2023 RESC Alliance Legislative Priorities
Short-Term:
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Enact an 8% increase in the RESC magnet schools grant to prevent major tuition increases to school districts AND
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Extend provisions of sec 256 in FY 23 budget providing districts with relief for disproportionate tuition charges.
Long-Term:
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Pass an equitable educational funding system for all students as outlined in
SB 1: AAC Transparency in Education and
HB 5003: AAC Education Funding in Connecticut.
MAGNET SCHOOL FUNDING
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Over 10 years, Education Cost Sharing (ECS) increased by 12% while the RESC Magnet grant increased by 2%, forcing districts to cover magnet cost through tuition.
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The 8% increase with the extended provisions of Section 256 will mitigate tuition rate increases and cover escalating costs.
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Sect 256 of FY 23 budget temporarily lowers the enrollment threshold that triggers the cap on magnet school tuition to East Hartford and Manchester beginning in FY 23; it also applies the same enrollment threshold and tuition cap to all other Sheff region towns, New Britain, and New London for FY 23 only; and requires SDE to be responsible for magnet tuition losses from these caps within available appropriations.
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RESC-managed magnet schools cannot continue to provide high-quality, integrated education without implementation of a short and long-term plan. The state’s financing of education remains inequitable, disjointed, and inadequate for addressing the systemic racial and economic disparities found in Connecticut education funding. The prolonged lack of an equitable funding resolution affects every district, school, and student.
TEACHER DIVERSITY AND RECRUITMENT
Support workforce development and address Increasing Educator Diversity (IED) for all districts by designating $5.5 million dollars annually in a new budget line item under the Department of Education to support the efforts of districts partnering with Residency Programs certifying teachers of color.
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For the 2020-21 school year, 9.7% of Connecticut’s teacher workforce were of educators of color, while more than 47% of the state’s students identified as people of color, according to the state Department of Education.
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Revise the well-intended funding mechanism enacted for IED Residency Programs within the 2022-23 biennial budget by eliminating the funding burden from Alliance districts and shift it to meet the needs of recruiting and retaining teachers of color across all CT public schools.
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The success of the CT Teacher Residency Program should be expanded upon with investment from the State.
CT Teacher Residency Program facts:
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The ONLY program requiring districts
to provide a living wage to residents. -
Over 60 teachers of color added in
25 districts since 2020. -
100% retention rate with 100%
residents teaching in classrooms. -
Launching Special Education cert. in June 2023.
