“For the state G.O.P. to hold a political event in a public school is both shameful and hypocritical. Their gubernatorial nominee’s scheme to slash $11 billion from the state budget threatens devastating cuts to local and regional districts across Connecticut.
“Our students — as well as their teachers and school support personnel — will pay the price for those cuts. The consequences could be dramatically increased class sizes, thousands of layoffs and the loss of vital education services and supports.
“For a political party to hold a rally in a regional school whose communities will suffer under their gubernatorial nominee’s extremist agenda isn’t just the height of hypocrisy. By having their under-ticket candidates join him on the stage, it also sends the message that they’ve become the ‘anti-education’ party.
“Our union members believe that Connecticut’s public schools are only appropriate venues for political speeches by candidates who actually support public education, not by those who would decimate it.”
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AFT Connecticut represents approximately 30,000 professionals across the state, including PreK-12 teachers, paraeducators and education support personnel in 32 local and regional school districts. For more information, visit www.aftct.org or follow the labor federation on Twitter at @AFTCT and on Facebook at AFT Connecticut.
