Hartford Public Schools

Urging Solutions to the Student Learning Crisis

Thu, 12/08/2022 - 12:30pm
Everyone deserves a secure retirement - particularly those who have devoted their careers to the common good. Hartford Federation of Teachers - Retired chapter member Margaret Ricks (left, in photo below) and AFT Connecticut President Jan Hochadel (right) propose this shared value as foundational to solving the nation’s school staffing shortage. Together in a recent op-ed they urged elected officials to take action for our state’s students who "need and deserve highly qualified teachers at the head of their classrooms:"
 

Rejecting the "New Normal" of Gun Violence

Fri, 11/18/2022 - 5:30pm
For public school students and the teachers and education personnel who provide and support their learning, active shooter drills have become routine. Tiffany Moyer-Washington (in photo, below), a capstone and English Electives educator at Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy in a recent op-ed spoke for many of her colleagues in demanding better. The Hartford Federation of Teachers union member urges action because “this is not the world we want to live in:”
 

Urging Action for a "Safe, Healthy Return to the Classroom"

Fri, 12/31/2021 - 12:30pm
Leaders representing over 60,000 public education employees across Connecticut are urging immediate implementation of new, strict, consistent protocols and safety standards in our schools. Our Board of Education (BOE) Union Coalition is calling on state and district officials to take specific additional steps ahead of students’ return from winter break. Action is needed now as the COVID-19 omicron variant continues transmitting at the highest levels since the start of the pandemic.
 
Click here for the coalition's updated core principles.
 

Encouraging Teachers to "Share Your Story" and Celebrate the Profession

Fri, 11/19/2021 - 1:30pm
State and local union leaders are engaging with rank-and-file members in support of a new multi-media project designed to raise educators’ collective public profile. The online platform, "Teachers of Connecticut," was in August launched to amplify the voices of practitioners across the state with an initial series of stories from the classroom. News outlets have since helped further raise public awareness with coverage of featured educators.
 

Securing a Vaccination Plan to Benefit Our Schools

Mon, 02/22/2021 - 4:50pm
Unions representing teachers and support personnel, superintendents and parents today are thanking state officials for adopting their proposed parallel vaccination plan presented last week for Connecticut’s school communities. The Board of Education (BOE) Union Coalition's recommendations were included in directives announced this afternoon by Governor Ned Lamont. 
 
Click here for the coalition's letter to the governor.
 

Presenting Petitions Urging the "Safe and Successful Schools Now" Recommendations

Thu, 12/10/2020 - 1:30pm
As COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) cases continue to rise in Connecticut, leaders of the Board of Education (BOE) Union Coalition today presented a petition signed by nearly 14,000 education and community members. Signers urged the state to take immediate steps to protect the health of students, staff and communities.
 
Click here to sign and share the petition.
 

Demanding a Voice in Reopening Safely

Fri, 08/28/2020 - 5:30pm
Members of AFT Connecticut-affiliated local unions have for the past four weeks taken center stage in the debate over fall "back to school" plans. Teachers and education personnel have repeatedly called for prioritizing students and staff health in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic. Efforts culminated this week in public actions organized with labor allies demanding state officials put safety first. 
 
Click here to sign and share our board of education (BOE) union coalition's petition.
 

Educators Take to the Streets in Coordinated "Safety First" Car Caravan Rallies

Thu, 07/30/2020 - 6:00pm
From Stamford to Stonington, Hamden to Hartford, and more than two dozen towns in between, teachers, education personnel, students, parents and advocates today joined school "Safety First" car caravans. The purpose was to demand safety and health precautions — and much-needed funding — in Connecticut public school building reopening plans. 
 
Click here for video coverage of several actions.
 

Ensuring a Role for School Support Staff in Distance Learning

Thu, 04/16/2020 - 3:30pm
Education personnel across Connecticut faced an uncertain future when in mid March their buildings were closed to slow the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). By exercising negotiating rights and tapping political strength, union leaders were able to keep members engaged in remote distance learning — and earning their paychecks. Their action assured the school year isn’t lost for countless schoolchildren and protected the primary source of income for thousands of working families.
 

Remaining Vigilant to "Open Doors for More Families"

Sat, 01/18/2020 - 11:30am
Hartford families and education advocates earlier this month reached a settlement with local and state officials in the 30-year-old Sheff v. O'Neill, et al. desegregation lawsuit. While the agreement adds more than 1,000 new magnet slots in the region, it comes up short on resolving racial isolation in the Capitol City's traditional neighborhood schools. Following news of the resolution, civil rights activists and union leaders warned against complacency in the fight for equity for students struggling with poverty.
 
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