Dec-20-Jan-21-Advisor

DECEMBER 2020 - JANUARY 2021 CEA ADVISOR 3

News Briefs

IN THIS ISSUE

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Remote Learning Can Take the Place of Snow Days This Winter For the first time, Connecticut school districts are allowed to treat weather-related closings as remote learning days. The decision regarding remote learning versus makeup days rests with individual school superintendents, in consultation with local officials. Glastonbury Superintendent Alan Bookman informed staff and families that he plans to make use of the new policy, which was approved for the 2020-2021 school year by the State Board of Education. “Days during the school year, days in November, December, January, February, are truly educationally more valuable than days in June. When you get to June, it gets hot. Students get tired,” said Bookman. On the other hand, Litchfield and Region 6 Public Schools Superintendent Christopher Leone has guaranteed his districts will have at least two snow days. “I think we all need to pause and reflect and remember what it was like to be a child,” Leone said. “In a time of great uncertainty, providing some normalcy towards our kids is essential.” Spotlight on You, Your Colleagues, and Your Local Association Each year, CEA recognizes local education associations, their members, and community supporters who make public education a priority. Awards and grants are given for outstanding teaching professionals and advocates, best

2020 may go down as one of the most challenging years in your career. Looking ahead to 2021, CEA leaders see hurdles ahead, but also—importantly—hope. A new day dawns for public education, as CEA members help send education allies into the General Assembly, Congress, and the highest offices in the nation. DEVELOPING The pandemic has impacted teachers in every setting and every stage of their careers, not least of all those just starting out. Hear how early-career educators are navigating new territory without a map and see what advice they have for their colleagues. ADVOCATING The pandemic has pushed many school communities to the brink, and CEA— along with a coalition of other unions— is pushing back, demanding more protection and less testing, among other things. Read how teachers are stronger together and making a difference. When teachers pull together, the impossible becomes possible. CEA reflects on teacher advocacy that led to historic victories such as the Bridgeport teachers strike and Keep the Promise campaign, and shows how teacher advocacy is needed now more than ever to make learning safer and more equitable in a time of pandemic. Rochelle Brown remembers not feeling represented in the curriculum when she was a student. Today, as Connecticut’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, she makes a practice of ensuring that all of her students see themselves reflected in her classroom. DEFENDING A 30-year veteran teacher with a spotless record was shocked to learn she was the target of a serious DCF investigation. As a teacher, you never think your livelihood could be in jeopardy. Read how CEA’s legal team saved a teacher’s career and how they are ready to protect you against the unexpected. BUDGETING CEA Treasurer David Jedidian gives an update on CEA’s fiscal health. CEA-RETIRED Retired teachers were instrumental in getting out the vote this year, and one of Connecticut’s own was awarded a tech prize for her efforts on the national front this election season. HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS Nominate yourself or a colleague for one of nine CEA Human and Civil Rights Awards, honoring educators whose contributions are making a difference in gender or racial equity, multiculturalism, and more.

4-5 REPRESENTING

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community. Visit cea.org/grants-and-awards and learn more about the following awards: • ABCD Award (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty) • CEA Clifford Silvers Education Advocacy Award • CEA Newsletter/Website Competition • CEA Salutes Award • Charles B. Kelly Local Media Award • Thomas P. Mondani CEA Friend of Education Award • Norman E. DeLisle Public Relations Grant

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association website and newsletter, new public relations projects, best media coverage, and more. The annual competitions are open to all local associations across the state, and the deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday, February 26, 2021. It’s easy to nominate yourself, your local association, a colleague, or a member of your

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Call for Nominations: 2021 John McCormack Award for Teaching Excellence Apply or nominate a colleague by January 25

Nominate yourself or an outstanding colleague for the John McCormack CEA Award for Teaching Excellence. This award, which includes $2,000, honors teachers who are creative, student-focused, culturally responsive, dedicated to lifelong learning, and strong advocates for public education. The winner of the McCormack Award goes on to become CEA’s nominee for two additional prestigious honors: the Horace Mann Award and the NEA Member Benefits Award, with prizes up to $25,000. Applications are due January 25, 2021, at cea.org/grants-and-awards .

10 EXCELLING

2020 Holiday Bear Campaign a Success Thanks to the 22nd annual Holiday Bear gift-giving campaign, more than $10,000 in gift cards were collected for schoolchildren in need across the state. A project of the Connecticut Education Foundation (CEF), CEA’s charitable arm, Holiday Bear brightens the holidays each year for hundreds of children. “Because of the pandemic, this year’s campaign had to operate differently,” says CEF President and CEA Vice President Tom Nicholas. “Normally, sponsors purchase toys and other gifts for children whose names were submitted by their teachers. These are children whose families might be struggling to afford gifts. Their teachers have traditionally put together lists of gift ideas based on students’ interests and needs.” Because the pandemic has put safety constraints on holiday shopping, however, CEF collected $50 gift cards

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CEF President Tom Nicholas talks to iHeartRadio’s Renee DiNino about how community members can contribute to Holiday Bear (photo from 2019).

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instead, Nicholas explains. The Connecticut Post Mall in Milford and iHeartCommunities also teamed up to raise cash donations to support the Holiday Bear Program. Teachers will distribute gift cards to students’ families in time for the holidays. More than 10,000 Connecticut public school students have benefited from the Holiday Bear program since its inception, in 1998. “COVID-19 has put an economic strain on so many families this year, not to mention the pandemic’s health impacts and emotional toll,” says Nicholas. “Holiday Bear is one way we can continue to come together and make children’s lives a little brighter this season.”

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It’s never too late to contribute to CEF, which not only supplies gifts through Holiday Bear but also home and school essentials for children and teachers facing extraordinary hardships, as well as scholarships for students pursuing teaching careers. Learn more at cea.org/cef .

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