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Articles by Daniel Pearson
Fully fund CT's schools.
Imagine running your household on a budget that was set in 2013 and never adjusted. Same number every year, no matter how the cost of groceries, gas, insurance, or rent changed. That’s the reality of school funding in Connecticut right now. The ECS Foundation Amount has been frozen at $11,525 since 2013, when the state last assessed what it costs to educate a child with no additional needs for a single year. It’s been 13 years.
The Title of this Crisis is Not Student Aggression
When adults label student aggression as the “most pressing issue” in education, it’s like diagnosing the fever while ignoring the disease. Chaotic classrooms and rising disruptions are real issues, but treating these symptoms as the underlying crisis guarantees the wrong prescription. From that distorted diagnosis, we see dysregulated children. But adjust the focus, and a different picture emerges: schools stretched beyond capacity, stripped of support, and shaped by decades of structural failures.
Protecting Connecticut Teachers Means Using Multiple Criteria for Layoffs-And New Data Proves Why
Connecticut has spent the past decade making critical progress: steadily building a teaching workforce that better supports and serves its students. But new state data released this week makes one thing painfully clear: the progress we celebrate is on the verge of being undone.
Why Can't Connecticut Figure Out School Funding?
This spring, New Haven Public Schools announced cutting 129 teaching positions due to a $23 million budget shortfall. It's a devastating blow to children and families in a district that already grapples with overcrowded classrooms and outdated facilities. Sadly, what's happening in New Haven is not an isolated crisis. Districts around the state, especially those in our highest-need communities, face the same tough choice year after year: do what's best for students or keep a balanced budget.
One size doesn’t fit all: Why CT’s school funding model is failing
Would you wear something labeled ‘one size fits all,’ even if it didn’t fit? Probably not. So why do we fund schools that way? Connecticut continues to invest in schools through a model that treats all students equally despite dramatically different needs. Over the past five years, the state has incrementally added more than $250 million to education. Even with this additional funding, our most vulnerable students —particularly those in special education— are being left behind.
CT schools are still waiting on the promises of funding
It has only been a few weeks back at school, and already the loose threads in the fabric of our classrooms are beginning to unravel. From stories of inadequate funding to a seemingly never-ending teaching shortage to educators paying out of pocket to supply classrooms, educators and students are bearing the brunt of underfunding. Across the country, 93% of teachers agree that inequitable school funding is a serious problem, and Connecticut is no exception.
Now is NOT the time to stop focusing on school funding.
To the Editor: $150 million. An amount of money that could make an imperative impact on the lives of students across Connecticut. Last year, dozens of organizations fought for and won an additional $150 million for education funding in schools throughout the state. Unfortunately, after a short lived celebration and glimpses of hope, Governor Lamont is threatening to reallocate a significant portion of these funds away from their intended purpose, before the schools have even seen it.
Last year’s school funding win was only the beginning. Here’s what CT needs to do now. Original
Last year, the state legislature added $150 million more dollars to education funding. However, our work is far from over. Districts are now faced with what they need to do and prioritize to make sure students are receiving the best and most equitable education possible. To see success, this money needs to be poured into the classroom and into hiring necessary personnel for schools.
We can do more to address the inequity existing in CT schools
Recently the Connecticut Education Committee passed H.B. 5003: An Act Concerning Education Funding in Connecticut , with bipartisan support. This is the first time a school funding bill has ever received a unanimous ‘yes’ from the Education Committee passing 44-0. This was a massive win for educators and students throughout Connecticut, as they have been dealing with a lack of school funding and increasing staffing shortages for many years.
Educators for Excellence-Connecticut Reacts to Appropriations Budget Regarding Education Funding
April 18 (Hartford) — Educators for Excellence-Connecticut (E4E-CT), a teacher-led organization, reacted to the appropriations budget released today regarding school funding in Connecticut. This budget does not go far enough to allocate sufficient funding to expedite the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula, slowing progress on Connecticut reducing the $700 million racial funding gap.
Daniel Pearson gives public comment on H.B. 6879: An Act Concerning Teacher Certification
The following is the public comment testimony presented by Daniel Pearson at a public hearing on Wednesday, Mar 15, 2023. Chairs McCrory and Currey, Ranking Members Berthel and McCarty and distinguished members of the Education Committee: My name is Daniel Pearson and I am the Executive Director for Educators for Excellence, a teacher-led nonprofit with nearly 1,000 members statewide that seeks to promote student equity and elevate teachers’ voices in policy decisions.
CT lawmakers need to fully fund school districts
Connecticut schools have seen many changes throughout the past two years. However, one thing that has not changed is the inequity in funding throughout our school districts. Even after these inequities have been highlighted and underscored by the challenges of remote learning and the pandemic, we still have yet to put legislation in place that can make great progress towards an equitable education for all Connecticut students. This is finally the year we can change that.
It is long past due that we fully fund education
We have reached the end of the Connecticut 2022 legislative session with some major wins, but we are far from ending the racial funding gap and opportunity gap throughout the state for our children. Passing the children’s mental health bills is a huge accomplishment and a step in the right direction toward equitable education, but this legislation cannot succeed without full funding throughout all of our school districts.
E4E-CT State Director Speaks on Mental Health Support in Schools
Dear honorable members of the Public Health Committee and the Committee on Children. Thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of SB2 and HB5001. My name is Daniel Pearson and I am the State Director for Educators for Excellence, a teacher-led nonprofit with nearly 1,000 members statewide that focuses on student equity and elevating teachers’ voices in policy decisions.
E4E-CT State Director Daniel Pearson Speaks on Fully Funding Education
Dear Senator Osten, Representative Walker, and members of the Appropriations Committee My name is Daniel Pearson and I am the State Director for Educators for Excellence, a teacher-led nonprofit with nearly 1,000 members statewide that seeks to promote student equity and elevate teachers’ voices in policy decisions.
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