Robin Comey

I hope this message finds you and your family well. The legislature met for two session days this week, marking the beginning of a more intensive period as we approach the May 6 adjournment. The upcoming weeks will be critical as we work diligently to address outstanding priorities and bring legislation to final passage.

There is plenty to get to in the email below, so make sure to keep scrolling for more on:

• Around Town
• Early Childhood Advocacy Day
• Supporting Teachers
• Hopeville: How to Win the Reading Wars Film Screening
• Renter' Rebate Program
• Autism Acceptance Month
• Become a Volunteer
• Community Events

Thank you to the Branford Community Foundation and the Guilford Community Foundation for hosting a nonprofit roundtable for our human services providers. Approximately 60 participants gathered at the Guilford Community Center, representing a wide range of sectors, from early childhood and mental health to basic needs, housing, and senior services.

This was a valuable opportunity for legislators and local leaders to hear directly from the nonprofit providers who play such a critical role in supporting our communities. It’s always insightful to learn what is happening on the ground and to better understand the challenges and opportunities they are facing.

Key issues discussed included housing, early childhood support, education funding, homelessness, and the impact of current budget constraints. I’m grateful to both foundations for convening these important biannual conversations and for their continued commitment to strengthening our communities.

This week was Early Childhood Advocacy Day, and it was wonderful to welcome Laura Gunneson to Hartford. Laura serves as the Local Governance Partner Liaison for the Branford Early Start Partnership for Children, where she has been leading efforts to coordinate the Community Table, bringing together parents, providers, and community members to support early childhood initiatives.

The Branford Early Start Partnership is currently conducting a needs assessment that will help shape a comprehensive community plan and strengthen services for young children and their families. This important work is helping to build a more responsive and supportive early childhood system.

Get involved and be part of the effort to make a lasting difference for our children and families!

I was proud to stand with the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) in support of House Bill 5003 and Senate Bill 351. These important pieces of legislation aim to strengthen fairness, transparency, and consistency in the teacher evaluation and termination process, ensuring that decisions are guided by clear standards and a commitment to due process.

Together, these proposals would establish a more balanced and equitable framework by creating a clear standard of review for teacher termination decisions and ensuring that any dismissal is subject to a fair hearing before a neutral arbitrator. By putting these safeguards in place, we can help protect due process for educators while maintaining high standards in our schools, supporting both our teachers and the students they serve every day.

This week I hosted "Hopeville: How to Win the Reading Wars" Film Screening & Panel Discussion with fellow legislators.

Filmmaker Harvey Hubbell V follows a class of first-grade students over the course of a year as they learn to read using a new literacy approach. The film captures the challenges, breakthroughs, and transformative moments that define early reading development.

The documentary sheds light on systemic issues, longstanding misconceptions about how children learn to read, and the key decision-makers whose policies and practices have shaped the current landscape.

Hopeville offers a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of America’s literacy crisis. At its core, the film highlights the promise of Structured Literacy—an evidence-based approach that emphasizes phonics, decoding, and language comprehension—as a solution to closing the reading gap.

With a particular focus on underserved communities, the documentary demonstrates how effective instruction can change the trajectory of young learners, opening doors to academic success and lifelong opportunity. Hopeville challenges audiences to rethink literacy education and consider what it will take to ensure that every child has the chance to become a confident reader.

According to the Nation's Report Card (NAEP):

• Connecticut ranks 8th in the nation in 4th-grade reading
• Nearly two-thirds of children are not proficient readers by fourth grade a critical milestone where students transition from learning to read to reading to learn
• Connecticut is a Top 10 state in 4th-grade reading which means 64% of children are already behind by fourth grade, which isn’t a low-performing state problem, it’s a system-wide crisis
• In the end: Only 1 in 3 kids can read at grade level