Connecticut teachers are looking ahead to the 2027 legislative session after seeing several policy victories this year, with some priorities still unresolved.

One major issue is paid student teaching. A 2025 survey found 90% of the state’s student teachers worry about affording groceries, while 80% feel exploited because they are unpaid.

Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association, said while the state has developed a framework for an apprenticeship program, it does not reach everyone who is preparing to become a teacher.

“While the apprenticeship program is, I think, a really high-quality option, not all schools are enrolled in the apprenticeship program, so it really leaves some of our students out to dry, and we’re concerned about that,” Dias explained. “We would like a much bigger approach to the paid student teaching model.”

Dias noted it could involve more money or efforts to sign more districts up for the program. Duas added there are short-term concerns because some student teachers said they cannot afford to work for a semester without income. Educators said the issue is contributing to a decline in teacher recruitment at a time when Connecticut has more than 1,000 teacher vacancies.

Another priority for 2027 is a bell-to-bell cellphone ban in schools. So far, 26 states have such bans. Connecticut’s bill had widespread support but it was difficult to pass during the truncated legislative session.

As more states move to restrict cellphones in schools, Dias observed the conversation is also raising broader questions about how much screen time is appropriate for students.

“That’s being driven out of concern for student skill building in some of the basics, like handwriting,” Dias pointed out. “Like these ideas that if you’re on a device, are you developing the skills you need to develop handwriting skills and cognitive development that we know is linked to hand-eye coordination?”

Educators are also focused on passing a bill to limit the information people can access through Freedom of Information Act requests. The bill received mixed reviews at a public hearing but had support from both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly.

Dias stressed while the public has access to more information than ever, there must be limits to protect privacy.

“There are a lot of people who view the world in such a way that they think all public employee information should be public,” Dias underscored. “We argue the world has changed, and we’ve had incidents of teachers being threatened.”

Source: Public News Service