AFT Connecticut Reaction to Gov. Malloy Principles for Education Reform

On Dec. 20, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy released his outline of principles for education reform [1].

AFT Connecticut has been in regular discussion with both Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor and his staff on this issue.

“We’re happy that Governor Malloy and Commissioner Pryor have reached out to us and the other stakeholders on this issue,” said Sharon Palmer, president of AFT Connecticut. “The governor’s outline is a good starting point and we look forward to continuing the discussion.”

“As the union representing many of the urban school districts in Connecticut, our union understands the importance of working together to achieve success,” said Palmer. “We have worked closely with the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut to make the CommPACT schools a success. We sincerely hope CommPACT schools will be among the models examined by the Department of Education and the State Legislature.”

“Everyone involved in education needs to be a part of this discussion, from teachers to parents, paraprofessionals to administrators. We all are committed to ensuring that every child gets a quality education,” said Palmer.

AFT CT (American Federation of Teachers Connecticut) is committed to improving the quality of education for every child in the state. Education reform issues like teacher tenure, teacher certification, teacher evaluations, early childhood education, charter schools, school funding and more need input from all educators. PreK-12 teachers, paraprofessionals and school related personnel are working every day to improve learning and help students to grow. From urban schools in Connecticut, such as Hartford, New Britain, New Haven and Meriden, to suburban schools, such as, Bloomfield, Simsbury and Waterford,  to regional school districts, our members are working to provide quality education.