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2024 RESC Alliance Legislative Priorities

Download the 2024 RESC Alliance Legislative Priorities

Connecticut RESCs are:

  • Governed by an executive board composed of local school district's Board of Education members

  • Responsive to local needs and interdistrict opportunities

  • Dedicated to supporting local school districts to improve teaching, learning, and student achievement

  • Committed to providing high-quality and affordable solutions that address regional needs

  • Collaborators that facilitate partnerships with many different key stakeholders including the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and the Office of Early Childhood (OEC)

  • Designing numerous cost-saving programs and systems for school districts to boost statewide economic and workforce development

Formed in 1972 (10)-66a), Regional Educational Service Centers (RESCs) are nonprofit, fee-for-service, public education agencies with a mission to provide quality, cost-effective education resources, programs, and services to the state's public schools.

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Connecticut's six RESCs formed the RESC Alliance in the 1990s to create greater access to resources and more savings for all Connecticut public schools. Through the Alliance, access to one RESC means access to all RESCs.

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Male Teacher with Students

Our Features

Legislative priorities for improving student achievement in Connecticut are:

01

Preserve Equitable Funding:

02

Increase Educator Diversity (IED):

Support all school districts and RESC magnet schools in developing a resolution for equitable funding to provide high-quality, integrated education.

Support a successful model for recruiting, developing, and retaining a diverse educator workforce to enhance student development and revitalize teaching statewide.

03

Maintain Trauma-Informed Training:

Continue professional development services from Regional Trauma Coordinators who play a crucial role in providing support for creating, strengthening, and implementing systemic trauma-informed practices in CT schools. 

magnet school & equitable funding:

The 29 magnet schools managed by Regional Educational Service Centers (RESCs) serve nearly 13,000 students statewide.

FY2025 Budget Request:

  • Assure the $40.2 million funding in PA-23-204 to support RESC magnet schools is retained. If this funding is reduced in any amount then sending districts will receive an increase in tuition bills.

FACTS:

RESC magnet schools:

  • Do not receive funding through the state Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant and

  • Do not have a tax base to cover additional costs

educator diversity & teacher residency program:

  • Designated $1.5 million to support workforce development and the enhancement of a statewide system addressing IED by creating a new budget line item under the State Department of Education to support districts partnering with Residency Program certifying teachers of color.

  • Eliminate the well-intended funding mechanism enacted for IED Residency Programs within the 2022-23 biennial budget by eliminating the funding burden from Alliance districts.

FACTS:

  • In 2022-23, 11.2% of Connecticut's teacher workforce were of educators of color, while 52.5% of the CT's students identified as people of color, according to SDE.

  • The CT Teacher Residency Program:

    • Only CT program requiring districts to provide a living wage to residents​

    • Nearly 150 teachers of color added in 34 districts since 2020

    • 100% retention rate with 100% residents teaching in classrooms

    • Launched Special Education certification in June 2023 with nine (9) residents

Professional Presentation
Trauma-informed training for schools

Established $1.2 million line item under SDE to continue the development of trauma informed services to school districts to continue the implementation of UPLIFT, a train-the-trainer program that is trauma-informed, resilience-focused, and individualized to meet the unique systemic needs of a school or district.

FACTS:

  • ARPA funds identified in FY23 for RESCs to develop and implement a statewide training program to support public school educators address trauma were not extended in FY24.

  • Due to delayed FY23 fund disbursement, 20 districts received free trauma-informed training from the RESC Alliance, despite funds being disbursed to the RESCs in FY24.

  • Trained 2,500+ school staff/service providers and 100+ youth in foundational knowledge of trauma and trauma informed care.

Contact:

DebraBorrero at 860-748-2157 or dborrero@crec.org

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