Educators for Excellence-Connecticut Reacts to Passage of 2021 Biennium Budget

Educators for Excellence-Connecticut (E4E-CT), a teacher-led organization, commended the Governor and legislative leaders for passing a biennium budget that includes more than $100 million in additional funding for education and increased funding targeted toward English language learners and students from low-income households.

“Finally our leaders in Hartford have prioritized students and passed a budget that moves us toward equitable funding,” said Educators for Excellence-Connecticut member and Hartford educator John Tusch. “Teachers have been raising this concern for years. My students in Hartford deserve the same funding that students in Farmington and Avon have historically enjoyed. The pandemic greatly widened the gap between underfunded districts and the rest of the state, and our students are paying the price. Today, Connecticut took a positive step to make our schools work better for all our students.”

“This budget is a tremendous victory for all students in Connecticut and especially for English language learners and students living in poverty,” said Daniel Pearson, State Director of Educators for Excellence-Connecticut. “Although we’ve made significant progress in this budget, we still have a long way to go in terms of fully funding all of our public schools and doing so before 2028, when all of these funds are set to finally reach classrooms.”

Educators for Excellence-Connecticut has advocated for educational equity in Connecticut since 2015. Most recently, in partnership with the Education Justice Now campaign, E4E-CT has pushed to ensure that Connecticut’s school funding formula is more equitable, including through the changes laid out in SB 948. Throughout the legislative process, E4E educators provided policymakers an on-the-ground perspective through written testimony and meetings with legislators, to illustrate the consequences of the current funding gaps.

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