Educators and Advocates Hold Sit-in to Demand Governor fund Students' Futures

 

A sit-in and civil disobedience at the office of Governor Ned Lamont capped off a week of action for a Peoples Budget organized with Connecticut for All. Pressure is high as the legislative session nears an end, and many cities and families face economic crisis. Calls continue in support of ending fiscal roadblocks to fully fund public schools and other people's needs, especially given the uncertainty of federal funding cuts.

The civil disobedience by teachers and students reflected the large public hearings where hundreds of students from around the state testified about shortfalls in their schools and insisted that their right to fully staffed schools in safe buildings be fulfilled. The leadersship of high school students seeking a susainable future has inspired elected officials and the community alike.

The sit-in drew attention to the learning crisis faced by students in under-resourced school districts and the demand that more robust and equitable investments be made in Connecticut’s neighborhood and magnet schools..

Leaders of AFT Connecticut formally requested a funding package that would go a long way toward resolving Connecticut’s student learning crisis. They are seeking an increase to the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) foundation amount and adoption of a 50% weight for special education in its formula.

In a letter addressed to Governor Lamont, 24 teacher union leaders from around the state said educators are “doing more with less – addressing learning gaps, mental health needs and increased demands in classrooms without the essential resources to match.”

“Sustainable funding for Pre K-12 education is possible,” said the teachers. “We can achieve that by adjusting the budgetary roadblocks to ensure that necessary resources make it to the communities that need them. Now is the time for us to commit to the promise of public education for our current and future students. In one of the richest states in the richest country in the history of the world, we must deliver the education our students deserve. By increasing the ECS foundation and prioritizing special education, you can move Connecticut decisively toward a fairer approach that reflects our shared commitment to educational opportunity for all.”