Dear John,

Welcome to your Weekly Wrap, a recap of the week in Congress and highlights of my work. 

Last week, I attended the 2024 National and State Teachers of the Year Breakfast and met with Kate Dias of the Connecticut Education Association (CEA).

Additionally, I introduced H.Res 1189, bipartisan legislation to designate April 29 through May 3 as National Specialized Instructional Support Appreciation Week. Also, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a full committee hearing, Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor with Acting Secretary Julie Su. Finally, the House passed H.R. 6090, the Antisemitism Awareness Act.

For my full recap, please read below.

Celebrating Educators

Last week, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) National Teacher of the Year Program invited Teachers of the Year from 55 states and territories to D.C. for Washington Week. 

The Teacher of the Year Program identifies exceptional educators across the country, celebrates their work in the classroom and community, and, through a one-of-a-kind professional development opportunity, helps them amplify their voices and empowers them to engage in conversations around teaching and learning, communication and advocacy, and education policy and leadership. 

On Wednesday, I joined the 2024 National and State Teachers of the Year for their annual breakfast. Congratulations to 2024 National Teacher of the Year Missy Testerman of Tennessee and Connecticut Teacher of the Year Kiana Foster-Mauro. Grateful to all the State Teachers of the Year for their work each and every day to inspire students and amplify the profession.

I also met with Kate Dias of the Connecticut Education Association (CEA). During our meeting, we discussed policy priorities, the importance of educator pipelines, support for public education and retired teachers, and student success.

 National Specialized Instructional Support Personnel Appreciation Week

 On Wednesday, I introduced H.Res 1189, bipartisan legislation to designate April 29 through May 3 as National Specialized Instructional Support Appreciation Week. 

Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP) work with classroom educators to help school communities thrive. They include professionals such as school counselors, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, library media specialists, speech language pathologists, paraprofessionals and many others. My legislation celebrates and recognizes the critical role support personnel play in providing early intervention services to reduce barriers to learning.

Learn more about the National Specialized Instructional Support Personnel Appreciation Week resolution here.

Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor with Acting Secretary Julie Su

On Wednesday, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a full committee hearing, Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor with Acting Secretary Julie Su. 

During the hearing, Acting Secretary Su discussed the variety of measures the Department is taking to promote safe and healthy working conditions, strengthen pipelines for employees, and improve collaborative partnerships with employers.

Acting Secretary Su also commented on the importance of ongoing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the Department that help to provide full, robust experiences for disabled workers. 

I am glad to see a growing number of disabled workers employed by  small businesses across the district. 

To watch the full hearing, please click here.

Antisemitism Awareness Act

Last week, the House passed H.R. 6090, the Antisemitism Awareness Act. This legislation would require the U.S. Department of Education to adopt antisemitism definitions used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. 

The legislation passed the House by a vote of 320 to 91. 

That’s a wrap. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this update. As always, please continue to share your thoughts and priorities with me. 

Jahana Hayes
Member of Congress