AFT Head Visits Newtown, Honors Fallen Educators While Calling For Additional Support
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, AFT Connecticut Vice President Steve McKeever, and Newtown Federation of Teachers President Tom Kuroski presented a collage honoring the six educators who were murdered nearly two years ago on 12/14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School to the Board of Education during its meeting on Tuesday, December 2.
Earlier on Tuesday, the group visited Sandy Hook School, spoke with school staff, held a media conference, and attended a dinner prepared by Newtown High School culinary students.
Mr Kuroski was part of the local delegation that attended the dedication ceremony in June held by the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) in Emporia, Kan., for The Memorial to Fallen Educators. The memorial was built within the past year on the campus of Emporia State University.
The memorial, Mr Kuroski explained, includes the “names of over 100 educators who lost their lives while teaching kids in the classroom and doing what they love to do, including the six educators from our district.”
In an effort to bring something from the memorial back to Newtown, Mr Kuroski said Tish Olshefski created the framed collage that was presented to the school board this week. The collage includes an etching of the engraved names of the women who were killed on 12/14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which is featured on the permanent memorial; a picture of the memorial, and ribbons that were worn on the day of the dedication.
“It really celebrates the reason why we were there, and is the basis for our desire to present that to you today,” said Mr Kuroski.
When she addressed the school board Tuesday evening, Ms Weingarten said her day visiting with Sandy Hook School teachers, parents, custodians and students was “beautiful.”
Reflecting on her visit to the school, Ms Weingarten said, “If you did not know, or were not in the world on December 14, 2012, you would not have known what happened at that school. That’s a testament to what that staff, including all of the staff … what they have done.”
Ms Weingarten said she saw joy at the school, which was celebrating a “Character Day” on Tuesday, with staff and students dressed as different characters.
“We’re here today to both pay tribute to those who died, those who were murdered … and we are here to advocate for long-term mental health services for both kids and for your staff,” said Ms Weingarten.
Providing services, Ms Weingarten, is an obligation of both the school district and AFT.
In closing, Ms Weingarten said she hopes the framed collage provides a remembrance and a way to move forward.
“Making Sure That We Make A Difference”
Earlier in the day, Ms Weingarten, Mr Kuroski, and Mr McKeever spoke before members of the media to reflect on the visits with teachers at Sandy Hook School.
Ms Weingarten said a few months ago there was a conversation about how AFT could provide support for the local teachers and community, “that still has been choked to its core because of what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School almost two years ago.”
Teachers, she said, are the “first responders” to opening children to their educational careers, and sometimes the first responders when trauma occurs. Since 12/14, Ms Weingarten said, there have been 90 more school shootings.
The conversations with Sandy Hook School staff, she said, focused on what is needed in the future for support.
“We need to make sure that students, their families, and teachers have the supports they need on a long-term basis to ensure that they can lead productive lives,” Ms Weingarten said, “and that is what teacher after teacher told us today.”
The staff, she said, is doing a great job with students. She also recognized supportive grants that have been awarded to Newtown — including those from the Department of Justice and the School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) grant — while pointing out the grants will run out.
“How are we going to ensure that students who were in kindergarten and first grade when those shots rang out at that school, when they saw their friends felled, when you saw what happened, how are we going to make sure those kids have the supports they need for a productive life?” Ms Weingarten asked.
She asked the same question for the teachers who were there that day.
“These are heroes,” Ms Weingarten said about the teachers, “and we need to support them...”
Children and adults experience trauma differently, according to Ms Weingarten, “and that’s part of the reason why we need a long-term response and not simply a short-term response.”
Mr Kuroski thanked Ms Weingarten and Mr McKeever for their “unyielding support.”
Newtown’s educators, Ms Kuroski said, have been “unbelievable.”
“The experience we had in that building today was a testament to the professionalism and the commitment to excellence that these teachers have each and every day in their school, extending out into the community, because many of them are community members,” said Mr Kuroski. “They just want to make sure that everything that can be done will be done to ensure the continued progress of our recovery moving forward.”
Ms Weingarten said some of the things the AFT will be calling for include a revision to the state’s Workers Compensation law to address coverage for emotional support. Other measures Ms Weingarten said the AFT will be supporting include laws for “common sense gun safety,” working to ensure school safety, and making sure long-term mental health services are available for students and teachers.
She also said more funding is needed throughout the country for social, emotional, and mental health services for students and those who support them.
“So we are making that case in Washington, we’ll be making that case in Connecticut, we’re making that case in all the states of this nation, but it starts somewhere. And that’s why we are here today,” Ms Weingarten said to the media. “Talking to all of you about the kinds of things we saw, and the resilience, and the incredible dedication and spirit to overcome adversity that we saw at Sandy Hook today.”
The visit to Newtown, Ms Weingarten said, wasn’t just about honoring the fallen near the two-year anniversary of the event, but also about “making sure that we make a difference.”