Oct-Nov 2019 Advisor

ENGAGING

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2019 CEA ADVISOR 7

CSDE is required by statute to report on family mobility—the number of students moving from school to school at a high rate. Although CSDE has the data, it has not been easily accessible. Will you report this information in an easy-to-access format in the near future? In his book Visible Learning , John Hattie gives a meta- analysis of factors that contribute to a lack of success and lack of academic achievement. Out of a list of 138 factors, mobility—students’ families moving from district to district and school to school—ranks number one. That speaks to the importance of consistency in education and the need for a consistently high-quality curriculum. I believe there is value in making this data accessible to the public, as it could help underscore that where there is mobility we need to put more resources. 8 You have often spoken and acted in ways that empower and value Connecticut’s teachers. As a member of the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council, for example, you championed bringing teachers’ voices into the process of professional learning and argued against reducing them to test scores. Why did you feel strongly about those issues, and what are some other ways you plan to ensure teachers have a voice, more autonomy in the classroom, and a seat at the table? I struggle with any system that reduces a teacher to a number. The profession cannot be summarized with a rating. When a summative evaluation results in a number being the thing remembered most, it’s not effective. There should be high expectations along a continuum of what we agree good teaching is. As for teacher voice, my track record has always been to include teachers at the brainstorming and development level for at least three reasons. First,

teachers understand what policy and practice look like in a classroom. I’ve seen this work well in Meriden, where I taught and was an administrator, and where teacher leaders helped shape district policy. Second, when a policy is vetted though different perspectives, usually you get a better process or product. And third, having teachers at the table leads to not only a policy that is well-informed but also one that is embraced by teachers, because they had a hand in developing it. 9 Some teachers say that with the ever- increasing number of standardized tests, the ability for teachers to be educational leaders has been diminished, and important subjects and class discussion have been crowded out. What can be done to lessen the time that students are taking tests that do not enhance learning, and provide more time for critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication? The ability to think critically and interact with students should be a part of every curriculum, and making sure all students have access to high-quality content is one of the primary responsibilities we have as educators. While some tests can certainly help us measure certain things, I do feel that we have some assessments that don’t contribute to student learning. Balance is key. 10 When you were a first-year teacher, you invested hundreds of dollars of your own money into classroom supplies for your students. Teachers are still doing that. In fact, CEA just partnered with NBC Connecticut on a back-to- school survey of Connecticut teachers and found that they’re still spending hundreds (in some cases, thousands) out of pocket this year on things like paper, calculators, and books. What should the state and local boards of education do to provide the materials necessary for students in all of our public schools?

The new education commissioner says, “Having teachers at the table leads to not only a policy that is well-informed but also one that is embraced by teachers.” He and his staff discuss key policy issues with CEA Executive Director Donald Williams and CEA President Jeff Leake, as well as AFT President Jan Hochadel and Chief of Staff Stuart Savelkoul.

importance of a quality curriculum and what that costs. We should not expect teachers to educate their students and produce tomorrow’s leaders without the proper tools. You wouldn’t go to a mechanic or a medical facility that didn’t have the proper equipment; our schools need to be well-resourced too. Another resource teachers provide is their time. They give so much of their own time, and I want to acknowledge that. When you are a teacher, there is no punching out. Teachers are attending night functions for students. They’re showing up on weekends for their students’ games. They’re taking their personal time, their evenings with their own families, to correct papers so that their student have timely feedback. They are having conferences and conversations outside of the school day to accommodate other parents who work. Teachers do this every single day to make sure their students are successful. That needs to be recognized. “Teachers should not have to provide the essentials that students need to have a fighting chance to achieve. We have to make sure our districts have the resources their schools need.” Dr. Miguel Cardona

As an early-career teacher, I bought materials that I knew would enhance my students’ experience. Teachers are good-natured and giving, and I know that they will always be that way. But you mentioned the word necessary . Teachers should not have to provide the essentials that students need to have a fighting chance to achieve. We have to make sure our districts have the resources their schools need. There is no quick or easy fix, but we can start by bringing attention to the matter and

Cardona meets with CEA President Jeff Leake and Executive Director Donald Williams to talk about priorities and partnerships.

making sure local boards of education understand the

MEET ORLANDO RODRIGUEZ CEA Economist and Research and Policy Development Specialist

CEA’s Orlando Rodriguez conducts research, interprets data, and provides analysis and testimony on policy issues that affect teachers and their students—such as education funding, teacher pensions, minority teacher recruitment and retention, indoor air quality and temperature in schools, trauma, and more. His findings are often cited in testimony before state legislators. “I got started on policy issues when I was a researcher at the Center for Population Research at UConn. There, I did population projections for all towns in Connecticut and several other reports, including The Five Connecticuts , and an analysis of the state’s ZIP code boundaries that led to a change in how the Department of Revenue Services collects information on state tax returns.” Rodriguez got deeper into policy

Connecticut Voices for Children, where he did an analysis of the state’s ECS funding formula that ultimately led to the state changing the formula to be more objective and equitable. Working with the Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission of the Connecticut General Assembly, he helped bring attention to the rising number of English learners in the state, as well as the need for expanded bilingual education so that students could become proficient in English. Rodriguez, who serves as staff liaison to CEA’s Ethnic Minority Affairs Commission, has traveled extensively. Born in Cuba, he moved around a lot with his family—as far as Australia—and went into the Peace Corps after college, where he

He also met his wife, Laura, there. In 2020 they will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. As a graduate student at Ohio State University, Rodriguez completed a summer internship with Conservation International, mapping and collecting data for La Amistad International Park in Costa Rica. As for education issues, he says, “My wife was a teacher for nearly 30 years, so I have a good idea of the realities of being a teacher.” The couple’s daughter, a special education teacher in California, has followed in her mother’s footsteps, and their son is an engineer working on self-driving cars. “I would like teachers to know that while they may not want to be personally involved in politics (my wife didn’t want to be either), it’s important to have a union that gives

you political power. There are numerous groups with nefarious funding sources that want to harm the teaching profession and gut education spending without regard for the consequences to students. Unions with strong government relations teams defend teachers against those special interest groups and promote new policies to improve the teaching profession and student outcomes.” Rodriguez is the author of Vote Thieves , a nonfiction account of how states including California, Florida, and Texas exploited undocumented residents to gain greater representation in Congress. When he’s not working or fixing things around his home, you can find him cycling, kayaking, or trying to finish a novel that’s been in the works for years.

was the first volunteer in northwestern Ecuador.

“I worked with farmers to build fishponds for them to have more protein in their diets,” he explains.

work focusing on the state’s changing socioeconomics at