It's hard to believe Enfield teachers were issued 121 pink slips while the state hid $1.4 billion in extra cash under its mattress and was projected to have a $270 million surplus. However, this scene is being repeated in cities and towns across the state.
It is astonishing that our state sits on nearly $6.6 billion in rainy day funds while refusing year after year to acknowledge the sacrifices of teachers due to the pandemic. Despite having billions of dollars at its disposal, the state of Connecticut does not fully fund special education or support the high costs of early childhood education, leaving schools in Enfield, Danbury, Stratford, New London, and every corner in between. It is unbelievable that all local governments will have to bear this financial burden. Because their budget is far below what they need.
And in the midst of a crisis of respect in our profession, we need fair dismissal rules for educators (the same protections afforded to nearly all school employees, from parents to administrative support staff). It's hard to believe that we're even discussing giving .
Connecticut, what are we doing?
For decades, we've held the view that our education system is one of the best in the country, and I don't think you can argue with that. But the reason it still holds true today is because we essentially ask educators to live and serve as martyrs.
We refuse to provide a living wage to new educators, we allow harmful rhetoric to guide public comment on education, we continue to micromanage and overregulate public education, and we continue to This is making the shortage of workers even worse.
Thinking you can keep doing more with less is not a strategy for success.
What do job seekers and job creators value? What draws families to an area and keeps them there? Where are businesses located and thriving?
If you want the answer, ask your friends in real estate. What do you use to value and sell real estate? The education system, access to health care, and public safety are all important metrics. However, all fields are facing a shortage of human resources.
What would happen without these key public service providers? I hope never, but to avoid such a crisis, intentional, visible support, meaningful and sustainable We need significant investment, and we need legislators who back up their pro-educator statements with action.
We need to take a hard look in the mirror and remind ourselves that government exists to take care of our communities, not to make a profit. We look to governments to leverage their collective resources to grow our economies and serve our communities.
It's no coincidence that Connecticut's education system has long ranked among the best in the nation. Getting there took years of careful investment and a shared belief that our education system is only as good as what we put into it.
Research confirms that educators are more important to student outcomes than any other aspect of schooling, and that a strong educator workforce is the most important investment in student success.
Withholding funds that allow our education system and the cities and towns it serves to thrive is a move in the wrong direction. It took years of effort to achieve it, but it could be dismantled in just one or two Congresses.
It's election season, and there's a huge talent pool for educators. We serve more than 500,000 students and their families in this state. We matter, and it's worth reminding legislators that educators don't just teach, they don't just shape the future of our state, they vote.
It’s time to step up to support educators. It sounds cheap, but the winning, high-achieving public school system is not.
Kate Diaz is president of the Connecticut Education Association.
