Dear Teachers,
I know you are being bombarded with emails…but IT IS YOUR FUTURE! You will see below that the ONLY resource we have is OUR VOICE and OUR VOTE! It’s obvious there is A LOT of MONEY to be made by Conn Can if this bill passes…it has little to do with “closing the achievement gap!”
I think you will also quickly understand WHY Trumbull teachers REJECTED their “Award” from ConnCan…they are NO FRIEND to Public Education or Public School Teachers! Please read, get FIRED UP, and EMAIL THE Education Committee TODAY!
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Teachers must advocate or the powerhouses will win
Teachers are not alone in trying to shape education reform legislation. We are up against business, charter, and corporate powerhouses.
Yesterday some members of these groups appeared on a Hartford radio program—digging in their heels insisting that legislators proceed with the governor’s proposal to tie teacher evaluation to certification, and salary schedules.
If the Governor’s Education Bill #24 doesn’t happen, they will apparently give lawmakers a failing grade. “It would be a major setback if we lose tenure [changes]—because that introduces rigidity in a system where you cannot remove ineffective teachers expeditiously,” said Ramani Ayer, former CEO of the Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., and a member of the Connecticut Council on Education Reform, a business group whose sole focus is dramatic change in our public schools.
Patrick Riccards, CEO of ConnCAN, said, “People don’t appreciate how difficult it is for Governor Malloy to have brought this package forward…this addresses all of the issues that we need in terms of organization and structure in our schools.”
Riccards and others pushing the Governor’s Education Bill #24 do not work as teachers; so, don’t let their voice overpower yours—dictating from the corporate boardroom how you’ll be evaluated, how you’ll be certified, and how much money you will earn. (Click here to listen to the entire WNPR Where We Live Radio interview)
Time is running out with the Education Committee scheduled to finalize an education reform bill on Monday, March 26.
Please step up your efforts to contact your legislators (especially if they are on the Education Committee) and urge them to eliminate proposals in the governor's education bill that would:
· weaken collective bargaining that serves our communities well;
· tie a teacher's license to a supervisor's evaluation inappropriately;
· shift new funding away from local public schools unfairly; and
· impose experimental programs that have not been proven to work.
If your legislator is not a member of the Education Committee (click here for a list), urge him/her to discuss your concerns with Education Committee members.
You can call or email your state senator and state representative using the link and phone numbers below. www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp
Senate Democrats 1-800-842-1420 Senate Republicans 1-800-842-1421
House Democrats 1-800-842-1902 House Republicans 1-800-842-1423
Thank you for your continued support and activism.
Phil Apruzzese Mary Loftus Levine
CEA President CEA Executive Director
Stay connected with CEA
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