Teachers press for education bills

Connecticut schools saw a lot of red on Wednesday.

Educators statewide wore red to show their solidarity for the Connecticut Education Association's #RedForEd Day of Action campaign. Through the campaign, educators urged lawmakers to pass legislation they say will ensure student success and help retain and recruit more teachers.

The Connecticut legislative session adjourns May 4.

“We know there's not much time to get these important priorities across the finish line,” CEA

President Kate Dias said in a statement. “That's why it's so important for legislators to see their constituents wearing #RedforEd and hearing directly from them about the need to pass these bills.”

In a letter published in Hearst Connecticut Media Group's publications this week, Dias and CEA Vice President Joslyn DeLancey called on state lawmakers, parents and voters to wear red in support, and to contact their lawmakers to support a handful of bills.

“We are at a pivotal moment for passing much-needed legislation,” Dias and DeLancey wrote in the letter. “The time is now to stand with Connecticut's public schools and the students and educators at the heart of those schools and make investments that underscore your support.”

In particular, CEA officials called on lawmakers to pass HB 423, which would improve the indoor air quality and establish temperature and humidity standards; SB 427, which would create a Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force; and SB 1 and HB 5001; which would increase the number of certified mental health professionals in Connecticut schools.