www.suffieldteachers.org
*Connecticut Senator's Proposal to Arm Teachers Sparks Outrage*
Connecticut Senator’s Proposal to Arm Teachers Sparks Outrage
Educators say school safety is an issue, guns not the answer
In a statement that has angered Connecticut’s public school educators, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Michael McLachlan has said he would arm teachers.
Speaking at an October 11 candidates’ forum hosted by the Northern Fairfield County Association of REALTORS in Danbury, McLachlan was asked, “Would you arm school teachers?” and “Would you require firearms with teachers?”
He answered yes.
“I am outraged by Senator McLachlan’s suggestion that we arm teachers—a reckless proposal that our members overwhelmingly oppose,” says CEA President Jeff Leake. “Not only is the senator’s plan dangerous to students but also incredibly unfair to teachers, who already bear so many responsibilities in their schools. Teachers will tell you that while they are educators, they are often called on to be social workers, nurses, and caregivers to their students—roles that they take on willingly. They are not, however, willing to be sharpshooters, and we should never be willing to put them in that position.”
McLachlan represents the 24th District, which includes Bethel, Danbury, New Fairfield, and Sherman. He is running against Julie Kushner, who received CEA’s Honor Roll designation, and is against arming teachers. Read more about the candidates’ positions by visiting CEA’s Legislative Report Card at cea.org/reportcard.
NEA Danbury President Erin Daly, a third-grade teacher at Pembroke School, opposes McLachlan’s position, saying guns are not the answer to keeping our schools safe.
“Educating our students in a safe environment is paramount to what we do,” Daly says. “No one is more concerned about classroom safety than the teachers who work in our schools every day, and no one who’s serious about school safety thinks arming teachers is the answer. If our elected leaders want safe classrooms, if they’re serious about creating safe learning environments, they need to stop underfunding our schools and instead give us more school psychologists and social workers, more supports, more resources—not more weapons.”
She adds, “Many elected leaders who think arming teachers is the answer are the same leaders who have voted to decimate our school budgets time and time again—leaving us with only bare-bones resources to provide our students with what they need. Adding guns to our school supply list doesn't make any sense.”
Daly is not alone in her opposition to arming teachers or adding firearms training to their growing list of responsibilities. The vast majority of Connecticut teachers surveyed have said they are not in favor of arming educators.
Newtown Federation of Teachers President Tom Kuroski, an anatomy and physiology teacher at the town’s high school, says the opposition to arming educators is overwhelming among his local union members. As co-chair of AFT's national gun violence prevention committee, he says that teachers across the country share the strong belief that militarizing schools is not the answer.
“Since the massacre at Sandy Hook nearly six years ago, I’ve sat down with scores of teachers and classroom support staff across the nation who are school shooting survivors,” Kuroski says. "Some might expect the concept of guns in classrooms to appeal to this particular group of educators — a ‘fraternity’ that none of us ever wanted to belong to. Instead, they are among the most vehemently opposed to the kind of irresponsible approach that Sen. McLachlan, Donald Trump, and Betsy DeVos are proposing. They know firsthand that more guns are not the answer.”
“A common thread that binds us as educators is the commitment to safe, secure schools for our students to learn,”he adds. “In Newtown, we understand that elected leaders must make better choices for preventing future tragedies than putting lethal weapons in the hands of educators.”
A recent poll by AFT and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence found that a majority of voters in 11 battleground congressional districts also oppose weaponizing the nation’s schools. Among those surveyed, 63% to 75% were more likely to supportcandidates in the November midterm elections who advocate federal funding for school mental health services over arming teachers.
“To ‘reclaim the promise’ of public education in this state, we need safe, secure, welcoming environments for our children to learn and our teachers to educate,” says AFT Connecticut President Jan Hochadel. “For our union’s members to achieve that reality, they need legislators who will have their backs, not hand them sidearms. The senator is just offering more of the same failed approach being pushed by President Trump and his federal education secretary, Betsy DeVos. Connecticut students and those who educate and support their classroom learning want and deserve better.”
###
The Connecticut Education Association is Connecticut’s largest teachers’ union, representing active and retired educators across the state.
AFT Connecticut represents approximately 30,000 professionals, including preK-12 teachers, paraeducators, and education support personnel in 32 local and regional school districts.
