CEA advocates for teachers and public education. We've been a driving force in lobbying legislators
for the resources public schools need and campaigning for high standards for teachers and students.
Our proud history spans more than 150 years.
CEF is a non-profit, charitable foundation that was established in 1991 to help teachers and
children with extraordinary personal hardships and students planning teaching careers.
CEA is a democratic organization. Our members play an important role in determining the
direction and focus of the Association through several elected governing bodies.
The National Education Association Representative Assembly (RA) is NEA's highest
decision-making body. With over 9,000 delegates, it is also the world's largest democratic,
deliberative body.
The U.S EPA has developed an innovative program - Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools
- to help schools identify and address indoor air quality problems.
The driving principle behind CEA-Retired is to provide retired members an
organization that works in conjunction with CEA to improve retirement, pension, and
health benefits.
We're anywhere your issues require us to be. At the state legislature, before regulatory
agencies, in the media, in your schools, and with state and local politicians.
Whether it's your first time in the classroom or your sixth year, we are here with
all the resources early-career professionals need. We've got classroom management
and professional development ideas. We've got more ways to stretch your hard-earned
dollars. And we've got your back.
CEA Professional Learning Academy offers a wealth of professional development
opportunities for teachers, aligned with Connecticut's professional learning
standards.
The Teacher Education and Mentoring Program (TEAM) is a two year induction program for
beginning teachers that includes mentorship and professional development. Beginning
teachers participating in the program are assigned a trained mentor to guide them
through developing individualized growth plans, uniquely based on their own needs as
educators.
Teachers Share With Legislators Heartfelt Stories of Being Assaulted
CEA UniServ Reps Sue Fulleton and Mike Casey, Norwich teacher Heidi Kapszukiewicz, and Manchester school
social worker Charity Korb were some of the CEA members and staff who testified on student assault at a
legislative hearing last night.
March 15, 2018
Although it was after ten o'clock last night by the time the legislature's Education Committee heard public
testimony on a bill to help ensure classroom safety and address student assaults, CEA members and staff made
sure they were present to testify so that legislators could hear their stories.
"I am here today to tell you that there is a crisis in many schools across Connecticut related to student and
teacher safety. And although it might seem incredulous, the majority of the most serious safety issues are
occurring in elementary classrooms, including in pre-kindergarten," CEA Program Development Specialist Robyn
Kaplan-Cho told legislators.
With increasing frequency, teachers are reporting being assaulted by students in their classrooms. From being
kicked, bitten, and knocked down to having chairs and books thrown at them, teachers are dealing with a sharp
rise in aggressive student behavior that impacts not only educators, but also students.
"Students are disrupting classrooms and putting themselves, other students, and teachers at risk at an alarming
rate," said CEA President Sheila Cohen. "Oftentimes, the disruptive students are taken out of the classroom for
a short period of time and then returned right back into the same classroom, where the aggressive behavior
continues."
"I came to Manchester a very healthy and active 33-year-old woman," said social worker Charity Korb. During her
years as a school social worker she's sustained multiple injuries from which she's never been able to heal as
she's been repeatedly injured by students again and again.
"There's such a large number of students who need significant behavior supports that I can't ever bring anything
to fruition," said Korb, who is the only social worker for the 300 students at her elementary school. She says
she daily misses regularly scheduled appointments with students who have an IEP or 504 plan because other
students are acting out and disrupting their class.
Watch Charity tell her emotional story
"I've been injured multiple times by different students over the last few years," said Heidi Kapszukiewicz.
Kapszukiewicz retired from a career teaching art in Norwich just weeks ago, but not because she wanted to. "My
career was suddenly stopped short because of my host of injuries. I loved what I did. When I got punched in my
right shoulder and they tore my rotator cuff I was so upset they robbed my career from me.
"I'm here to speak for my colleagues and other teachers because I know they love what they do, they're very
passionate, they would do anything for these kids," Kapszukiewicz told legislators. "No student, no teacher
should go to school afraid of what might happen to them that day."
Watch Heidi describe how student assault ended her career
Teachers urged legislators to pass Senate Bill 453, An Act Concerning Classroom Safety and Disruptive Behavior,
to address this troubling trend and enact policies and procedures to appropriately handle student disciplinary
issues.
"Our teachers and students need your help and this bill provides a starting point," urged Kaplan-Cho. Measures
in the bill include
requiring reporting of incidents of violations of daily classroom safety
enhancing response and establishing appropriate procedures regarding violent behavior
requiring administrators to follow up to address violent behavior on an ongoing basis
allowing teachers to remove students from the classroom who have assaulted someone or are a threat to the
safety of others
ensuring violent students receive appropriate supports before returning to the classroom
CEA's Robyn Kaplan-Cho told legislators that there is a crisis in many schools across Connecticut related to
student and teacher safety
"One of CEA's proposals would allow a teacher to remove a student from the classroom who has assaulted someone
in the classroom, repeatedly bullied other students, or is a threat to the safety of others, and place the
student in an appropriate setting that does not threaten other students," said CEA Executive Director Donald
Williams. "It requires that the student receive appropriate supports before returning to the classroom."
"If a classroom has to be cleared several times per week because a student is having a meltdown and throwing
chairs and pulling down bulletin boards, none of those students, including the disruptive one, is learning,"
Kaplan-Cho said. "Just last week a teacher told me that from the time the tantrum began and she had to quickly
remove the rest of the class to another safe place until the class was able to return to her room, three hours
had elapsed."
