Two T’s in a Pod

In the last Two T's in a Pod episode of 2024, CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey take a lighthearted tone as they discuss their favorite holiday songs and food before moving on to a discussion of what they’re looking forward to in the year ahead. Some of the events they’re anticipating include January webinars on teachers’ free speech rights and maximizing your HSA, the CEA Legislative Breakfast in February, and Read Across Connecticut in March.

When Kristen Record was confirmed as a member of the State Board of Education last spring she became the first active teacher the Board had had among its members in many years. In this episode, the Stratford physics teacher talks with CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey about what her first six months on the Board have been like and what she hopes to accomplish as a member of the Board going forward.

In the latest episode of CEA's podcast, Newington teacher Jennifer Rodriguez talks about CEA's new ad campaign, Teachers Go the Extra Mile, with CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn Delancey. Learn more about the campaign: https://cea.org/go-the-extra-mile/

NEA Member Benefits Affiliate Relations Specialist Mike Reilly and CEA Communications and Member Benefits Director Nancy Andrews discuss some of the many savings opportunities available to CEA members. Listen to find out how you can save when you shop online as well as on pet insurance, auto insurance, theater tickets, travel, skiing, sporting events, and more.

In this episode, parent Christine Rosati Randall shares how Killingly community members came together as Champions for Public Education to successfully advocate for the mental health center students desperately needed. Become a Champion for Public Education at https://ctedchamps.org.

In this episode, CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey discuss their own reactions to election outcomes and how other educators and labor union members might think about the election results.

LEARN Education Association President Kristin Gemaly discusses what teachers need to know when it comes to investing for retirement and planning for the future. The episode covers the power of compound interest, pre-tax vs. post-tax retirement investing, dependent care flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, the importance of knowing whether a financial advisor is a fiduciary, and more. Resources mentioned in the episode are below. Nerdwallet.com compound interest calculatorA tool from 403bwise.org for evaluating district 403(b) plansQuestions to ask before working with a financial professional

In this episode, CEA Political Action Committee Chair and Glastonbury teacher Scott Minnick talks with CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey about the upcoming election, early voting, and how teachers can make sure they are informed on all the candidates before heading to the polls.

In this episode Dalio Education Co-CEO Andrew Ferguson discusses the importance of coming together to invest in the state's youth. Ferguson is the co-chair of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities' 119K Commission on At-Risk and Disconnected Youth, which recently released a plan to confront a crisis of disconnected youth by investing in education, social services, and job training.

Chris DiPentima, the president and CEO of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, talks with CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey about CBIA's new economic action plan and how education and economic growth intersect.

It's election season, and that can lead to challenging conversations in the classroom. Whether it's questions from students or handling sensitive subject matter, teachers need to be prepared. In this episode, 2012 Connecticut Teacher of the Year and Berlin social studies teacher David Bosso talks about how to handle political or controversial topics that may arise in the classroom. From presenting students with multiple perspectives to focusing on critical thinking to ensuring support from administration, Bosso has many suggestions to make sure classroom discussions are productive learning opportunities.

To start the school year off on the right foot, West Hartford Spanish teacher Dana Martin talks with CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey about a number of time management strategies, classroom routines, and technology tips especially useful for early-career educators. Check out her list of keyboard shortcuts.

The 2024-25 school year is here, and that means new teacher evaluation guidelines are now in effect that focus on growth rather than compliance. In this episode CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey talk with Connecticut Association for Public School Superintendents Executive Director Fran Rabinowitz and CEA Teacher Development Specialist Kate Field about the shift that's taken place in teacher evaluation.

The Connecticut Education Foundation supports children and teachers in need—and there are lots of fun ways for teachers to get involved. Register to attend the CEA Celebrates Gala on September 27—you can purchase individual tickets or get your local association to sponsor a full or half table—and it's also now time to nominate children to receive gifts through the Holiday Bear project. In this episode CEA President Kate Dias and CEA Vice President and CEF President Joslyn DeLancey talk with long-time CEF supporters CEA Treasurer Stephanie Wanzer and CEA production technician Chip Karkos about nominating and sponsoring children through the Holiday Bear project. Find out how you can get involved: https://cea.org/holiday-bear-project/

What's new for Connecticut teachers this school year? Educators will see changes to teacher evaluation, play-based learning, kindergarten start age, DCF reporting, and more. Listen to CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey discuss the changes and how you can get involved to improve teaching and learning.

Tolland Education Association President Kristen Deliman Grabowski and East Hartford Education Association President Paul Apostalon are among seven members who took part in CEA's new Because of Our Union campaign, and they talked about their own whys of union membership with CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey.

CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey talk with Fairfield Education Association President Mick McGarry about scams that target teachers and then launch into a discussion of the many benefits they've personally gotten out of union membership.

CEA members Chris Poulos and Kevin Brown are in the second year of their first term as state legislators. Listen to their discussion with CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey about education issues the legislature is taking up this session and how you can get involved in the legislative process.

The Holiday Season is upon us, and teachers, students, and community supporters have turned out once again to sponsor brighter holidays for hundreds of students around Connecticut through the Holiday Bear Project. On this episode, Avon Education Association President Jon Moss shares how his district is coming together to sponsor a record 110 students this year and talks with Kate and Joslyn about how CEA members across the state can help make Holiday Bear a success.

The State Board of Education has adopted new teacher evaluation guidelines that allow districts to move away from ratings, SLOs, and standardized indicators. To ensure districts move to an evaluation plan that really helps educators grow, teacher representatives to professional development and evaluation committees (PDECs) need to speak up and advocate for themselves and their colleagues. In this episode CEA President Kate Dias and Vice President Joslyn DeLancey talk with CEA Teacher Development Specialist Kate Field about changes to teacher evaluation and what local association members need to do to ensure their district gets evaluation right. Check out the new evaluation guidelines, CEA's implementation guide, and CEA's model teacher evaluation plan: https://cea.org/certification