For further information, contact Nancy Andrews at 860-725-6317, nancya@cea.orgor Neal Thomassenat 860/888-2629, nthomassen@aftct.org.
Educators say school safety is an issue, guns not the answer
In a statement that has angered Connecticut’s public school educators, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Michael McLachlan has said he would arm teachers.
Speaking at an October 11 candidates’ forum hosted by the Northern Fairfield County Association of REALTORS in Danbury, McLachlan was asked, “Would you arm school teachers?” and “Would you require firearms with teachers?”
He answered yes.
“I am outraged by Senator McLachlan’s suggestion that we arm teachers—a reckless proposal that our members overwhelmingly oppose,” says CEA President Jeff Leake. “Not only is the senator’s plan dangerous to students but also incredibly unfair to teachers, who already bear so many responsibilities in their schools. Teachers will tell you that while they are educators, they are often called on to be social workers, nurses, and caregivers to their students—roles that they take on willingly. They are not, however, willing to be sharpshooters, and we should never be willing to put them in that position.”
McLachlan represents the 24th District, which includes Bethel, Danbury, New Fairfield, and Sherman. He is running against Julie Kushner, who received CEA’s Honor Roll designation, and is against arming teachers. Read more about the candidates’ positions by visiting CEA’s Legislative Report Card at cea.org/reportcard.
NEA Danbury President Erin Daly, a third-grade teacher at Pembroke School, opposes McLachlan’s position, saying guns are not the answer to keeping our schools safe.
“Educating our students in a safe environment is paramount to what we do,” Daly says. “No one is more concerned about classroom safety than the teachers who work in our schools every day, and no one who’s serious about school safety thinks arming teachers is the answer. If our elected leaders want safe classrooms, if they’re serious about creating safe learning environments, they need to stop underfunding our schools and instead give us more school psychologists and social workers, more supports, more resources—not more weapons.”
She adds, “Many elected leaders who think arming teachers is the answer are the same leaders who have voted to decimate our school budgets time and time again—leaving us with only bare-bones resources to provide our students with what they need. Adding guns to our school supply list doesn't make any sense.”
Daly is not alone in her opposition to arming teachers or adding firearms training to their growing list of responsibilities. The vast majority of Connecticut teachers surveyed have said they are not in favor of arming educators.
Newtown Federation of Teachers President Tom Kuroski, an anatomy and physiology teacher at the town’s high school, says the opposition to arming educators is overwhelming among his local union members. As co-chair of AFT's national gun violence prevention committee, he says that teachers across the country share the strong belief that militarizing schools is not the answer.
“Since the massacre at Sandy Hook nearly six years ago, I’ve sat down with scores of teachers and classroom support staff across the nation who are school shooting survivors,” Kuroski says. "Some might expect the concept of guns in classrooms to appeal to this particular group of educators — a ‘fraternity’ that none of us ever wanted to belong to. Instead, they are among the most vehemently opposed to the kind of irresponsible approach that Sen. McLachlan, Donald Trump, and Betsy DeVos are proposing. They know firsthand that more guns are not the answer.”
“A common thread that binds us as educators is the commitment to safe, secure schools for our students to learn,”he adds. “In Newtown, we understand that elected leaders must make better choices for preventing future tragedies than putting lethal weapons in the hands of educators.”
A recent poll by AFT and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence found that a majority of voters in 11 battleground congressional districts also oppose weaponizing the nation’s schools. Among those surveyed, 63% to 75% were more likely to supportcandidates in the November midterm elections who advocate federal funding for school mental health services over arming teachers.
“To ‘reclaim the promise’ of public education in this state, we need safe, secure, welcoming environments for our children to learn and our teachers to educate,” says AFT Connecticut President Jan Hochadel. “For our union’s members to achieve that reality, they need legislators who will have their backs, not hand them sidearms. The senator is just offering more of the same failed approach being pushed by President Trump and his federal education secretary, Betsy DeVos. Connecticut students and those who educate and support their classroom learning want and deserve better.”
###
The Connecticut Education Association is Connecticut’s largest teachers’ union, representing active and retired educators across the state.
AFT Connecticut represents approximately 30,000 professionals, including preK-12 teachers, paraeducators, and education support personnel in 32 local and regional school districts.
For further information, contact Nancy Andrews at 860-725-6317, nancya@cea.orgor Neal Thomassenat 860/888-2629, nthomassen@aftct.org.