"Teachers should not have to be fearful of students in their own classrooms. When violent incidents happen,
teachers must feel protected and supported by administration. We must put an end to the increase in student
violence, address behavioral issues, and hold administrators accountable for taking action," concluded Cohen.
The football equipment necessary to ensure students' safety can be expensive, and in a district
like Waterbury, funding for sports programs is in short supply.
CEA is partnering with the Connecticut Foundation for Dental Outreach to get the message out about
an upcoming clinic that provides free dental care to Connecticut's underserved populations.
Oklahoma educators, support professionals, parents, students, and community members have been
PACKING the Oklahoma State Capitol this week to speak up on behalf of Oklahoma's children! Can you support
them by buying them lunch?
Teachers from Avon, Bloomfield, Cheshire, Clinton, Cornwall, Coventry, East Hartford, Killingly,
Manchester, Mansfield, Newington, Norwich, Tolland, Trumbull, and Waterbury—as well as retired educators
from around the state—participated in the student-led March for Our Lives ast the nation's capital.
Chanting "enough is enough" and "we want gun control now," students, teachers, parents, and
community members marched from the Corning Fountain in Bushnell Park to the steps of the State Capitol for
the March For Our Lives Rally.
As surprising as it may sound, students biting, kicking, throwing furniture, and hurting other
students and teachers has become common in schools across Connecticut, CEA Program Development Specialist
Robyn Kaplan-Cho told WTIC's Ray Dunaway during an appearance on his radio show.
Although it was after ten o'clock last night by the time the legislature' Education Committee heard
public testimony on a bill to help ensure classroom safety and address student assaults, CEA members and
staff made sure they were present to testify so that legislators could hear their stories.
Teachers and school staff in Amity, Darien, East Haddam, Marlborough, Manchester, Stamford, West
Hartford, and elsewhere throughout the state gathered in their schools' parking lots and snowy courtyards in
a show of support and solidarity for communities ravaged by school gun violence.
Its a busy day at the legislatures Education Committee, with senate and house members hearing from
the public on bills that cover a range of topics from remedial reading instruction to virtual learning to
Education Savings Accounts.
The Oklahoma Education Association announced on Tuesday night that schools would shut down across
the state if the state legislature does not pass a $10,000 pay raise for teachers and increased funding for
schools by April 23.
Thank you to all of you who sent messages of support to our West Virginia colleagues. They have
stood in solidarity and made their voices heard to demand recognition of their professionalism and
dignity.
In one of the city's largest public forums—with a crowd of over 200—more than 60
Shelton teachers shared their concerns and ideas regarding school safety with colleagues, administrators,
and community members.
Raising the state sales and gas taxes, eliminating the estate and gift taxes, selectively raising
business taxes, eliminating collective bargaining for state workers, and reforming the Teachers' Retirement
System are just a few of the recommendations released today by the Commission on Fiscal Stability and
Economic Growth.
CEA leaders were joined by labor leaders from across the state and legislators in speaking out to
protect the rights and freedom of workers to negotiate together and fight for decent and equitable pay,
affordable health care, quality schools, and vibrant communities.
February 26 marked the kick off of the Connecticut Education Foundation's 2018 Read Across America
Reading Bus Tour, featuring a 38-foot bus decorated with characters from popular Dr. Seuss books and
outfitted with bookshelves, benches, carpeting, and 3,000 donated books.
CEA joined with the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) and the Connecticut
Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) in a press conference at East Hartford High School
demanding meaningful legislative action on school safety.
The State Board of Education today listened to teachers' concerns about fairness in education
funding and responded by rejecting increases in enrollment for three charter schools that would have cost
the state $627,000.
Though his opening address to the 2018 General Assembly emphasized Connecticut's tradition of
fairness and the state's future generations, the governor's new budget proposal delivers mixed news for
Connecticut students, teachers, and schools.
While Governor Malloy's message in his address to the General Assembly emphasized Connecticut's
tradition of fairness and concern for future generations, his budget proposal is anything but fair for
Connecticut's students and public schools.
Kim Sweeney is the winner of a nine-day NEA Adventures prize package summer vacation to Costa Rica.
The trip—the grand prize in CEA Member Benefits' first-ever "Explore & Score" eight-week
sweepstakes—includes meals, hotel accommodations, and tours of a cloud forest, hot springs, and
volcano.
A change to the retired teachers' health insurance program that was adopted by the State Teachers'
Retirement Board (TRB) this month will impact retired teachers and spouses who are on—or will soon be
on&mdsah;the TRB's Medicare supplement (65 and older) plan.
Teachers across Connecticut are coming out to their local CEA County Forums to stay on top of new
threats to their profession and public education—and to learn how they can protect themselves.
Public officials are elected to represent the interests of local residents, but members of the
Stratford Board of Education abdicated their responsibility to town residents by shutting them out of a
public meeting.
State Supreme Court ruling in the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding (CCJEF) v.
Rell delivered a mixed verdict—bad for school funding, while rejecting the lower court's attempt to
create burdensome schemes for testing, teacher evaluation, and education policy.
After state funding for the program was unexpectedly eliminated from the new state budget, CEA has
continued to strongly advocate for a restoration of TEAM funding.
Legislators must address education funding and reverse the additional $58.2 million in cuts to
public schools before the start of the regular legislative session.