Courtesy of Leslie Blatteau

A local teachers’ union will hire a professional organizer to advocate for the increased state funding they hope can address teacher shortages.

The New Haven Federation of Teachers received $75,000 from its nationwide parent organization, part of a total $1.5 million granted to 27 chapters around the country. 

The new grant program aims to support teachers’ unions and community engagement in grassroots work. In New Haven, the funding will primarily be used to boost advocacy surrounding progressive revenue, equitable school funding and expanded resources for community schools at the state level.

“Our students’ learning conditions are our working conditions, and our students’ living conditions are their learning conditions,” said NHFT President Leslie Blatteau, who traveled to Washington, D.C. to accept the award. “Everybody — teachers, students, family members — is feeling the impact of decades of underfunding in urban districts like New Haven.”

The grants are part of the American Federation of Teacher’s Powerful Partnership Initiative, which provides direct assistance to AFT affiliates, community organizations and parent groups looking to engage in education-based advocacy.

Public schools in New Haven currently face chronic underfunding and teacher shortages in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. At last week’s NHPS board meeting, Superintendent Iline Tracy announced a district-wide shortage of 81 teachers. The district currently employs approximately 1900 teachers across its 44 schools.

Blatteau said her organization plans to use the grant to hire an organizer that will meet with stakeholder groups and compile their concerns, as well as help lobby state lawmakers to boost school funding in urban districts.

“Ultimately, we want to improve teacher retention and educational experiences for our students, and a lot of those problems are rooted in economic issues,” Blatteau said.

The New Haven Federation of Teachers intends to collaborate with community partners Recovery for All Connecticut and Students for Educational Justice on this project. 

Alex Kolokotronis, an organizer at Recovery for All, emphasized the partnership’s common goal of eliminating existing discrepancies in school funding. 

“Urban school districts need to receive a greater share of money in order to provide an equitable education,” Kolokotronis said. “Connecticut schools are mainly funded through property taxes, so [students at] urban schools receive an education that is not up to par with what wealthier schools can provide.”

This is not the first time these organizations have joined forces to combat educational inequities. Earlier this year, Recovery For All organized a rally for school staff, parents, students and union members to advocate for increased funding for New Haven Public Schools. 

“When this opportunity came up to do a more in-depth partnership, we went for it,” said Norma Martinez, organizing director at Recovery for All. “The students and the teachers are on the frontlines of this disinvestment. We want to build a strong coalition in New Haven to advocate for life-changing policies and legislation for the people that need it the most.”

The New Haven Federation of Teachers aims to capitalize on this continued partnership to ensure the most effective possible use of the Powerful Partnership Initiative funding, Blatteau said. For these organizations, this work is more crucial than ever.

“We have shared experiences and shared values,” Blatteau said. “But now, we need to have shared action. We are losing our teachers, and too many of our high school students don’t have teachers in the subject areas they need to graduate high school. We have reached a tipping point, and we’re ready to organize and fight.”

The American Federation of Teachers was founded in 1916.