The Connecticut Education Association (CEA) is a grassroots organization championing for teachers and public schools. It has been a leading voice for teacher professionalism and school improvement since it was formed in 1848 when 80 teachers met in Meriden.
CEA is headquartered in Hartford. Its members are public school teachers, including preschool through grade 12 teachers in Connecticut public schools as well as retired teachers and college students preparing to become teachers. It lobbies for legislation at the state and federal levels, represents the rights of teachers, and works with state policymakers to continue to elevate the teaching profession and promote public education.
CEA has more than 160 local affiliates and is governed by a board of directors of approximately 35 elected members. The board meets regularly throughout the year to set goals, approve policy, and implement specific measures adopted by CEA's highest-policy making body, the Representative Assembly (RA). [1]
The RA meets annually each May to set policy, including approving a budget, adopting resolutions, voting on new business items, and making any amendments to the CEA constitution and bylaws.[ citation needed ]
CEA's four executive offices, president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, are elected at the RA. Elected to three-year terms, they can serve a maximum of two terms. The president and vice president are full-time officers.[ citation needed ]
CEA's staff is headed by an executive director who oversees staff in Hartford and regional offices. Staff members include lawyers, lobbyists, trainers, field staff, policy experts, communications professionals, and more.[ citation needed ]
CEA is a state affiliate of the National Education Association and has made teachers a force in the legislative process. CEA members take an active role at the state legislature and in local communities across the state, advocating for education and investments in public schools. CEA's legislative successes include the following achievements:
A parent–teacher association/organization (PTA/PTO), parent–teacher–friend association (PTFA), or parent–teacher–student association (PTSA) is a formal organization comprising parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a school.
John Barry Larson is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative for Connecticut's 1st congressional district since 1999. The district is based in the state capital, Hartford. A member of the Democratic Party, Larson chaired the House Democratic Caucus during the 111th and 112th United States Congress.
The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. There are no term limits for either chamber.
The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become teachers. The NEA has just under 3 million members and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The NEA had a budget of more than $341 million for the 2012–2013 fiscal year. Becky Pringle is the NEA's current president.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees is a Canadian trade union serving the public sector – although it has in recent years organized workplaces in the non-profit and para-public sector as well. CUPE–SCFP is the largest union in Canada, representing some 700,000 workers in health care, education, municipalities, libraries, universities, social services, public utilities, transportation, emergency services and airlines. Over 60 per cent of CUPE–SCFP's members are women, and almost a third are part-time workers. CUPE–SCFP is affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress and is its greatest financial contributor.
The British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) is the labour union that represents all public school teachers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It was established as an organization in 1917.
The Queensland Teachers' Union is an Australian trade union with a membership of more than 46,000 teachers and principals in the Queensland Government's primary schools, secondary schools, special schools, senior colleges, TAFE colleges and other educational facilities. More than 96 per cent of eligible teachers are members. As well as protecting the rights and conditions of its members, the QTU also sees the promotion of public education as a major part of its role.
New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) is a 600,000-member New York state teachers union, affiliated since 2006 with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the AFL–CIO, and the National Education Association (NEA). NYSUT is an umbrella group which provides services to local affiliates in New York state; lobbies on the local, state and federal level; conducts research; and organizes new members.
Every Chicago public school has a Local School Council (LSC) which consists of parents, community members, teachers, and the principal of the school. Members of the council are elected except in the case of teachers, staff and student representatives, who are appointed by the Board of Education after non-binding polls are taken and conduct monthly meetings which the public can attend. Their primary responsibility is to select the school's principal, renew the principal's contract, approve the Continuous Improvement Work Plan (CIWP) and approve the school's budget for the school year. Some LSCs serve only in an advisory capacity, such as with low-performing schools undergoing turnarounds.
The Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes called the Oklahoma State School Superintendent, is the chief executive officer for the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the president of the Oklahoma State Board of Education. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction is responsible for overseeing, implementing and reviewing the policies of the Oklahoma's public school system.
Gary LeBeau was a member of the Connecticut State Senate from the third district, serving the towns of East Hartford, South Windsor, East Windsor, and Ellington. LeBeau was first elected to the State Senate in 1996. He retired after 18 years in office.
The Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) is a statewide federation of unions in Ohio, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFL–CIO.
The Florida Education Association (FEA) is a statewide federation of teacher and education workers' labor unions in the US state of Florida. Its 145,000 members make it the largest union in the state. It is a merged affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA), and is a member of the AFL–CIO.
The Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals (RIFTHP) is a statewide federation of labor unions in Rhode Island in the United States. The federation's local unions represent teachers and other educational workers, state and municipal employees, healthcare workers in the public and private sectors, and higher education faculty and workers in the public and private sectors. It is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the AFL–CIO.
The Department for Professional Employees, AFL–CIO (DPE) is a semi-autonomous "trade" department of the AFL–CIO, and serves as an advocate for professional workers within the federation, and before legislative bodies, the press and the public.
Mind the Gaps is a state-level legislative campaign created by the Connecticut-based education advocacy organization ConnCAN, an American think tank and state-level education advocacy group founded in January 2005, with offices in Hartford, Connecticut and New Haven, Connecticut. The stated goal of the campaign is to support "three commonsense school reforms—funding to grow high-performing public charter schools, teacher quality and education transparency—to help close Connecticut’s achievement gap."
Helen Dickerson Wise is a retired American politician and public education official. A former member of the board of trustees of Pennsylvania State University and past president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the National Education Association, she was also a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Len Fasano is a Republican member of the Connecticut Senate, representing the 34th District since 2003. Fasano was sworn in as Senate Republican President Pro Tempore in January 2017. Under the new leadership role Senator Fasano will lead a Republican caucus with considerably more control over the Senate's agenda than in previous years as a result of a power sharing agreement negotiated after Republicans gained three seats in the Connecticut Senate, creating a tie for the first time since 1893. Previously, he had served as the Senate Minority Leader since 2015.
The following table lists the individuals who served as mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, their political party affiliations, and their dates in office, as well as other information.
Jahana Hayes is an American educator and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Connecticut's 5th congressional district since 2019. The district, once represented by U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, comprises much of the state's northwestern portion, including New Britain, Danbury, and Waterbury. A member of the Democratic Party, Hayes is the first Black woman and Black Democrat to represent Connecticut in Congress. She was recognized as the National Teacher of the Year in 2016.