[CASL-L] SB 24

[Michelle Luhtala]

Sharing an email I sent to my faculty's PERSONAL email address (we have a
distribution list for union communication, but I am not a union rep). I am
sharing it here to let you know that I opened a Facebook
page<https://www.facebook.com/CTed4kids>as a forum for public
discussion among educators about SB 24. If you Tweet
about SB 24, please include *#ctedreform* in your Tweet. The governor uses
it, and it is important to provide balance to those who are follwoing the
hashtag. This is probably not the soundest use of this listserv, but I am
concerned that folks are not sufficiently informed about the implications
of this bill. This is an advocacy issue for educators, and we are
educators, after all. How would we as librarians fit into this equation?

I contacted the *New York Times* and *District Administration* yesterday.
Both contacts agreed that if we were able to launch a social media campaign
to voice the teacher perspective on SB 24, they would cover the story. It's
up to us now.

:-)ML


*This is a personal, and it's political. I'm guessing that won't sit well
with some of you. I kind of apologize, but not really, because it impacts
you too, and I feel it is my civic duty to share information that has
long-term implications for your future. *

*I swiped the distribution list from the email below. I am neither writing
on behalf of the NCEA or in my capacity as an NCPS employee - just as an
outraged CT educator. And yes... I'm guessing that won't sit well with some
of you. I kind of apologize, but not really, because it impacts
you...yadayadayada. *

*Governor Malloy's
proposal<http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/lib/malloy/educationreform2012.pdf>for
"education reform" ("education deform" might be more fitting), SB
24 <http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/TOB/S/2012SB-00024-R00-SB.htm>, would
obliterate our current system of compensation. In a nutshell, your current
salary could arbitrarily and radically change on the whim of a single
administrator. There is a lot more to say, but I am trying to keep this
concise (yeah - that's not happening). I've been looking online for
published outcry from fellow CT educators, but I have found very little. *

*I created a **Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/CTed4kids> as a
forum for public discussion about SB
24<http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/TOB/S/2012SB-00024-R00-SB.htm>.
I also started a Diigo
list<http://www.diigo.com/list?token=1630be2dab60f17c7b27339dfb7de87d>of
resources about the bill. The governor uses the hashtag #ctedreform in
all of his SB 24
<http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/TOB/S/2012SB-00024-R00-SB.htm>related
Tweets. Educators should use it to Tweet their perspective and
provide balance.*

*We work hard for our students. That hard work should earn us some modicum
of financial security. It does now. It won't if this bill passes. **Please
contact your state senator <http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp>,
"like" the Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/CTed4kids>, talk to
people about what this means to the future of education in CT. *

*The beauty of working in New Canaan is the trust we share - trust between
educators and kids, trust between the school board and the schools, trust
between teachers and the community. The state is trying to legislate that
away. Are you OK with that? I'm not. *

*If you agree, and you have something to say about this, I will be
collecting 10-20 second video clips from teachers next Thursday and Friday
after school (can't do it on school time) to raise other educators's
awareness of the long-term implications of **SB
24<http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/TOB/S/2012SB-00024-R00-SB.htm>.
Please let me know if you would like to share your thoughts. I will compile
these into a video montage that will be posted to the Facebook
page<https://www.facebook.com/CTed4kids>,
YouTube, and Twitter. *

*Most of the media coverage about **SB
24<http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/TOB/S/2012SB-00024-R00-SB.htm>is
positive. I think that is a problem. Here is an opportunity to change
that.*

*Let me know if you want to participate. Thanks.*

***ML*
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