Summer Advisor 2021

SUCCEEDING

4 CEA ADVISOR SUMMER 2021

CEA ADVOCACY RESULTS IN VICTORIES, RELIEF FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS The COVID pandemic created

children and their families • Protection of teachers’ rights, including a successful fight against anti-union attacks and the implementation of deterrents against employers’ anti-union practices • Ensuring a teacher pension income tax exemption increase to 50 percent after attempts to freeze it at 25 percent

• Lower threshold for retired teachers to receive a cost of living adjustment (COLA) • Removal of a mandate for districts to provide virtual learning options • Restoration of paid quarantine leave to ensure quarantines do not put hardworking educators in financial jeopardy • Successful prioritization of educators for COVID-19 vaccinations • In-district vaccination clinics so that educators would not have to compete with the general public possible by the resounding voices of CEA members, leaders, and staff. Advocacy continues Even as we emerge from the pandemic, advocating for the teaching profession and creating safe, equitable learning environments for every student is a fight that continues. CEA and local associations are urging super- intendents to use a recent influx of federal dollars to replace or upgrade school air conditioning, heating, and ventilation systems for the health and for limited appointments These victories were made

significant challenges for teachers, students, and families, but standing together and speaking with a unified voice helped CEA make critical improvements and pave the way for a brighter future inside and outside the classroom. Successes include • Additional supports for social emotional learning and school climate to meet the needs of our students • A state budget that provides significant increases in school funding and targets districts with the greatest need • New flexibilities in teacher evaluation, including the elimination of the standardized indicator requirement (see story, page 5) • New supports for students with dyslexia and other reading disabilities, including dedicated staff at the Connecticut State Department of Education • An additional $4 million to promote equity and address disparities that affect our neediest

safety of school communities, work with Professional Development and Evaluation Committees (PDECs) to support the social and emotional health of both students and educators, and continue to make strides that strengthen public education. As you enjoy a well-earned break this summer, watch your inbox for more information from your union about how you can help get your school to participate in these efforts.

Student Loan Payments to Resume in October: Here’s What to Know The last in a series of moratoriums on student loan payments is scheduled to end September 30. CEA Member Benefits partner Cambridge Credit Counseling offers these tips to help you stay on track as student loan payments resume in October, stimulus payments end, and credit card balances tick up. • Prepare your budget now to ensure you can make your student loan payments starting in October. • Switch to an income-based plan if your budget is tight. • Review your loan forgiveness options with Cambridge Credit Counseling. • Don’t be fooled by recent statements that may indicate you’re making eligible payments toward loan forgiveness. If you see 17 payments or fewer toward Public Student Loan Forgiveness, you probably aren’t in an eligible repayment plan. (All plans were credited as eligible during the pandemic, but that will also end in September.) • The home foreclosure moratorium and mortgage forbearance were extended through the end of June. That blocks home foreclosures and offers delayed mortgage payments for struggling homeowners. If your budget still doesn’t accommodate rent or mortgage payments, seek a HUD-approved counseling agency now. Questions on student loans or credit card debt? Cambridge Credit Counseling offers free guidance and discounted services for CEA members. Learn more at cea.org/teacher-discounts/cambridge-credit . WHAT WILL MASK-WEARING PROTOCOLS LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL? “Educators know that in-person learning is best for all students, and that’s why CEA has been at the forefront of ensuring safe teaching and learning environments for our students and teachers,” CEA President Jeff Leake said in a statement issued earlier this month, adding, “Safety is and must remain a top priority.” At press time, masks in school buildings and on school buses remain a state requirement, and CDC guidelines released on July 9 favor in-person learning for all students and continue to recommend that all individuals ages two and older who

EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION SHORTAGE AREAS FOR 2021-2022 CONNECTICUT If you’re working under an endorsement that is considered a shortage area, you may be eligible for benefits such as loan forgiveness and mortgage assistance. Based on a survey done in the fall, the State

ALLIANCE DISTRICTS • Ansonia • Bloomfield • Bridgeport • Bristol • Danbury • Derby • East Hartford • East Haven • East Windsor • Groton • Hamden • Hartford • Killingly • Manchester • Meriden • Middletown • Naugatuck • New Britain • New Haven • New London • Norwalk • Norwich • Putnam • Stamford • Thompson • Torrington • Vernon • Waterbury • West Haven • Winchester • Windham • Windsor • Windsor Locks

Department of Education every year releases the Certification Shortage Areas for the coming year. The designated shortage areas for 2021-2022 are as follows: • Bilingual Education, PreK-12, Statewide • Mathematics, 4-12, Statewide • Special Education*, PreK-12, Statewide • School Library and Media Specialist, PreK-12, Alliance Districts only** • School Psychologist, PreK-12, Statewide • Science, 4-12, Statewide • Speech and Language Pathologist, PreK-12, Statewide • Technology Education, PreK-12, Alliance Districts only** • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), PreK-12, Statewide • World Languages, 7-12, Statewide *The Special Education shortage area designation comprises Partially Sighted, Deaf/ Hard of Hearing, Blind, and Comprehensive Special Education teaching endorsement codes. **The Alliance District program is a unique and targeted investment in Connecticut’s 33 lowest- performing districts. See list at right. Read the complete data bulletin on teacher shortage areas from the State Department of Education by going to portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/

Digest/2020-21/ShortageAreaMemo_ Superintendents_4_14_21-signed.pdf .

are not fully vaccinated wear masks indoors. In light of new concerns about the more- contagious delta variant of the virus now spreading throughout the country, CEA is calling on Connecticut’s Department of Public Health and the State Department of Education to clarify mask protocols, based on Centers for Disease Control guidelines. “We anxiously await the new, updated mask guidance to ensure

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that districts develop plans to keep everyone in our school communities safe and allow educators to provide for the educational, social, emotional, and mental health needs of their students,” said Leake. “CEA will continue to advocate for policies that keep students safe and help them grow as we work to move past this pandemic.”