Doug McCrory

Senator McCrory, Education Committee Hold Public Hearing on Minority Teacher Recruitment, Financial Literacy Bills

State Senator Doug McCrory (D-Hartford), Co-Chair of the Education Committee, and members of the committee held a public hearing on bills to improve minority teacher recruitment and retention, and include financial literacy and computer science instruction in Connecticut’s high school graduation requirements.

“As a Black man and long-time educator, I understand first-hand the impact a teacher of color can have on all students, especially students of color, in the classroom. Connecticut’s students need to have teachers throughout their educational journey that reflect the diversity of our state. Further, a diverse teaching population helps to encourage our young leaders to see themselves one day as educators speaking at the front of the classroom and to consider entering a good-paying, fulfilling career that is being a teacher,” said Sen. McCrory.

“Understanding how to build credit and write a check are everyday-skills that will help students in each stage of their lives. Also, an increasing number of jobs ask applicants to have computer science skills. To have computer science and financial literacy instruction count toward high school graduation requirements will build up the number of students taking related courses and make them ready to work in a 21st century economy,” Sen. McCrory added.

S.B. 1034, An Act Concerning Minority Teacher Recruitment and Retention, contains several components to increase diversity in Connecticut’s teacher workforce including:

• Establish the minority candidate certification, retention or residency year program. The program would help candidates enroll into the program with the aim of becoming full-time, certified teachers upon successfully completing the program. In addition, the program would help local and regional boards of education hire and retain candidates that have completed the program. The Department of Education shall oversee the program starting with the fiscal year ending in June 2022 and each year after. Starting with the same fiscal year and each following year, boards of education for alliance districts would partner with the program to enroll candidates and have them placed in the school district as part of the program.
• The commissioner of education, the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities and the dean of the Neag School of Education at UConn would collaborate on developing a plan to help local and regional boards of education promote the teaching profession to high school students as a career path.
• Starting with the school year beginning in July 2023, any employee of a school district responsible for or involved in the hiring of educators would need to successfully complete a video training module regarding implicit bias and anti-bias in the hiring process. This module would be completed before the employee’s participation in the hiring process for the school district.

S.B. 1033, An Act Concerning the Inclusion of Computer Science and Financial Literacy as part of the High School Graduation Requirements, would require instruction in computer science and personal financial management to count toward the graduation requirements of high school students.

• Students graduating in 2023 and each year after would need to complete a minimum of 25 credits: Nine credits in the humanities, including civics and the arts; nine credits in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, including computer science; one credit in physical education and wellness; one credit in health and safety education; one credit in world languages; a one credit mastery-based diploma assessment; and at least one credit, in personal financial management.