Connecticut schools may see a lot of red Wednesday.
Educators statewide are donning red to show their solidarity for the Connecticut Education Association’s #RedForEd Day of Action campaign. Through the campaign, educators are urging lawmakers to pass legislation they say will ensure student success and help retain and recruit more teachers.
The Connecticut legislative session adjourns May 4.
“We know there’s not much time to get these important priorities across the finish line,” CEA President Kate Dias said in a statement. “That’s why it’s so important for legislators to see their constituents wearing #RedforEd and hearing directly from them about the need to pass these bills.”
In a letter published in Hearst Connecticut Media Group’s publications this week, Dias and CEA Vice President Joslyn DeLancey called on state lawmakers, parents and voters to wear red in support, and to contact their lawmakers to support a handful of bills.
“We are at a pivotal moment for passing much-needed legislation,” Dias and DeLancey wrote in the letter. “The time is now to stand with Connecticut’s public schools and the students and educators at the heart of those schools and make investments that underscore your support.”
In particular, CEA officials are calling on lawmakers to pass HB 423, which would improve the indoor air quality and establish temperature and humidity standards; SB 427, which would create a Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force; and SB 1 and HB 5001; which would increase the number of certified mental health professionals in Connecticut schools.
Officials are also asking lawmakers to prohibit dual instruction in SB 1 and HB 5001.
Jason Ghidini, a teacher at Kennedy Middle School and the president of the Southington Education Association, will be wearing red Wednesday at school and then plans to head to the Capitol to meet with legislators face-to-face.
“I lived through dual instruction for two years and saw firsthand how ineffective it was for all learners,” Ghidini noted. “By taking part in today’s #RedforEd Day of Action, I am ensuring the voices of the experts in the field of education are heard in the creation of policy.”
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Originally Appeared Here