Feb-Mar 2021 Advisor

FEBRUARY–MARCH 2021 CEA ADVISOR 3

News Briefs

IN THIS ISSUE

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LEADING CEA leaders applaud teachers around the state who amplified the call to get all educators and school staff vaccinated, restore paid quarantine leave, and reduce the emphasis on standardized tests. Those efforts have begun to pay off, but more work is ahead as we navigate the social emotional needs of our students. PRIORITIZING Money for our schools, a fair state budget, and waiving accountability for standardized testing are just three of the issues facing educators. CEA is part of a broad coalition fighting for what’s right for you and your students. RESTORING A major victory for teachers came when paid quarantine leave—which had expired at the end of 2020—was restored after a massive grassroots campaign organized by CEA and carried out by teachers and the legislators who listened to them. Read how it impacts you. With the General Assembly in session, CEA is advocating for bills that would improve school safety, protect teachers’ rights, and improve indoor air quality. Read about key legislation and how you—yes, you—can help move it forward. CEA’s widely publicized Vaccinate Educators Now campaign resulted in prioritization of educators in the current vaccine rollout phase. Read about district-based vaccination centers and how they are expected to roll out. With a new president at the helm and confirmation of a new education secretary—Connecticut’s own Dr. Miguel Cardona—in progress, the future of public education is looking brighter. REPRESENTING The NEA RA is in the offing, and the governance structure is shaping up. Meet the newly elected delegates, as well as county directors elected to CEA’s Board. If your local has fewer than 76 members, find out how to become county cluster delegates to the 2021 NEA RA. CEA-RETIRED Retired teachers often stay active in education, and South Windsor’s Marcia Lee, who’s been substitute teaching ever since, is no exception. Hear what keeps her involved and why you should join the ranks of CEA-Retired when it’s your turn for a new chapter. COUNSELING Hear from school counselors in East Granby, Montville, and Stamford, all helping their students navigate school in a time of pandemic. Headlining a campaign to get their colleagues vaccinated were five Connecticut Teachers of the Year, shown here at Windsor High School: (L-R) Meghan Hatch-Geary, David Bosso, Kristen Record, Rochelle Brown, and Sheena Graham. Read the full story, pages 8-9.

President Biden Extends Holiday on Student Debt Repayment As promised, on his first day in office President Joe Biden extended the moratorium on federal student loan payments to September 30, 2021. No payments are due, and interest rates have been reduced to zero percent on federal loans only. If you are a candidate for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and repayment plans, with half of the borrower’s debt erased after five years and perhaps any

you will be credited as having made payments toward the 120 needed to qualify for forgiveness. (The payment suspension does not apply to commercially held FFEL loans, Perkins loans, or any private loans. Anyone holding these types of loans should contact their servicer or lender directly to see if any relief options are available.) Additional student debt relief options that have been discussed would require congressional approval, including: • Forgiving up to $10,000 or perhaps as much as $50,000 in student debt on undergraduate loan balances, phased out for individuals earning $125,000 or more • Revising income-based repayment plans, with borrowers paying five percent of discretionary income rather than the current 10–20 percent • Overhauling PSLF to include more loan types

remaining balance forgiven after another five or 10 years “It’s likely that additional forms of forgiveness are going to be coming at some point,” says Cambridge Credit Counseling Director of Education Martin Lynch, “so teachers might want to consider delaying any private refinancing or consolidation of their federal loans, because doing so now would make those loans ineligible for changes, revisions, and lump-sum forgiveness that could come under the Biden administration.” Assistance with navigating student debt repayment is available at no cost to CEA members from Cambridge Credit Counseling. Contact Todd Friedhaber ( tfriedhaber@cambridgecredit.org or 800-527-7595, ext. 5373) or Martin Lynch ( mlynch@cambridgecredit.org or 413-883- 3390).

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Teachers Can Apply PPE Costs to $250 Educator Tax Break Thanks to a federal coronavirus economic relief package, teachers will be able to apply the cost of PPE and other supplies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in their classrooms toward the $250 educator expense deduction on their federal taxes. The deduction is retroactive to March 12, 2020. For eligible educators—K-12 teachers, counselors, and others who worked at least 900 hours in an elementary or secondary school—expenses that have traditionally qualified for the $250 deduction ($500 for joint filers who are both eligible educators) include books, supplies, computer hardware and software, professional development, and other supplementary materials that teachers purchase for their classrooms without reimbursement from their districts. “Of course, we know that on average our teachers spend far more than $250 a year on their classrooms,” says CEA

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President Jeff Leake, adding, “PPE has now become an essential classroom supply—a cost that districts, and not teachers, need to cover. Nevertheless, this is a step in the right direction, and we will continue to press for more relief to ensure our teachers and students are protected.” For more information, contact your tax preparer or visit irs.gov/taxtopics/tc458.

10-11 PRESIDING

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Understand and Plan Your Retirement The last year—working through a pandemic and pivoting from in-person to remote instruction and back—has prompted many educators to think about life outside the classroom. No matter where you are in your career, it’s never too early to start planning for retirement, and CEA is here to help.

Attend a virtual workshop hosted by CEA Retirement Specialist Robyn Kaplan-Cho, who covers all issues related to the State Teachers’ Retirement System, including retirement eligibility, choosing a plan, purchasing additional service, Social Security, retiree health insurance, and more. Workshops are free and open to all CEA members. Sessions are limited to the first 100 registrants and fill up quickly. Each session runs from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. and includes ample time for Q&A. Sign up now at cea.org/retirement-workshops .

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CEA Communications Wins Multiple Awards for Excellence

CEA’s Communications Department was recently recognized, in a virtual awards ceremony, by the Connecticut chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Competing against some of the state’s largest and most prestigious advertising and public relations firms, CEA took home four PRSA Mercury Awards. • A gold award went to the association’s flagship publication, the CEA Advisor , along with a bronze award for the CEA Advisor Special Edition , released in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. • Earning a silver award was the association’s Teaching Is Calling You public awareness campaign, aimed at diversifying the teaching profession and encouraging Connecticut’s Black and brown students to explore careers in education.

• The CEA blog, which keeps busy teachers informed about education developments, took home a bronze award. Subscribe to CEA’s blog at cea.org/blog and never miss a story. “Effective and ongoing outreach to members, legislators, the media, and the general public is paramount for our success as we advocate for teachers,” says CEA Communications Director Nancy Andrews, adding, “During the pandemic, communication became more important than ever as schools began operating remotely, new protocols were being developed, and issues arose around everything from safety to equity. We are proud to be recognized by the PRSA for industry excellence, and we’ll continue to work hard to ensure our members are empowered, informed, and heard.”

ON THE COVER