*Message from SEA President Mark Janick*
Good evening/morning,
Wow, halfway through the first quarter of the year. Just a couple of quick notes of happenings around Suffield:
1. Remember to visit our website www.suffieldteachers.org for updates on SEA business
2.You should have received your membership cards from your building reps by now. Please make sure the information is accurate.
3. Make sure your email is up to date, as that is the email list SEA and CEA uses.
4. You should be having 10 minute meetings after each and every faculty meeting to be updated personally by your building reps. Its only 10 minutes and it gives you a chance to speak as a group and communicate anything you want to them.
5. Please be careful not to work on your stipends during working hours. Stipends are to be done outside of your work day (that includes meeting with students for committee business). We are dealing with this in negotiations and we don't want to make them believe that stipends can be done during our work day. It will hurt us a lot.
6. Please make sure you are getting your 200 mins of weekly prep time.
Check our www.cea.org to sign up for free professional development on Saturday, October 20, 2018 , at the Heritage Hotel and Conference Center in Southbury, CT. Please don't hesitate to email me here, or call/text me anytime (860) 919-7674.
Thank you for what you do each and everyday,
Mark Janick
SEA President
**If you know of anybody not receiving this email please have them email me here.
Wow, halfway through the first quarter of the year. Just a couple of quick notes of happenings around Suffield:
1. Remember to visit our website www.suffieldteachers.org for updates on SEA business
2.You should have received your membership cards from your building reps by now. Please make sure the information is accurate.
3. Make sure your email is up to date, as that is the email list SEA and CEA uses.
4. You should be having 10 minute meetings after each and every faculty meeting to be updated personally by your building reps. Its only 10 minutes and it gives you a chance to speak as a group and communicate anything you want to them.
5. Please be careful not to work on your stipends during working hours. Stipends are to be done outside of your work day (that includes meeting with students for committee business). We are dealing with this in negotiations and we don't want to make them believe that stipends can be done during our work day. It will hurt us a lot.
6. Please make sure you are getting your 200 mins of weekly prep time.
Check our www.cea.org to sign up for free professional development on Saturday, October 20, 2018 , at the Heritage Hotel and Conference Center in Southbury, CT. Please don't hesitate to email me here, or call/text me anytime (860) 919-7674.
Thank you for what you do each and everyday,
Mark Janick
SEA President
**If you know of anybody not receiving this email please have them email me here.
*Report Cards for Legislative Candidates Help Guide Educators’ Decisions in the Voting Booth*
CEA Report Card measures overall support for public education; honor roll recognizes education champions.
The Connecticut Education Association today released its first-ever Legislator Report Card that evaluates legislative candidates’ overall support for issues important to students, teachers, and public education. CEA’s new report card recognizes legislators who are committed to giving students more opportunities for success and are working hard to improve public education and the teaching profession in Connecticut.
The report card evaluates legislators’ voting records, as well as their advocacy and efforts to advance CEA priorities over the past two-year legislative cycle. These priorities include funding public education, preserving collective bargaining, enhancing the teaching profession, protecting the pension system, keeping schools safe, upholding teacher certification standards, and supporting sound education policy.
“Unfortunately, when it comes to public education and teachers’ rights, many legislators took actions in the wrong direction and earned less-than-stellar grades,” said CEA President Jeff Leake. “This new report card system is transparent and holds candidates accountable. It informs our members of the candidates’ positions on key issues and highlights those who want to help our students and teachers, and those who are doing harm to them.”
“In the aftermath of teacher demonstrations across the country, there has been a renewed interest in the political process and its direct effect on public education, students, and teachers,” said CEA Executive Director Donald Williams. “Our members are becoming more active—they are using their voice and their vote to make sure the concerns of teachers and students are heard.”
The candidates for all 187 Connecticut General Assembly seats as well as legislators running for another office, receive a grade based on a number of factors. For incumbents seeking reelection, the report card is based on the following:
Voting record on bills that advance or hurt CEA education priorities, and support for students, local schools, and teacher rights.
Co-sponsorship of bills critical to advancing CEA’s identified legislative priorities.
Advocacy on behalf of or against CEA positions in public hearings, on the chamber floor, in the press, and among peers in the legislative environment.
Responsiveness to requests to meet with CEA members and staff.
