Connecticut teachers excited by possibilities after midterm elections
Connecticut educators are eager to work with new state lawmakers. Democrats won large congressional majorities in the midterms but also grew their majority in the state’s General Assembly. It came as federal funding cuts imperiled state education programs, while slim majorities kept vital education legislation from becoming law. Some priorities include paying student teachers and making teacher salaries more competitive. Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association, said another priority is updating the state’s education funding formula . “The fact that we have based our education cost-sharing formula in 2013 and haven’t adjusted it for inflation since, so when we say we’re fully funding education, we’re fully funding it in 2013 dollars, not in 2026,” Dias explained. She expects it will be a suggestion from Gov. Ned Lamont’s Blue Ribbon Commission on K-12 education funding and accountability. Since the state does not account for inflation in education funding, communities must use property tax dollars to make up the difference. But since some municipalities cannot do it, they face larger class sizes and lower teacher salaries. Teachers in Connecticut and nationwide are breathing a sigh of relief about the election results. Dias noted teachers feel a sense of academic freedom
