a conversation you would have in front of your students?” or, “Is this something you would say in front of a class?” and that really is my gauge. I laugh, because when people said, “She doesn’t have the experience to go to Congress; she’s never done this type of work,” I think we would be fortunate to have more people with classroom experience as legislators. We, teachers, literally have a front-row seat to the future. We know the conversations that are emerging. We know the dissenting opinions and arguments. Students have those discussions in a really unadulterated way— uncensored. So, you have the opportunity to tackle those raw issues happening in the community and do it in a respectful way. That has probably influenced me the most. And then, on my Committee on Education and Labor, just understanding with fidelity how legislation plays

collectively bargain. We had gone through several negotiations and contracts in my district. We had an oversight board that came in and aimed to constrain all the finances in the city, and that was at the expense of teachers and education. I saw the union elevate their voices and insist that teachers got the resources they needed, that our students had the best and most qualified teachers in front of them, and I saw the power of that collective voice, and it just played out in real time in front of me. So, I come from a state and a community where we can fully appreciate what our teachers union has done to elevate the voices of teachers. 6 Last year saw a lot of educators running for office. What advice would you give your teacher colleagues who are considering taking this step? My advice would be to just do it. I can definitely tell you I gained courage by seeing teachers across the country stepping up and trying, but initially there was some self-doubt about what that would look like: How will I raise the money? I don’t have a network. I don’t have what it takes to enter this world. But then I reminded myself that I have something very important to say, and I have the stories of my students to bring forward, and I will figure the rest out, like teachers usually do. We

figure things out. And as far as not having a network, I didn’t have a political network, but I had a network of teachers all over the country. So, this was a fairly new experience for me, and it’s a fairly new experience for most teachers. Thinking that there will be a footprint or a blueprint for how it’s done is the unrealistic part. You just have to blaze a trail and create your own

building that day being palpable. That was probably the best day of the whole Teacher of the Year experience. 9 What about your freshman year in Congress—was there a moment that sticks out to you? In Congress, I would say the moment that sticks with me so far is the day that H.R. 8, which

I think we would be fortunate to have more people with classroom experience as legislators. We, teachers, literally have a front-row seat to the future.