For all candidates, including those without a state legislative history, answers to candidate questionnaires and interview results were included in the report card.
Additionally, significant emphasis is placed on a candidate’s actions involving the rights of teachers to have a voice in the education of their students, the working and learning conditions of their school, and the ability to bargain for fair wages and benefits.
CEA Honor Roll
Just like in our public schools, those with the highest report card grades are placed on the honor roll. The CEA Honor Roll recognizes the candidates with the top scores, who have shown their commitment and support of public education and the rights of teachers.
“The receport card featuring the honor roll is a clear system that helps inform educators of candidates’ positions on issues that are important to them. Those placed on the honor roll have proven themselves to be champions of students, teachers, and public education and have been accessible and available to educators,” said Leake.
CEA plans to continue to utilize and promote the report card system in the years ahead.
“We believe it is important to hold lawmakers accountable at a time when the rights of both public and private-sector employees and their right to bargain collectively are under severe attack. This report card system is a guide to better inform educators, parents, and community members of the candidates who will do what is right for our students and our schools—and help get them elected on November 6,”added Leake.
To view the complete report card and see the candidates’ positions on specific issues, visit cea.org/reportcard.
The Connecticut Education Association is Connecticut’s largest teachers’ union, representing active and retired educators across the state.
For further information contact Nancy Andrews at 860-725-6317, nancya@cea.org.
The Connecticut Education Association today released its first-ever Legislator Report Card that evaluates legislative candidates’ overall support for issues important to students, teachers, and public education. CEA’s new report card recognizes legislators who are committed to giving students more opportunities for success and are working hard to improve public education and the teaching profession in Connecticut.
The report card evaluates legislators’ voting records, as well as their advocacy and efforts to advance CEA priorities over the past two-year legislative cycle. These priorities include funding public education, preserving collective bargaining, enhancing the teaching profession, protecting the pension system, keeping schools safe, upholding teacher certification standards, and supporting sound education policy.
“Unfortunately, when it comes to public education and teachers’ rights, many legislators took actions in the wrong direction and earned less-than-stellar grades,” said CEA President Jeff Leake. “This new report card system is transparent and holds candidates accountable. It informs our members of the candidates’ positions on key issues and highlights those who want to help our students and teachers, and those who are doing harm to them.”
“In the aftermath of teacher demonstrations across the country, there has been a renewed interest in the political process and its direct effect on public education, students, and teachers,” said CEA Executive Director Donald Williams. “Our members are becoming more active—they are using their voice and their vote to make sure the concerns of teachers and students are heard.”
The candidates for all 187 Connecticut General Assembly seats as well as legislators running for another office, receive a grade based on a number of factors. For incumbents seeking reelection, the report card is based on the following:
Voting record on bills that advance or hurt CEA education priorities, and support for students, local schools, and teacher rights.
Co-sponsorship of bills critical to advancing CEA’s identified legislative priorities.
Advocacy on behalf of or against CEA positions in public hearings, on the chamber floor, in the press, and among peers in the legislative environment.
Responsiveness to requests to meet with CEA members and staff.
For all candidates, including those without a state legislative history, answers to candidate questionnaires and interview results were included in the report card.
Additionally, significant emphasis is placed on a candidate’s actions involving the rights of teachers to have a voice in the education of their students, the working and learning conditions of their school, and the ability to bargain for fair wages and benefits.
CEA Honor Roll
Just like in our public schools, those with the highest report card grades are placed on the honor roll. The CEA Honor Roll recognizes the candidates with the top scores, who have shown their commitment and support of public education and the rights of teachers.
“The receport card featuring the honor roll is a clear system that helps inform educators of candidates’ positions on issues that are important to them. Those placed on the honor roll have proven themselves to be champions of students, teachers, and public education and have been accessible and available to educators,” said Leake.
CEA plans to continue to utilize and promote the report card system in the years ahead.
“We believe it is important to hold lawmakers accountable at a time when the rights of both public and private-sector employees and their right to bargain collectively are under severe attack. This report card system is a guide to better inform educators, parents, and community members of the candidates who will do what is right for our students and our schools—and help get them elected on November 6,”added Leake.
To view the complete report card and see the candidates’ positions on specific issues, visit cea.org/reportcard.
The Connecticut Education Association is Connecticut’s largest teachers’ union, representing active and retired educators across the state.
