Politics & Government
Teachers need more support
State Senate candidate Desmarais says steps need to be taken to retain and recruit educators
By Scott Benjamin
SOUTHBURY – John Goetz, who was principal at Danbury High School and superintendent of the Brookfield schools, once said, “Teachers are in the people business.”
So how come now so few college graduates want to enter “the people business” and so many who have chosen it as their profession are departing or retiring early?”
Find out what's happening in Brookfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Where else do you see glass cases full of plaques, framed certificates and trophies showcasing young people’s accomplishments?
Name another organization where five- to 18-yerar-olds – some of whom have attention spans that are 17 seconds maximum - are more important than the profit/loss statement?
Find out what's happening in Brookfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
CT News Junkie columnist Barth Keck, who teaches at Haddam-Killingworth High School, wrote two years ago under a headline that read, “The Teacher Shortage Is Very Real and Very Troubling.”
Then, in May CT News Junkie reporter Jamil Ragland submitted a story with comments from Connecticut Education Association President Kate Dias under this headline: “A Teacher Shortage With No End In Sight.”
What needs to be done?
“As legislators and legislative candidates why don’t we ask the teachers what they need to do their job,” said Democrat Jeff Desmarais of Watertown, who is running for a third consecutive time this year for the seat in the 32nd state Senate District.
He will face state Sen. Eric Berthel (R-32) of Watertown in the November 5 election. Berthel has held the seat since February 2017.
“We need to ask: Why do you want to leave teaching?” Desmarais remarked. “On the state level we need to find out a way to address this problem. We don’t have the answers, but to find the solution we need to ask the people who are most impacted. They are working in an extremely noble profession.”
Desmarais said he is dismayed that across the state, education budgets are being defeated at referendum, resulting in teaching staffs being reduced. He said in Watertown, the education package was sliced by $800,000 this spring.
“The teachers already face challenges. Many of them have to buy their own supplies before the school year,” he said.
“There seems to be more behavioral issues after the pandemic than before,” Desmarais added.
However, one retired longtime teacher, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid, said, “Sixty percent of the teachers in my school would sit in the faculty area and complain. I would not complain. It is not easy in the private sector, and they had no idea of what it is like to work in the private sector.”
Ragland of CT News Junkie reported that Dias said, “Right now, teachers start at $48,000. We were seeking support to move that number closer to $60,000.”
Should the state enact a higher minimum salary for public school teachers as it did in 1986 when it established the Education Enhancement Act?
“I don’t know that you need to do that, because that would strain municipalities,” Desmarais commented regarding the potential budget costs.
Hugh McQuaid of CT News Junkie reported in 2023 that U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Greenwich) proposed providing up to $15,000 in tax credits and college student loan forgiveness for prospective teachers.
“I would support that,” said Desmarais.
The state has paid for the pensions for the public-school teachers since 1939. However, over recent years former Gov. Dannel Malloy (D-Essex) and Lamont have said the costs of those pensions are becoming prohibitive and the municipalities should contribute.
Desmarais, who works as a financial advisor, said the state should continue to pay for all of the pension costs.
“School district budgets could not bear the costs, and already depleted financial resources will be further strained,” he stated in an e-mail interview.
Arne Duncan, John King in the Obama Administration and Betsy Devos in the Trump Administration– all of whom were serving at the time as Secretary of Education – have advocated for more public funding for charter schools.
Mark Boughton, a former mayor of Danbury and Danbury High School social studies teacher, has said the charter schools are posting amazing results.
Desmarais said, “I’m not big on public money for charter schools. Right now we have restrictions on money going to our public schools.”
Matt Caron of Fox 61 reported in February that Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Greenwich) had floated a ban on student cellular phone use in schools in which they would have to put in pouches.
“Social media is sometimes fundamentally anti-social and I think too much smartphone makes you stupid,” the governor said.
Desmarais commented, “I don’t like the idea. I can understand why he wants to do it regarding distractions. But I don’t know what the end game would be.”
He said banning cellular phones should be a decision made by individual school districts, a position that also has been adopted by the Connecticut Education Association and the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education.
Caron of Fox 61 reported that Torrington and Manchester already have bans.
The voters of the 32nd District have not elected a Democrat since 1891.
The district includes all of Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Oxford, Roxbury, Southbury, Washington, Watertown and Woodbury, and parts of Bethel, Brookfield, Middlebury and Seymour.
Bethel took 58.9 percent of the vote two years ago against Desmarais and 58.2 percent in 2020 in their first campaign against each other.
There were 56,810 total votes in 2020, more than 8,000 above the turnout two years later when it was a non-presidential year.
Desmarais said, “The interest jumps” when the White House is on the ballot. He expects it will be higher this year than in 2020 when the country was mired in the pandemic.
He said his campaign is already looking at sites for a headquarters, most likely in Southbury, which he indicated is “centrally located” in the district.
Desmarais had a headquarters on South Main Street in Southbury two years ago.
On another topic, Berthel told Patch.com this spring that the state’s 6.35 percent sales tax should be lowered to 5.99 percent.
Desmarais concurs, saying that the sales tax is “regressive.” But, he adds, “You just can’t cut that out of the revenue stream.” Thus, he would offset it by placing higher income tax rates on the wealthy.
On another topic, he said he supports the bill approved and signed this last session to expand the scope of companies that are required to provide paid sick days.
“People get sick,” Desmarais commented. “How productive can they be when they are sick? People have to care for people [relatives] who are sick.“
Mark Pazniokas of CT Mirror reported that, “The paid sick days law requires no additional time off at workplaces that already offer 40 hours of paid time off, regardless of whether it is classified as vacation, personal days or sick time.”
Said Desmarais, “It is a positive for the company too. The company will be a happier company.”
He also supports Lamont’s recent appointment of a study group to make a recommendation on ranked-choice voting by the end of 2024. Under that system, voters rank candidates in order or preference.
CT News Junkie reporter Hudson Kamphausen has stated that Lamont said it is becoming “increasingly popular” in the United States.
Desmarais stated, “If it makes the process more small d democratic, I would fully support it. My hunch is that it will.”
Resources:
Interview with Jeff Desmarais, Patch.com, Saturday, June 15, 2024.
E-mail interview with Jeff Desmarais, Patch.com, Thursday, June 20, 2024.
https://ctnewsjunkie.com/2024/05/16/a-teacher-shortage-with-no-end-in-sight/
https://ctnewsjunkie.com/2022/12/12/op-ed-the-teacher-shortage-is-very-real-and-very-troubling/
https://ctmirror.org/2024/05/28/ct-paid-sick-leave-law-ned-lamont/
Mark Boughton talk at Western Connecticut State University, Tuesday, February 19, 2013.
Brookfield Journal, August, 2003.
