Two T’s in a Pod

The back-to-school season has seen CEA's officers—President Kate Dias, Vice President Joslyn DeLancey, Secretary Gail Jorden, and Treasurer Stephanie Wanzer—traveling around the state to dozens of New Teacher Orientations. Now that school is in session, or almost in session, in Connecticut districts, listen to the four chat about meeting new members, their hopes for back-to-school, and what CEA has in store the next few months.
This episode covers everything from a reflection on the legacy of icon Dolly Parton to a discussion of CEA's most controversial swag item.
And as you prepare for the year ahead, remember to register for the free Reimagining Education Symposium on Election Day, buy tickets or sponsorships for the CEA Celebrates Gala to support the Connecticut Education Foundation, and get ready to support the Holiday Bear Project.

Connecticut schools have been in session for about a month now, and on the latest episode of CEA's podcast, CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey catch up on the start of the school year with local presidents Nicola Able and Jeffrey Rizzo.
Able has been president of the Killingly Education Association for 12 years, while Rizzo is the brand new president of the Branford Education Association. Both are excited for the year ahead and looking at ways to get members engaged and involved with their union at the local, state, and national levels.
Some of those engagement opportunities include CEA events such as Election Day PD and the CEA Celebrates Gala. Check out the CEA events calendar for even more opportunities to get involved with your state union.

What is private equity? What does is have to do with public schools? And how does it relate to the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit?
On the latest episode of CEA’s podcast, CEA Research and Policy Development Specialist Alex Kolokotronis joins CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey to discuss the answers to those questions.
“When we don’t fully fund education we’re putting people in a corner to make deals that might seem appealing on the surface, like a quick fix, but actually open us up to risk,” Kolokotronis says.
He adds, “Right now private equity has a foothold in public schools, but vouchers can really change the game, not just by diverting dollars to private schools, but by creating a financial arrangement where they can grow that foothold and take a deeper and deeper cut and effectively privatize public schools.”
Learn more about the dangers of private equity from a CEA policy brief.