For further information contact Nancy Andrews at 860-725-6317, nancya@cea.org.
*Negotiations Survey*
The negotiations survey needs to be completed by Monday, August 27th.
Please click on the link below to complete the survey.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PFY6BGJ
Please click on the link below to complete the survey.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PFY6BGJ
*Constitution June 2018*
*SEA Blitz 2017 / 2018*
The SEA/CEA conducted a Blitz in the Suffield Public School system. We asked each of our members (teachers) three simple questions. Each of the four schools had the same three questions but sometimes differed in their answers.
Please click here for more information.
Please click here for more information.
*An Important Message About Janus*
Dear Suffield Education Association Member,
As you may know, the U.S. Supreme Court has released its decision in Janus v. AFSCME, a case that could create significant challenges for teachers and our ability to bargain for good working conditions, decent wages, and quality public education.
In a 5-4 vote, the court struck down nearly four decades of legal protections for teachers and other union members, making it more difficult for us to speak with a unified voice about our workplace, our profession, and the well-being of our students. This is an attempt by corporate billionaires and special interest groups to take away our hard-won rights and freedoms, and to silence us. Please know that we will not be silenced.
Now, more than ever, it is important for us—as a union—to stand together. In states like Arizona and Wisconsin, where teachers’ voices have been silenced, salaries and benefits have plummeted, working conditions have eroded, class sizes are higher, and outcomes for students are often lower. That will not be the case in Connecticut if we stand together.
Some will try to weaken our union, and divide and conquer. You will see it in the near future—attacks from groups that want to privatize public education and take away our decent salaries, health insurance, and retirement benefits. If you are contacted by any groups trying to tear down our union, please let me know immediately.
This is the latest effort by corporate reformers, billionaires, and special interest groups to rig the system against working people and make our society more elitist. But unions will continue to be strong, aspirational, and not negative. Unions are the most effective means of having a collective voice and for providing a pathway to the middle class and stability for families. We are not going anywhere.
Though I am disappointed by the court’s decision, I will continue fighting to ensure that our union membership and bargaining power remain strong. That’s how we best serve our students and stand up for our profession. We are all part of this critical fight.
Below is information about the importance of union membership. Please take the time to read it and share it with your colleagues.Please also share the following videos, which are powerful reminders of why union membership matters.Please reach out to me with any questions. I look forward to working and organizing together—and proving that SEA members are stronger together.
Sincerely,
Mark Janick
SEA President
As you may know, the U.S. Supreme Court has released its decision in Janus v. AFSCME, a case that could create significant challenges for teachers and our ability to bargain for good working conditions, decent wages, and quality public education.
In a 5-4 vote, the court struck down nearly four decades of legal protections for teachers and other union members, making it more difficult for us to speak with a unified voice about our workplace, our profession, and the well-being of our students. This is an attempt by corporate billionaires and special interest groups to take away our hard-won rights and freedoms, and to silence us. Please know that we will not be silenced.
Now, more than ever, it is important for us—as a union—to stand together. In states like Arizona and Wisconsin, where teachers’ voices have been silenced, salaries and benefits have plummeted, working conditions have eroded, class sizes are higher, and outcomes for students are often lower. That will not be the case in Connecticut if we stand together.
Some will try to weaken our union, and divide and conquer. You will see it in the near future—attacks from groups that want to privatize public education and take away our decent salaries, health insurance, and retirement benefits. If you are contacted by any groups trying to tear down our union, please let me know immediately.
This is the latest effort by corporate reformers, billionaires, and special interest groups to rig the system against working people and make our society more elitist. But unions will continue to be strong, aspirational, and not negative. Unions are the most effective means of having a collective voice and for providing a pathway to the middle class and stability for families. We are not going anywhere.
Though I am disappointed by the court’s decision, I will continue fighting to ensure that our union membership and bargaining power remain strong. That’s how we best serve our students and stand up for our profession. We are all part of this critical fight.
Below is information about the importance of union membership. Please take the time to read it and share it with your colleagues.Please also share the following videos, which are powerful reminders of why union membership matters.Please reach out to me with any questions. I look forward to working and organizing together—and proving that SEA members are stronger together.
Sincerely,
Mark Janick
SEA President
*Helpful Links*
The following links will allow you quick access to some of the most frequently accessed sites associated with the SEA: