CT Teachers Concerned Over Ventilation, Engaging Remote Students

CONNECTICUT — A recent survey of teachers across Connecticut found that there is great concern over poor ventilation, cleaning routines and difficult engagement with remote students, especially among the state’s poorest performing districts.

The Connecticut Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union surveyed nearly 2,000 students.

Air ventilation was a concern across the board, but it was more pronounced in the state’s Alliance Districts with 78 percent of teachers surveyed in those districts saying their buildings and classrooms weren’t properly ventilated. That compares to 66 percent of surveyed teachers in non-alliance districts.

“Our teachers shared their experiences regarding the lack of school funding; shortages of PPE, cleaning supplies, and learning resources; limited technology and access to the Internet; poor ventilation; and no plans to engage absent students,” said CEA President Jeff Leake in a statement. “These are all things needed to keep school communities safe and the staff in place to help students achieve. These issues are most severe in our lowest-performing school districts.”

Daily cleaning also happens less in Alliance Districts, according to the survey; 49 percent of Alliance Districts teachers surveyed said their classrooms are cleaned and disinfected daily compared to 64 percent of non-Alliance Districts.

Contact tracing was another concern with 75 percent of Alliance District and 64 percent of non-alliance teachers saying their districts weren’t performing aggressive enough contact tracing.

The survey also found disparities for engaging absent or disengaged students with 61 percent of Alliance District teachers and 41 percent of non-alliance teachers saying that there are no effective strategies for engagement.

71 percent of Alliance District teachers and 72 percent of non-alliance districts said that they weren’t provided with student engagement strategies. More than half of all teachers surveyed said they didn’t get adequate professional development in remote teaching strategies.

Teachers also said in the survey they lacked proper technology for remote teaching.

“While I realize we have many challenges that are unprecedented, my district has done a terrible job in preparing teachers and providing equipment for virtual learning and did nothing but provide masks for at-risk teachers who asked for accommodations,” one teacher wrote.