Two T’s in a Pod

The Connecticut Career Pathways Commission has sought public feedback on its draft recommendations and is now finalizing those recommendations to present to the legislature in February. Formed last spring, the Commission is seeking to develop pathways to help students explore their interests, understand career options, build skills, and connect classroom learning to future education, training, and employment.

Commission chair and former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona joins CEA President Kate Dias, a Commission member, and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey to talk about why this work is so important and how the legislature should think about its value not just to students but to the state as a whole.

What is private equity? What does is have to do with public schools? And how does it relate to the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit?

On the latest episode of CEA’s podcast, CEA Research and Policy Development Specialist Alex Kolokotronis joins CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey to discuss the answers to those questions.

“When we don’t fully fund education we’re putting people in a corner to make deals that might seem appealing on the surface, like a quick fix, but actually open us up to risk,” Kolokotronis says.

He adds, “Right now private equity has a foothold in public schools, but vouchers can really change the game, not just by diverting dollars to private schools, but by creating a financial arrangement where they can grow that foothold and take a deeper and deeper cut and effectively privatize public schools.”

Learn more about the dangers of private equity from a CEA policy brief.

Connecticut schools have been in session for about a month now, and on the latest episode of CEA's podcast, CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey catch up on the start of the school year with local presidents Nicola Able and Jeffrey Rizzo.

Able has been president of the Killingly Education Association for 12 years, while Rizzo is the brand new president of the Branford Education Association. Both are excited for the year ahead and looking at ways to get members engaged and involved with their union at the local, state, and national levels.

Some of those engagement opportunities include CEA events such as Election Day PD and the CEA Celebrates Gala. Check out the CEA events calendar for even more opportunities to get involved with your state union.

The back-to-school season has seen CEA's officers—President Kate Dias, Vice President Joslyn DeLancey, Secretary Gail Jorden, and Treasurer Stephanie Wanzer—traveling around the state to dozens of New Teacher Orientations. Now that school is in session, or almost in session, in Connecticut districts, listen to the four chat about meeting new members, their hopes for back-to-school, and what CEA has in store the next few months.

This episode covers everything from a reflection on the legacy of icon Dolly Parton to a discussion of CEA's most controversial swag item.

And as you prepare for the year ahead, remember to register for the free Reimagining Education Symposium on Election Day, buy tickets or sponsorships for the CEA Celebrates Gala to support the Connecticut Education Foundation, and get ready to support the Holiday Bear Project.

After a whirlwind school year, summer offers teachers a chance to pause and refresh—but sometimes the season can be quickly filled with obligations that get in the way of a much-needed break.

Jessica Smith, senior vice president of strategy and innovation at The Connection Institute for Innovative Practice, talks to CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancy about how teachers can use summer effectively to recharge and combat burnout. 

For more from Smith, check out her Substack.

Joy Colon is an educator who serves and gives back to her students, colleagues, union, and community in many ways. The Greenwich High special education teacher talks with CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey about her experience in the classroom, her work as co-chair of the CEA Racial and Ethnic Diversity Affairs Commission, and the many other ways she serves her community including as a member of Trumbull's Town Council.

From among the many teachers who were nominated, Colon was selected to receive CEA’s highest teaching award, The John McCormack Award for Teaching Excellence, which comes with a $2,000 cash honorarium and honors an educator who excels in the classroom and as a union advocate.

Connecticut's state budget dedicated millions of new dollars to public education this year, so why are so many towns struggling to fund their schools?

CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey talk education funding with New Haven Federation of Teachers President and AFT Connecticut Pre-K to 12 Divisional Vice President Leslie Blatteau. They discuss why new approaches are needed when it comes to investing in public schools and why slow and steady doesn't cut it when it comes to ensuring the best for Connecticut children.

CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey talk with Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page about lessons that can be learned from our neighbor to the north, which, in 2022 passed a Fair Share tax on multimillionaires to generate funding for education and transportation.  

Massachusetts' Fair Share Tax has allowed the state to provide free community college to every resident, free four-year tuition and fees for students with family incomes of less than $80,000, universal school meals, as well as additional funding for literacy, early education, and childcare. Learn more at https://www.fairsharema.com.

State Treasurer Erick Russell joins CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey to break down the current state of the Teachers’ Retirement Fund and what it means for educators’ long-term financial security. As the state’s chief financial officer and principal fiduciary for its pension assets, Russell offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the fund is managed and where it’s headed.

On this episode, CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey are joined by a special guest, Dr. Miguel Cardona. The former U.S. Secretary of Education and Connecticut Commissioner of Education was recently named by Governor Lamont as chair of the Connecticut Career Pathways Commission, which is tasked with helping create a system to connect students to jobs in high-demand fields.

Listen to learn what career pathways can provide for Connecticut as well as Cardona's thoughts on the need for investments in public schools, the role of testing in education, and more.