Joan Hartley

Legislation to Support Minority Teacher Recruitment and Retention in Connecticut Approved by Senate

Today, state Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury, Middlebury and Naugatuck), a former educator, voted in support of legislation to bolster minority teacher recruitment and retention in Connecticut, create a plan to encourage high school students to enter the teaching profession, and address implicit bias in the teacher hiring process. Senate Bill 1034, “An Act Concerning Minority Teacher Recruitment and Retention” moves to the state House of Representatives for further discussion and action.

“I’m proud to support this legislation because it will create a new pathway for people to enter the fulfilling and good-paying career that is being a teacher. Also, we are strengthening efforts to create future generations of Connecticut teachers,” said Sen. Hartley. “As a former educator, I understand the deeply impactful role a teacher plays in the educational experience and development of a student, having a diverse teacher workforce benefits all student’s educational experiences.”

Senate Bill 1034 will strengthen efforts to increase diversity in Connecticut’s teacher workforce so that it reflects the numerous backgrounds of the state’s student population, while creating pathways to good-paying careers that are central to a young person’s academic achievement.

More than 40 percent of Connecticut’s student population are people of color. However, people of color make up less than 10 percent of the state’s public school teachers, according to the governor’s office in 2019.