by Donald Eng
HARTFORD, CT — Capitol police arrested 10 education advocates Wednesday following a rally and staged sit-in outside Gov. Ned Lamont’s Capitol office.
The event had begun just after 4 p.m. with several hundred supporters rallying outside the Capitol. The group’s demands included fully funding schools in the state’s poorest districts, adding a 50% weight to the funding formula for special education students, strengthening the Trust Act, and passing legislation making striking workers eligible for unemployment benefits after 14 days, according to New Haven Federation of Teachers President Leslie Blatteau.
“Students who need the most have the least,” said Julia Miller, Connecticut’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.
Miller said 129 student-facing positions were facing elimination in New Haven as a result of budget limitations. She pointed out that the state is currently running a budget surplus and has a multi-billion dollar fund balance.
“What are we waiting for?” she said. “The funds are there.”
Protesters rally for education funding outside the State Capitol in Hartford on May 22, 2025. Credit: Donald Eng / CTNewsJunkie
Following the outdoor rally, the group, consisting of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Connecticut and the New Haven Federation of Teachers, entered the Capitol and requested a meeting with Lamont.
After a 20-minute closed-door meeting that included about 25 protesters, the group emerged and Blatteau announced to the crowd that Lamont had not committed to meeting the group’s terms.
“We acknowledge there has been progress,” she said. “And today, the House passed revisions to the Trust Act.”
Lamont’s office later released a written statement.
“Governor Lamont invited members from AFT to his office today to hear their thoughts and concerns,” according to the statement. “Connecticut has the best schools in the country because we have the best teachers in the country. That’s why he has made historic investments and increases in education funding. During the final weeks of session, he plans to work with the legislature that continues that progress.”
But with the lack of a firm commitment on funding, Blatteau sat down at the center of a line of 10 advocates across the entrance to the governor’s office suite.
Capitol police warned the group to leave or face arrest, to which Blatteau replied, “We’re staying for the children.”