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Bills would create greater opportunities for Connecticut students and future educators of color
Hartford, Conn. — On Friday, lawmakers in the state’s Education Committee voted to advance key proposals supported by ConnCAN concerning diversifying the educator workforce, creating a student-centered education funding system, reviewing the state’s teacher certification statutes, and regulating and expanding childcare opportunities for families, among others.
- Senate Bill 1 An Act Concerning Childhood Mental and Physical Health Services in Schools
- Senate Bill 274 An Act Concerning Minority Teacher Recruitment and Retention (passed on consent)
- House Bill 5283 An Act Concerning the Education Cost Sharing Grant Formula and the Funding of Other Education Programs
- Senate Bill 273 An Act Concerning Teacher Certification
- House Bill 5465 An Act Increasing Early Childhood Educator Salaries and Expanding Childcare Opportunities for Families
- Senate Bill 229 An Act Concerning the Charter Approval Process
Each bill was supported by the education advocacy nonprofit ConnCAN (Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now) and will continue through the legislative process ahead of the General Assembly’s May 4 adjournment.
ConnCAN Executive Director Subira Gordon thanked committee leaders for moving the bills forward, “Since 2015, ConnCAN has been working with the legislature on efforts to close the state’s educational opportunity gaps which includes diversifying our educator workforce. Today Connecticut took a major step addressing our student-teacher racial imbalance with a minority teacher candidate scholarship program in Senate Bill 1. This will help create a pipeline of homegrown educators who want to learn and teach here.”
Gordon added, “All students benefit from a learning environment that reflects the world around them. And, Connecticut lawmakers have advanced legislation that can serve as a model for states to follow as they face similar imbalances and shortages. At the same time, state leaders have formed a task force to study and address the issue of teacher diversification further.”
Gordon stated, “The Education Committee has passed a groundbreaking student-centered funding formula that invests significant resources for our students, especially those from our most underfunded districts. If this bill gets passed into law, it will be one of the most consequential changes to education funding in our lifetime. Kids will benefit, lives will change, and opportunities will materialize. We look forward to working with legislators and the Education Justice Now coalition to usher this legislation into law.”
Gordon finished by saying, “We are so thankful for the hard work of Representative Currey, Representative Felipe, and the co-chairs of the Education Committee, Senator McCrory and Representative Sanchez. Their commitment and efforts were monumental in making sure student-centered funding heads to the floor for a full vote.”
ConnCAN’s 2022 legislative testimony on these bills can be found here.
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About ConnCAN: ConnCAN is leading a movement to improve education outcomes for Connecticut’s kids. We bring advocates, policymakers, parents and educators together to change the system and give all kids access to the great public schools they deserve. Learn more at conncan.org.