May-June Advisor 2021 web

PROVIDING

MAY – JUNE 2021 CEA ADVISOR 13

UNION TAKES LEAD ON CREATING NEW PUBLIC SCHOOL IN DANBURY Proposed school has support of teachers, community members, leaders

With Danbury schools consistently underfunded and overcrowded, approval for a new public school offers fresh hope for students, families, and teachers. The Career Academy at the Summit, which has strong support from the Danbury community and its public school teachers, would open up new spaces for a rapidly rising student population. The last ten years have seen an estimated 17 percent growth in student enrollment, with an additional 10 percent peak projected over the next decade. Meanwhile, Danbury has the lowest per-pupil spending in Connecticut, at $13,521. “We are so excited for this innovative and unique learning opportunity for our students as well as new and creative instructional opportunities for our teachers,” says NEA President Erin Daly. “It is just what our city needs to begin to meet the needs of our growing community and ready our students for the job market. The Academy will offer Danbury students experiential learning and the quality environment they deserve. We have been in productive talks with leaders at all levels—state and local—to ensure adequate funding for this project to happen.” Opening doors The new school, which would serve 1,040 high school students and 360 middle schoolers, would be built within a mixed-use development in the former Union Carbide headquarters on the city’s west side. As part of its comprehensive curriculum, it would offer internships and other opportunities for students to study careers ranging from information technology and cybersecurity to engineering, design, art, communications, global enterprise, economics, and professional health services. A grant would cover 80 percent of the academy’s $99 million cost, with an additional $2.4 million covered by money the city council approved last year for school projects.

“The Career Academy, which is expected to open its doors in 2024, offers a much-needed way of alleviating the tremendous overcrowding at the high school and middle school levels, and I’m looking forward to working with the district on staffing issues as we move forward,” says CEA UniServ Rep Tom Kennedy, who represents Danbury teachers. Kennedy attended a budget rally ahead of the city council’s meeting in early May, where educators and others pressed council members to approve additional education funding that the planned academy and the city’s other schools desperately need. (Danbury’s education funding has not kept up with increases in school enrollment, leading to budgets that are starving schools.) Teachers, students, and parents held signs and chanted, “Pass the budget, bridge the gap!” Proposals to create charter schools have been batted about, says Kennedy, but those schools frequently siphon funds intended for public schools without providing transparency for parents and taxpayers or offering a place for every child. Charter schools often operate under considerably less oversight, are frequently shut down for mismanagement, and are criticized for eye-watering “consulting fees” and other sums of money paid to profit-making charter management organizations (CMOs). (It should be noted that a handful of Connecticut charter schools, such as New London’s Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication and Norwich’s Integrated Day School, do not operate this way and have stuck to the purpose for which they were created—to serve as incubators for public school ideas and enrichment.) Greater needs Danbury High School counselor Juanita Harris, a former special education teacher, says, “We need to support a budget that will provide funding for the school counselors, school social

education caseloads, and intensifying mental health concerns among students—all of which require resources to address. “It’s time to fully implement the new ECS formula and have a progressive state system that will generate equitable funding for educational improvements like healthy buildings, technology upgrades, mental health services, diverse professional staffing, EL and special education services, and a myriad of needs,” she says. Offering a major assist to the effort, says NEA Danbury Vice President Tom Ross, has been a coalition called Danbury Defenders of Education, which includes NEA Danbury and a vocal delegation of local elected officials, among them State Senator Julie Kushner and Representatives Bob Godfrey, Ken Gucker, David Arconti, and Raghib Allie-Brennan. Ross, who is an English language arts teacher at Danbury High School, says, “This is an example of the extreme good that can come from electing pro-public-education candidates, building relationships with our elected officials, and coming together as teachers and community leaders and stakeholders for the benefit of our students.”

“This is an example of the extreme good that can come from electing pro- public-education candidates, building relationships with our elected officials, and coming together as teachers and community leaders and stakeholders for the benefit of our students.” Tom Ross, Danbury High School teacher

workers, and school psychologists needed to address the social- emotional needs of more than 3,000 diverse learners at Danbury High School alone, as well as a budget to address this pandemic’s trauma- related issues our students have been struggling with and are coming into our buildings with.” Harris added that many districts like hers are also dealing with inadequate and outdated technology, high numbers of English learners, growing class sizes and special

Speaking at a Recovery for All rally in Danbury, school counselor Juanita Harris describes the burden students have borne during the pandemic and how a shortage of school counselors, social workers, and psychologists has made it difficult to provide the supports they need.

JOIN CEA AND HOST A FOOD DRIVE IN YOUR LOCAL BETWEEN MAY 24 AND JUNE 11

CEA local associations host food drives across the state to benefit FoodShare You can help alleviate the growing problem of childhood hunger by holding a Working Together to Feed Families Food Drive in your local. CEA will provide you with publicity materials and other information you need to run a successful food drive. Contact joez@cea.org or brendanm@cea.org for information.

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity in Connecticut and across the country. Hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents are struggling with hunger. More than 150,000 of them are children. Food insecurity harms young children’s health and development. As educators, we know firsthand that children who are hungry have greater difficulty in school and problems focusing on academics. Together, we can make a difference in the fight against hunger in our communities and our state.