In anticipation of the upcoming school year, Connecticut’s Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker met with school superintendents from across the state Thursday for a back-to-school meeting at Berlin High School.
The state wants to focus on a variety of issues including recruiting and retaining diverse teachers, supporting a safe and healthy learning environment and maintaining regular student attendance, Russell-Tucker said. She also highlighted the need to cultivate partnerships with higher education institutions that will benefit students.
Russell-Tucker was joined by Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Terrence Cheng, president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system (CSCU), Karen Dubois-Walton, the state Board of Education chair, and other education leaders.
This year’s back-to-school theme is “Infinite Possibilities” to symbolize the infinite possibilities for students, teachers, families and Connecticut’s school communities, Russell-Tucker said. She emphasized the need for districts to work together.
School districts maintaining regular student attendance is a priority this year. Now that students are able to go to school in person, the state wants to see them in classrooms every day, Commissioner Russell-Tucker said.
“That’s foundational to our student’s success. They need to be present and ready for learning every day,” she said. “Education, as we all know, is not only about acquiring knowledge; it is the journey of growth our students undertake, year in and year out, preparing them for the future. Let’s work together to ensure a world class education system in Connecticut where students and educators are not limited in what they can achieve.”
This year, hiring more teachers is at the top of everyone’s minds, Russell-Tucker said. In May, Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, announced a multi-agency initiative to address the teacher shortage in Connecticut. The programs would include a new teacher apprenticeship program, more investment in the paraeducator program and expand existing high school teacher pathway programs.
In March 2023, school districts reported 1,300 teaching vacancies along with 1,300 paraeducator vacancies. Most of these vacancies are in low-income school districts.
“The pandemic galvanized educators, administrators, parents and labor leaders to come together and advocate for what students need,” Jan Hochadel, president of American Federation of Teachers, said. “That means making school staff recruitment and retention a real priority. The worsening shortages are a call to action — Connecticut faces an escalating crisis fueled by teachers and support staff leaving the profession.”
Cheng said he wants to work with the K-12 public school system on early admission programs, dual-enrollment, auto-admit, pipelines and pathways. The goal is to better assist students who would eventually like to work in the state.
“The work is hard and it's clearly not getting any easier,” Cheng said. “As a partner in public higher education, as an immigration, as a first-generation student, and as a person of color, I personally don’t think this work has ever been as important as it is right now.”
