Jennifer Leeper

This week I joined my colleagues to support a new plan that strengthens the Education Cost Sharing program, the state's leading grant to local school districts. The plan redirects between $100-$170 million from our state's surpluses to flow back to cities and towns for education funding.

This proposal would prevent cities and towns from having to increase property taxes to cover the rising cost of education. It is our responsibility to make sure all children in Connecticut receive a proper education and learning environment, and this proposal goes a long way toward achieving that goal.

A reminder that this year, the Greater Bridgeport St. Patrick's Day Parade will take place Tuesday, March 17 from noon-1:30pm. This year's parade starts at Burroughs Community (2470 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport - corner of Fairfield Ave. and Ellsworth St.), and travels down Fairfield Ave. to The Castle, Black Rock (3171 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport - corner of Courtland Ave.). I hope you'll join to celebrate our Irish-American community!

March is Women’s History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the remarkable contributions women have made to our communities, our state, and our nation. Here in Connecticut, countless women have shaped our history through leadership, innovation, advocacy, and perseverance.

While this month offers a special opportunity to reflect, their stories deserve to be honored all year long. From historic homes and museums to landmarks connected to groundbreaking achievements and social movements, our state is rich with places that preserve and share the legacy of women who helped shape Connecticut’s past and future.

This week, the House and Senate passed an omnibus bill comprised of legislation introduced last year. Part of that bill includes a number of education provisions that passed by a wide margin in the House last year and unfortunately was not voted on in the Senate. I'm extremely proud of this work, and I'm thrilled the legislature convened to see this bill through.

One part of this bill improves the state’s practice of crisis response drills to improve students’ physical safety and properly balance their psychological wellbeing. While schools must be prepared for an emergency, organizers must ensure these drills are conducted effectively and responsibly.

Another section creates a state seal of civics education and engagement to be earned on high school diplomas for students who demonstrate civics mastery in the classroom and community engagement.

At a time when civic engagement is alarmingly low in our country, this recognition will encourage students to learn more about the way our government works and the role they play in shaping society.

The House is BACK IN SESSION Feb. 26th. Our representatives are gearing up to pass critical legislation through May 6th. Follow along at CT-N.com and stay tuned for updates!

Tomorrow, Feb. 20 at 10am, the Education Committee will hold our public hearing for HB 5149 - An Act Concerning Phone-Free Schools. The bill seeks to ban the use of cell phones during the school day and to prohibit school districts from using social media as the only means of providing information to families.

I have spoken before about seeing firsthand the effects of phone addiction on students, and I believe this bill is an essential first step in helping our kids reclaim their childhood and restore a focused learning environment. As you can read here and here, having phone-free schools prevents distractions, allows our students to be more engaged, gives our teachers more focused students, and even makes our schools safer.

Though it is early in the legislative session, the Education Committee is already taking steps to pass critical legislation.

This week we moved several bills forward in the legislative process, including one that provides free breakfast for all students and free lunch for students eligible for reduced priced lunch, and another bill that increases education funding for public schools. There is a long road left for these bills and concepts, and I'll keep you updated as these proposals advance through the process!

The House came back into session this week, where we will meet for the next three months to pass legislation to better our state. It was wonderful to welcome our First Selectperson Christine Vitale in the House Chamber to join us in kicking off our work on behalf of our community.

This session, the Education Committee will tackle several very important topics, including adjusting state funding for public education, passing a statewide ban on cellphones in schools, and properly compensating our student teachers.