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Schools

Windsor Teachers Harbor Concern Over Education Reform

Defending their profession, many Windsor teachers don't like the direction the Governor is taking them.

Windsor teachers Lisa Bress and Nancy Fields are more than a little concerned about the future of their chosen career.  With Governor Malloy's education reform bill in its final hours of discussion, they are waiting on pins and needles to see what shape teaching in Connecticut may take. 

But that's not to say they are just sitting passively by. Both of the women, both actively involved in the Windsor Education Association, are talking to anyone who will listen about their concerns.

When State Bill 24 was announced to teachers, it sent ripples of shock throughout the profession. 

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"As far as we know, the things that came out in the bill didn't involve the Connecticut Education Association until we saw the bill," said Bress.

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"We had been discussing such changes and how to strengthen the evaluation process, but nobody knew that it was going to be directly connected to certification, tenure, salary, etc."

In fact, a statewide group of education stake-holders has been working on a plan for education and evaluation reform. This group, called PEAC (Performance Evaluation Advisory Committee), is still working on that document and hopes to offer it to the Governor as a workable model.

Fields believes that SB-24 has been a kind of conversation starter.  "It's a tool to have people see his point of view," she said, "a rhetoric tool."

With 52 years of teaching experience between them, Fields and Bress  have looked at other topics in the bill and wonder whether or not the state is trying to "de-professionalize" the profession. 

"It seems to take control away from local teachers," said Bress, who worries that this will in turn affect students.

Bress recalled story after story about students who came into her classroom under serious emotional distress. Some days she says she wasn't concerned about their test scores. She was concerned about the families they were going home to or whether or not they were handling the death of a parent well. 

She pondered whether her desire to have these students in her classroom and be a support to them would somehow turn against her in the future if test scores are closely tied into her professional evaluations.

"It's been really divisive," said Bress. 

At the same time, this debate has seemed to energize the profession as well. Having both attended the rallies in Hartford, Bress said, "It was nice to see 1,000 educators a day that were willing to come out and speak about it. It has brought people out of the closet."

"The bill seemed to place the majority of the blame for failing schools on educators," said Bress. "It's not just about teachers  It's about all the people involved."

Presently, an "alternate" SB-24 is under review. Bress and Fields see it as a slight improvement, but needing serious review. Under the "new" bill proposed, there is an increase in preschool seats, from 500 to 1000, which everyone on both sides of the argument agrees is good.

"Everything that we know tells us that children who have an early start will do well in school," said Bress. 

This "new" bill also seems to take into account some of the concerns of teachers. "It appears to me that they're getting more feedback," said Bress.

But the "new" bill, while an improvement, is not ideal and teachers said they don't know what form the bill will take before it is finally voted on this week.

If passed, "Windsor teachers would see an immediate impact in the way they are evaluated and in professional development," said Bress, who is also concerned that tying one's evaluation in with student performance would also restrict teachers from from trying new and exciting things in the classroom.

"We have always felt supported by our Board of Education here in Windsor," said Bress. "This is a disagreement with the governor's bill."

As far as the future of education goes, Fields says, "I have heard some educators say that they wouldn't have their own children become teachers... Teacher morale is at an all time low."

As they wait to see what passes, they will keep calling their legislators to make sure all the issues are discusses until May 9 when the legislature adjourns.

And of course, they will be in a Windsor classroom near you, doing what they do best: teaching.

"Teachers care," said Bress. "When it comes to showing how we feel about kids, we want to be involved."

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