Connecticut Leads the Nation in Teacher Workforce Innovation.
We Can Protect That Progress.
A decade of state investment has built a teaching workforce that better serves our students’ needs. New state data shows we must modernize layoff policies to protect that investment.
2X
Newly hired teachers in Connecticut are twice as likely to be teachers of color. Current seniority-based layoff policies threaten to disproportionately push them out.
6 in10
Nearly 60% of early-career teachers are employed in a school where the majority of students are economically disadvantaged, compared to 43% overall. Current seniority-based layoff policies threaten to remove teachers where stability is most needed.
What’s At Stake
-
Achievement gaps widen when students lose teachers who speak their languages, understand their communities, and have proven effectiveness in the classroom.
-
Connecticut's investment in expanding teacher recruitment and pathways from 8% to 12% teachers of color faster than nearly any state—get wiped out in a single round of budget cuts.
-
High-need schools and shortage areas like special education lose the very educators who were hired to fill gaps, creating even more instability.
We Don’t Have to Choose
Connecticut can honor veteran educators while also protecting earlier career teachers who can have a lasting impact on student outcomes.
The best insurance policy is full funding. Connecticut lawmakers must fully fund our schools so layoffs become rare, not routine. But when budget cuts are unavoidable, modernized layoff policies ensure we don't lose the teachers students need most.
So, what does modernization look like? Seniority matters—but it shouldn't be the only factor when making difficult layoff decisions. Districts should consider multiple factors, such as shortage areas, high-need schools, teacher effectiveness, and years of service, so that no single measure determines a teacher's fate.
This concept isn't new, as nearly half of U.S. states already do this. So do Connecticut districts like Vernon and Danbury.
Protect Connecticut’s Progress.
Tell Connecticut lawmakers to modernize layoff policies and protect our teaching workforce.