Sen. Suzio: An Opportunity to Have Your Voice Heard

Public hearings on Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's education reform bill will be held Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

As your state senator, I want to make sure you have the opportunity to express your opinions on how we can improve our education system. 

The public is being asked to email testimony for the hearings to the legislature’s Education Committee by noon, Friday Feb. 17, with paper copies to be dropped off on the morning of the hearing by 9:30 a.m.

Your testimony should be emailed to chris.calabrese@cga.ct.gov.

The bill is  Senate Bill 24: An Act Concerning Educational Competitiveness.  It contains many policy changes affecting teachers, grants to schools, special education and early childhood education.  

Here is a link to the bill: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/TOB/S/2012SB-00024-R00-SB.htm

On Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 1:15 p.m. in Legislative Office Building Room 1E, the public can provide testimony on issues such as:

• teacher and administrator evaluations
• teacher tenure
• performance evaluations
• collective bargaining
• teachers' retirement
• recruitment grants
• early childhood education

On Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 12 p.m. in Legislative Office Building Room 1E, the public can provide testimony on issues such as:

• the Education Cost Sharing formula
• funding for charter schools, magnet schools, and other school choice programs
• special education
• competitive grants to districts
• regional cooperation grants
• accountability and low performing schools
• college readiness assessments

The bottom line is I want to make sure you have a voice in Hartford on all of the issues which impact your quality of life. 

Submitted by State Sen. Len Suzio, who represents Meriden, Cheshire, Middlefield and Middletown.