We recently had to postpone a presentation to inform you about the HSA insurance option the district presently provides due to some last minute information we received from the superintendent. The Board of Education had planned to take action on going to a new Health Insurance vendor at its April 7th meeting. The discussion was tabled. They had received quotes from a couple of companies, but on the afternoon of the meeting, our current vendor had made “a favorable offer”. According to our most recent communication with the superintendent, he is expecting the Board of Education to come to a decision at some point next week. Until the decision is made, please understand that it is all we know at this point. As soon as we have more information, our presentation is on hold. We want to be able to give you accurate information and without the Board’s decision we are not able to give you a full picture. As soon as we have their decision, we will let you know and will promptly reschedule the presentation.
On another note, we are being given the opportunity as a strong group of professionals to stand up and be heard on behalf of our students and our profession. Our legislature is presently discussing a number of topics related to the Connecticut Standards, Common Core, and testing. If our state continues to underfund educational funding the consequences could include diminished programs, increased class sizes, and impacted teacher salaries.
- Over the last five years Charter schools have received a 72% increase in state support.
- Magnet schools have received a 69% increase in state aid.
- Neighborhood schools (which educate more than 90% of the state’s public school children), received an increase of only 8%!
NOW is the time for our voices to be heard. Please read the email from CEA President Sheila Cohen below.
| Sent on behalf of President Sheila Cohen:
Rallies are powerful displays of our commitment to children and to the teaching profession. I am pleased to announce that we will be organizing a major education rally at the State Capitol in Hartford at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12. This rally will be patterned after the Keep the Promise event that led to dramatic improvement in our pensions. This year, our efforts to get state lawmakers to reduce excessive testing and create an improved system of school accountability have gained momentum in the form of Senate Bill 1095. We need to harness that momentum in the final weeks of the legislative session. A well-attended and effectively organized rally will help us accomplish our goal of phasing-out SBAC. Connecticut’s obsession with high-stakes testing is dangerous as well as detrimental. Legislators need to hear that message loudly and clearly from us—classroom professionals who are the experts in teaching and learning. I urge you to sign up for the Hartford rally at http://www.cea.org/members/events/rally2015. Bus transportation is being planned so that your trip to and from the State Capitol is easy and direct. In addition, please know that local Associations are organizing school- and district-based public demonstrations on May 12. Please contact your local president for more information about these events. Finally, AFT-Connecticut and the Connecticut Association of School Administrators are supporting our legislative plan, so we expect their members to join our demonstrations on May 12. Thank you. |
Rocky Hill will be one of the planned bus transportation spots made available via the CEA website. There will be buses to the State Capitol leaving from Rocky Hill High School at 4:15 on May 12th. We expect to leave the State Capitol grounds at approximately 7 pm to return to Rocky Hill.
In addition, NEA and CEA are asking teachers to contact their Connecticut legislators to focus on student learning and away from high stakes testing and punishing of schools with no significant closing of the achievement gap. If you are unable to attend the rally, you can place a direct call or write a letter to your legislator (www.cga.ct.gov).
Rocky Hill Teachers' Association (RHTA) 