New Britain High School Seniors Attend Workshop
By Editor at March 11, 2024 | 8:00 am | Print
On March 2, five students from New Britain High School accompanied interim
superintendent Paul Salina and Board of Education President Sharon Beloin-Saavedra to Hartford for a workshop sponsored by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, Inc. (CABE).
The workshop was entitled ‘A Day on the Hill’ and students, along with administrators, had the opportunity to interact with State Representative Andy Fleischman, State Senator Gayle Slossberg and State Senator Toni Boucher. Each of these individuals discussed various bills that are currently up for discussion and those attending the workshop had the
opportunity to ask various questions in regards to both the state and local level.
Fleischmann has served since 1994 and is the Chairman of both the Education Committee and Appropriations subcommittee for Elementary and Secondary Education. Slossberg was first elected in 2004 and is the Senate Chair of the General Assembly’s Education Committee and Vice Chair of the Human Services Committee. Boucher, who was elected as Senator in 2008 after serving as a State Representative for 12 years, serves as the Chief Deputy Minority Leader and is the Senate Ranking Member of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee, Education Committee and Judiciary Committee. She also serves as a member of the General Assembly’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.
Besides hearing from these three legislators, those in attendance heard from Ann Gruenberg, CABE President, Robert Rader, CABE Executive Director and Donald Harris, CABE Vice President for Government Relations. CABE staff members Patrice McCarthy and Sheila McKay walked the attendees through numerous bills that CABE is monitoring this session, including HB 5470, which would allow minority students in high school in select districts to enroll in a teacher preparation program under a pilot program. The Consolidated School District of New Britain, in partnership with Central Connecticut State University, is included in this proposed bill. If passed, it will go into effect on July 1, 2016.
Salina noted that the students were attentive, engaged and interested in the process of how a bill is moved through the various stages and knows they gained a great deal of knowledge from the workshop.
“The students taking the trip this year were actively engaged in conversation regarding the process of government throughout the trip. They fully realized the need for give and take as noted by many of the speakers. The state is facing a significant deficit and every agency and group which depends upon state funding will be pleading their case for more
funding or less cuts. The students gained a valuable lesson in economics and of the many steps and processes needed to have a bill move through various committees to eventually be passed as a law.”
Beloin-Saavedra was impressed with the professionalism and maturity of the young students she took on the trip and was pleased that they had the opportunity to learn more about the process at the state level.
“I was a proud member of the Board of Education participating in CABE’s Day on the Hill with five NBHS seniors. The bus ride to the event was filled with conversation around the presidential primaries. Our students discussed the merits of national issues as they analyzed the various candidates’ points of view. Once at the CABE event, our students listened to presentations on pending legislation and asked good questions on policy issues. On the bus ride home, we discussed local issues and the Board of Education budget. It was a well-rounded morning with highly intelligent and articulate young adults. If these young people are our future leaders - we are in good hands.”
Elayshia Burgos, senior at New Britain High School and one who has gotten involved in politics at the local level, was passionate about HB 5470 and used the workshop to gain a deeper understanding of what is behind it.
“Being in a school district where over half of the student population are minority students, it’s a major privilege and honor that I along with Debbie, Raven, Hawley, and Margaret were able to represent the students of New Britain at such a prestigious event with superintendents and administrators from other districts. The purpose of the event was to allow us to make judgments and ask questions about how the government plays a role in our school systems. Personally, a bill that I am supporting would be House Bill 5470, which regards implementing a pilot program to recruit and encourage minority students to pursue a career in education. I understand that teaching ability has nothing to do with racial background, but this program would support a huge group of students in our district who already have experience with childhood development. I think this workshop really inspired me to want the most for myself and my peers. Change starts
at home.”
The other students who attended the workshop were Debbie-Marie Brown, Hawley Brown, Margaret Keithline and Raven
Soumpholphakdy. All are seniors and will be graduating in June 2016.
