oct-nov

EVALUATING

8 CEA ADVISOR OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2018

Two Gubernatorial Candidates | Two Approaches to Public Education, Teachers’ Rights EXAMINE THE FACTS

In Connecticut’s race for governor, hopefuls Ned Lamont and Bob Stefanowski have different plans for public education, collective bargaining, and other factors that affect you, your students, and Connecticut’s schools. Each plan would take public schools in a very different direction. Lamont is a vocal advocate for teachers and public schools. His priorities are reflected on his website and in his dialogue with Connecticut voters, and he scored 100 percent on CEA’s candidate questionnaire—all earning him a CEA Honor Roll designation. Stefanowski, on the other hand, believes in privatizing public education and

doing away with collective bargaining. His plan for cutting state revenue is widely predicted to result in massive education cuts and teacher layoffs. All candidates running for office received a questionnaire from CEA on matters related to public education. Some failed to take the time to fill it out and return it. Those who did helped CEA see whether they stand with teachers on issues such as classroom safety, school funding, collective bargaining, privatization of schools, resources for English learners, teacher certification, minority teacher recruitment, teacher retirement and healthcare, and more. Read more about our gubernatorial candidates below and online, at cea.org/reportcard .

A CLOSER LOOK AT NED LAMONT

Connecticut has done to improve our educational system over the past few decades. Our teachers and educators are incredibly hard- working, and I thank them for their dedication to the well-being of our children and adult-learners alike.” He adds, “In the past 20 years, the

“Education is the best investment we can make in our future, and funding it should not be a political question.” Ned Lamont

Ned Lamont scored 100 on CEA’s questionnaire and made the CEA Honor Roll based on his support of public education and the rights of teachers. He has pledged to • Restore equity to education cost share (ECS) funding • Fortify the teacher pension fund • Protect teachers’ rights to collectively bargain • Ensure that alternative systems of education do not receive more state funds at the expense of traditional public schools • Seek better, more equitable ways of funding special education services In his first debate against Bob Stefanowski, on September 12, Lamont also said he supports an initiative backed by CEA to secure the Teachers’ Retirement Fund: placing the Connecticut Lottery into the fund to reduce the state’s unfunded liability and provide a stable source of significant income. “I believe that access to high- quality public education must be a right for all, not just the privileged few,” says Lamont on his website. “I have visited educational institutions all over the state, hearing from driven students and passionate educators, and I am proud of the hard work that Bob Stefanowski declined to fill out CEA’s questionnaire. His website provides no insights into his views on education, but he supports plans like those of Betsy DeVos to privatize public schools, and he has a long history of supporting the corporate elite at the expense of unions. He applauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME , aimed at stripping away the rights and freedoms of teachers and working people. “Thank God for the Janus decision,” he said. “The nice part about it is it gives us a lot more power with the union leadership... It takes them out right at the knees. When I saw that decision come through, I was clicking my heels three times.” Indeed, Stefanowski has called for A CLOSER LOOK AT BOB STEFANOWSKI

workers, their families, and their communities. Once again, this underscores the fact that elections have consequences.” Lamont pledged that he would “ensure that workers have the right to organize through collective bargaining and achieve a decent standard of living,” adding, “I have always believed that unions play a critical role in building up and protecting the middle class in Connecticut and across the country. Unions provide economic stability for families and give them the opportunity to have a quality life for themselves and their children by ensuring workers earn a living wage and can do so in a fair and just workplace. Unions also protect equal opportunities for women and people of color who have been systematically disadvantaged due to discrimination and prejudice.” 100, the private sector is better at running something than the government is.” He also voiced his support for “pay for performance and outcome-based teaching,” adding, “All of those things from the private sector would be well-utilized in our public schools.” Not only do Stefanowski’s proposals for our public schools sound like those of Betsy DeVos and her network of corporate reformers, but his economic plans for Connecticut are reminiscent of those deployed in states like Kansas, where in 2012 the governor attempted to cut the state income tax by promising trickle-down economic prosperity—and instead eviscerated the state’s education system. Stefanowski’s “tax-cuts-spur- growth” notion for Connecticut has resulted in real damage—namely, slashed education programs and school funding—in several other states.

education cost sharing formula has been fully funded only twice, and legislators in Hartford continually tweak the formula to gain political favor instead of thinking about the needs of our children, the needs of our schools, or the needs of our state. Education is the best investment we can make in our future, and funding it should not be a political question.” On his website, Lamont lays out specific recommendations for improving Connecticut education. For example, he is in favor of • Reducing class sizes • Increasing counselor-to-student ratios • Incorporating more social workers into Connecticut’s schools • Expanding early education

Accomplishing those goals, of course, requires funding, and Lamont has promised to maintain current ECS funding levels; deliver a budget that’s on time so that schools can anticipate resources, capacity, and staff size and avoid the guessing game of last year’s budget fiasco; and work with teachers unions and local boards of education to ensure that funding remains in the classroom, not with non-teaching administrators. On the issue of teachers’ rights and freedom, contrary to Stefanowski—who reveled in the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME —Lamont issued the following statement: “Today’s ruling in Janus v. AFSCME undermines the ability of unions to represent

His plans for privatization are not limited to state services but extend to public schools as well. In an August primary debate, on the subject of public education, Stefanowski declared, “We need to provide more choice. We need to invite the private sector in, because 99 times out of

“Thank God for the Janus decision. The nice part about it is it gives us a lot more power with the union leadership... It takes them out right at the knees.” Bob Stefanowski

“dramatic changes” in pensions and fringe benefits for state employees and is seeking greater concessions from labor. He believes in reopening state labor contract negotiations and has said, “If that doesn’t work, I’ll remind them that the firing freeze is only for four years, and on year five, we’re going to privatize some serious stuff.”