Newtown Union: Teachers Felt Rushed to Return to Work After Sandy Hook Shooting

The president of the Newtown teachers union says his members felt rushed to return to the classroom after the mass shooting in 2012 that took the lives of six staff members and 20 first graders.

Tom Kurkowski, president of the Newtown Federation of Teachers, appeared on Friday before the governor's Sandy Hook Advisory Commission. He said other school districts that have experienced similar events gave their teachers time to get the thorough training they needed to help children returning to school.

Kurkowski said a "one-day workshop, where our input wasn't even listened to, was not something that we thought was moving us in the right direction."

Kurkowski also expressed concerns that federal grant funding to improve school security was delayed until this June. But he praised the availability of mental health services for teachers.

Kurkowski is one of two presenters on the agenda. Vincent Riccio, of the Security Academy of Connecticut, will also deliver a presentation.

The commission has held several meetings since January 2013 and is wrapping up work on its recommendations.

   

 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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