Rally demands state help for schools in ‘greatest need’
DANBURY — A mother once knocked on Luanelly Iglesias’ door, selling jewelry because she had no food and was fearing eviction.
The mother was a parent of one of Iglesias’ students at Rogers Park Middle School, and the bilingual teacher said she has heard similar stories from families in dire straits during the coronavirus pandemic.
“My students, I have seen them become depressed and sad because they’re worried about their parents,” said Iglesias, who teaches students learning English and was once an English learner herself.
It’s one of the reasons she and roughly 50 educators, students, parents, union leaders and other community members rallied Wednesday evening at Rogers Park Middle School to demand the state fund public schools like Danbury equitably.
Recovery for All, a new statewide coalition of community, faith, and labor organizations, planned the rally as part of its effort to demand a state budget with school funding, affordable housing, fair taxes, access to affordable healthcare, and economic and racial equity.
“We need a state budget that helps those in the greatest need, committing to help families survive and thrive, decent housing, food security, health care, quality education, job opportunities,” said Don Williams, executive director of the Connecticut Education Association. “We need to meet the challenge of a fair education in our public schools for every child in the state of Connecticut, starting right here in Danbury.”
Danbury has a diverse student body and ranks last in per-pupil spending in the state.
“Who is tired of being 169 out of 169?” asked state Rep. Ken Gucker, D-Danbury.
Speakers called out the funding disparities that mean diverse city districts, do not have the resources wealthier schools do. There’s a $639 million gap between what majoritywhite school districts receive compared to other districts, the School and State Finance Project has found.
“My students deserve not to fall between the cracks of an underfunded school system,” said Erin Daly, president of the Danbury teachers’ union and a teacher at Pembroke Elementary School.
Educators said they need more money for better technology, more custodians, professional development, extracurricular activities, and additional counselors and social workers to support students struggle with mental health. Special education students, English learners and students living in poverty need more resources, too, speakers said.
Will Sweeney, a freshman at Danbury High School, recalled how his favorite music teacher in elementary school didn’t have a classroom and was “forced” to teach from a cart and grade in the hallway. In middle school, his counselor had 350 other students, but still made time for him.
“My education is not something that can be shoved under a rug,” he said. “My education cannot be neglected for arbitrary political differences.”
Speakers criticized the governor’s plan to keep even the state education grant next fiscal year and use federal COVID-19 relief to supplant state funds. Some said they supported a bill in the state legislature that would restructure the state’s education grant, with the most money going toward the neediest districts.
State Rep. Bob Godfrey, D-Danbury, pointed to the 2017 state budget proposal where he said the former governor had initially proposed $20 million more for Danbury schools. But he said that increase was mostly slashed in the approved budget, with money going to wealthier districts like Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan, instead.
“Yeah, they really needed the money,” he said sarcastically.
Godfrey and other speakers blamed the city, too, for cutting the school board’s requested spending increases year after year.
“That’s wrong, plain wrong,” he said.
Danbury schools have requested a 9.8 percent increase in city spending in its $149 million budget proposal for next year, but the mayor has said meeting this demand would raise taxes too high amid COVID-19.
Attendees held signs that said “Fund our future” and “Recovery for all, not a few.” Staked into the ground were pictures of a few Connecticut billionaires, including Peter Buck, the Danbury philanthropist and co-founder of Subway. Signs read, in part, “tax the rich.”
There’s a bill in the state legislature that would do just that. State Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury, said taxing the wealthy would help the state invest in schools.
“They can afford to pay more,” said Kushner, whose kids went to Rogers Park. “By the way, I think many of them understand that.”
Danbury schools are overcrowded, too, and the proposed career academy and addition to an elementary school won’t be enough to handle rising enrollment, speakers said
“There have been times at Danbury High School where I couldn’t even move across the building,” said Rebecca D'Ostilio, a senior and student body president.