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Promising a Much Stronger CEA …
By Matthew P. Valenti, New Hartford
I read with interest the latest letter entitled "Taxpayers Revolt" [March 21] by Winsted’s "Bored of Education" member Joe Cadrain. Once again Mr. Cadrain attacks the "powerful" teachers’ union, the Connecticut Education Association (CEA). Why? Because, he says, teachers in Cheshire and Plymouth received 15% pay raises over three years in arbitration. Let me just say that these two towns were so low on the comparable statewide teacher salary chart that something needed to be done to correct the problem. An arbitrator would not have made this award without careful consideration of all the facts, including the town’s ability to pay, which is a major consideration in a judgment such as this.
But more interesting is, in his words, the "gravy train" he feels teachers are on in Connecticut. Let me provide a few facts to show what this "gravy train" consists of:
• Connecticut teachers face uncertain retirement. For well over 20 years, the state legislature has underfunded the teachers' retirement fund, in effect breaking their own law year after year. This has resulted in a deficit of $3.3 billion, which continues to grow yearly. It is a fact that if every teacher retired today who was eligible to do so, the fund would bankrupt itself. This is a frightening situation for any teacher to be in. Yet these same legislators a few years ago had plenty of money to go into the sports business with the governor to lure a football team, all the while siphoning money away from the teachers during healthy economic times.
• Connecticut teachers are required to work longer than other teachers in the nation. Teachers in every other state can retire with between 25 to 30 years of service, while Connecticut teachers are penalized if they retire before 35 years. And this all happens in the supposed richest state in the nation.
• Salary is not commensurate with the educational preparation a teacher completes. Teacher salaries are grossly inadequate, especially at the beginning levels. High school students are not choosing teaching as a career because the beginning teaching salaries are not even high enough to pay off their student loans.
• The BEST program is a sham and dismal failure. This ridiculous program has new teachers jumping through hoops and does not prepare better teachers. These new teachers work an incredible number of extra hours to pass this program that has no value.
• No compensation is paid beyond the teacher day. Teachers attend meetings, correct papers, and do hours and hours of outside work too numerous to mention with no extra compensation.
People like Mr. Cadrain are the complainers and teacher-bashers. They are the people who squeeze the education dollar to death, and then lose hundreds of dollars at the casino, or on senseless entertainment for themselves.
I have some news for Mr. Cadrain and his taxpayer initiative. On December 1, I announced my candidacy for president of the Connecticut Education Association. So far, my campaign is going incredibly well. If I am successful and I am elected to this office, I promise a much stronger CEA than has ever been seen in the past. I plan on putting teacher initiatives first, fixing the retirement mess, and I will promote and fight for much higher salaries for teachers across the state. It’s about time that teachers get their overdue reward.
With that, I also wish you a nice day!
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