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Lamont Economic Development Strategy: Teacher Recruitment, Retention "Most Important Thing"

Governor Ned Lamont discussed with national members of the American Federation of Teachers ways to target – and then retain – teachers.

Lamont got a tour of the A.I. Prince Technical High School on Monday and after the tour was finished, he said that finding people to teach the next generation of skilled workers would be critical part of his economic development strategy.

“Maybe we need some folks from industry? Maybe we need a different skill level of folks that we can recruit here because it’s the most important thing we can do right now when it comes to economic development,Lamont said.

Credit Frankie Graziano / Connecticut Public Radio
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Connecticut Public Radio
Prince Tech students play a rap for Gov. Ned Lamont that they've put together in the school's recording studio.

One of the recruitment ideas was turning today’s students into tomorrow’s teachers. Randi Weingarten, the national president for the teachers’ union, said that Prince Tech is a great example of a career technical education program.

“Career tech-ed is a really important public school pathway for kids,” said Weingarten. “Kids who go to career tech-ed – quality programs – 90 percent of them graduate and 70 percent of them go to college.”

Looking at the governor’s proposed biennium budget, regional vocational technical schools are due a $5.2 million increase in funding by the 2021 fiscal year. Lamont’s office said that the increase is due to collective bargaining.

Frankie Graziano is the host of The Wheelhouse, focusing on how local and national politics impact the people of Connecticut.

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