HARTFORD, Conn. — A survey released Tuesday by the Connecticut Education Association revealed inequities in student education, more specifically in urban areas.
Education officials said the pandemic has not helped.
The three-page survey listed the lack of student learning opportunities, the pandemic shed light on the issues even more.
According to the survey, "nearly two-thousand teachers cited huge inequities" especially in the state's alliance districts. Some of those include - Hartford, New Haven, Stamford, and Waterbury.
Teachers have been frustrated at the lack of funding, shortage of PPE, cleaning supplies, learning resources and poor ventilation.
"Things like contact tracing which is incredibly important when someone tests positive for Covid in a school that those protocols are not locked in as they should be in some of the other districts - cleaning and the meaning of deep cleaning," said CEA Executive Director Donald Williams.
Williams said there should be statewide standards on how a district should respond if a person tests positive.
In the survey, there were comments from teachers. Some said, "we don't have a lot of extra protections some schools have like plexiglass on desks" and another teacher said, "students who have opted for virtual learning have not received these necessary materials."
However, when asked about this at a news conference, Governor Ned Lamont said 97-percent of students have logged on statewide and thousands of Chromebooks have been handed out.
"I could tell you that Connecticut used more of our CARES Act money for education than I think any other state in the country, I think we’re providing PPE for all of our schools doing everything we can," said Governor Lamont.
State Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona said the state secured one of the largest funding plans per-student in the region and country.
"Of the 266 million dollars that was focused on education in Connecticut, half went to 30 alliance districts do half of the 266 million went to 30 districts out of close to 200," said Cardona.
While he said the numbers are not perfect, Connecticut is doing much better compared to neighboring states like Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey.