Supporting Our Teachers

d'ag
May 18, 2023
On Wednesday, during our legislative session I had the privilege of bringing out HB 6489, An Act Concerning Retiree Members Of The Teachers' Retirement Board.

The legislation increases the number of retired teachers on the Teachers' Retirement Board from two to four. There are more than 38,000 retired teachers in Connecticut and they deserve representation on the very board that oversees their retirements benefits. Teachers contribute directly to their pensions and retirement health care when they work (and do not receive any social security in Connecticut).

One of those 38,000 retired teachers is my mother, Catherine D’Agostino, who is a former teacher of the year from North Branford High School. I gave her a little shout out during the debate, which you can watch in the video below!
One of our top priorities this session has been working on passing legislation to support teachers. This includes legislation to increase Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding to underfunded towns like Hamden, improving teacher recruitment, streamlining teacher evaluations, and working to improve teacher salaries. It is a tough, and often thankless job – but invaluable. As a former long-serving chairperson and member for Hamden Board of Education – and the son of a public school teacher – supporting our students, teachers and retired teachers has always been and continues to be a top priority of mine.