The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received November 3, 2023.
As Election Day quickly approaches, I wanted to take the opportunity to provide you with some further thoughts on teacher retention and how this relates to my commitment to the students, families and community members of Haddam. I believe in public education and the public educators like myself who have dedicated their lives to it. I believe in this district and want to continue to serve the children, teachers, and families of Haddam on the Board of Education.
So many of you have shared your concerns about beloved teachers leaving RSD 17 and you have wanted to know why. We know that this is happening at the national, state and local levels, but we need to understand the data as it applies to Haddam and Killingworth. More importantly, we need to stop talking about the problem and start fixing the problem. Recently a concerned educator, and RSD 17 parent, collected information regarding our contract as it compares to other nearby or similar districts.
The Connecticut Education Association (CEA) held a press conference on October 18, 2023 to report the results of a recent survey of 7,600 Connecticut educators. These educators noted that some of the reasons for their dissatisfaction included: non-educators making educational decisions; unmet mental health needs of students; a lack of respect for educators and staffing shortages. At this press conference State Representative Jeff Currey, House co-chair of the legislature’s Education Committee stated, “What we continue to be shocked by is the lack of action and understanding by folks in power who have the ability to make change.” This is my concern in Haddam and Killingworth. Our curriculum, our buildings, and our planning are nothing without our teachers. While it is important that we were able to fill vacancies with high-quality candidates, if they do not feel valued and respected they will leave, impacting our children directly.
When asked for solutions in the state survey Connecticut educators noted everything from changes in policies to more effectively address student behavior, to more planning time and reduced duties to more competitive salaries and everything in between. This issue of teacher retention is in alignment with at least three of the core values outlined in the RSD 17’s Strategic Plan: quality teaching is essential to learning; student success is a shared responsibility, and sustainability secures our future. If elected, gathering this data for our district, and working with my fellow Board members to find solutions that make sense to not only attract but hold on to the top talent in our field, will be one of my primary areas of focus.
As a member of the Board of Education, I want to focus my attention on advocating for what is best for all students. This includes supporting and respecting our teachers so that their time, energy, and knowledge can be spent on giving the best to our students. This also includes a renewed focus PK-12 on mental health skills such as wellness promotion, social, emotional, and behavioral health, and the ability to cope with life’s challenges. Research shows that when our students can have these needs met, it allows them to achieve their greatest potential academically, socially, emotionally and behaviorally and that both students and teachers are happier.
On November 7th, please remember that I am a parent, a teacher, a school psychologist, and a passionate supporter of all of our children and teachers. I will advocate to make our schools a place where all of our students and teachers want to be.
Heather Pach, Haddam
