The Connecticut Education Association recently released its Legislator Report Cards, an annual grading of every elected legislator in the state regarding voting records, advocacy for policies that benefit educational priorities and efforts to improve education in Connecticut as a whole.
With 24 Democratic State Senators in Connecticut, the CEA gave them high marks, with the average score among Democrats being a 90.5, considered an A grade in the report cards’ grading scales. Comparably, the 12 Republican State Senators in Connecticut fared worse, mustering a 70.2, equating out to a “C” grade – and barely over the margin preventing them from receiving D-grades.
The highest score for any legislator in these metrics was State Senator Jan Hochadel of Meriden, who received a 97 for her efforts over the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions to support policies including improving teacher salaries, fairer teacher discipline, improvements to teacher certification and enhancements to indoor air quality. The lowest score for any legislator went to State Senator Lisa Seminara of Avon, who scored a 55.9, considered a failing grade, regarding educational priorities.
In fact, the lowest score for any Democratic Senator was a solid B at an 85%, indicative of Democrats’ efforts to continually support education throughout the state. Legislators received support for their votes to improve the resources available to paraeducators, who assist teachers and educators in their day-to-day work; for preventing book bans in school libraries, keeping freedom of expression and interest alive for students statewide; and for their support of improved mandated reporting procedures, which will keep students safer around the state.
Efforts like these have helped make Connecticut a national leader in education, backed up by a recent report from WalletHub that the state placed second nationally in a ranking of the top-performing school systems in the nation, behind only Massachusetts. More work can be done, though, and legislators remain focused on issues such as a troubling achievement gap where students in different communities have different opportunities available to them.
Previous years’ votes under consideration included ones supporting play-based learning in classrooms, giving children more hands-on opportunities in their studies; supporting teacher recruitment and retention as the state experienced some staffing shortages; and funding the Education Cost Sharing system, adding funds to the Teachers Retirement Board for Retiree Healthcare and improving oversight on the Education Mandate Review Advisory Council.
“The most important thing our state can do is ensure that our education system has the support and resources to prepare every child in Connecticut for a successful future,” said Hochadel about receiving the highest marks. “This means investing in our schools, empowering our teachers, and providing opportunities for all students to excel. These priorities have guided my work since taking office, and I’m honored that the CEA has recognized these efforts with this year’s report card.”
Posted by Joe O’Leary
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