Teachers want state to cure ‘sick schools'

[Guest guest]

http://www.rep-am.com/statenews/kwd.htm

Teachers want state to cure ‘sick schools'

Thursday, February 14, 2002By Masterson

Associated Press HARTFORD (CT) — Teachers from across the state told

lawmakers Wednesday that they suffer allergic reactions, breathing

difficulties, chronic colds, headaches, burning eyes and sinus infections

from working in " sick schools. " More than a dozen teachers testified

Wednesday

at a public hearing before the Education Committee on a bill to regulate

indoor air quality in schools.Educators are asking the state to set

standards

for school districts to protect the health of students and teachers. This

week, the Connecticut Education Association — the state's largest teachers'

union — began airing TV ads touting the importance of clean air in

schools.Many of the problems are at old and poorly maintained schools with

leaky roofs, contaminated carpets and tiles and poor ventilation systems

that

create ideal situations for mold to grow and thrive, teachers said.The bill

includes standards for the operation and maintenance of ventilation, heating

and air conditioning systems. It also has proposed air quality regulations

for new construction and renovation projects.The legislation also would

require school districts that receive grant money for correcting air quality

problems to show their workers are trained to maintain indoor air

quality.Twenty-six-year-old choked up as she told

lawmakers how she went from a healthy, athletic college graduate to a

chronically ill and heavily medicated person in the four years she has been

teaching in Milford. " I am in fear every day, " said. " I feel as

though my health and the health of my students are at risk. " In Plainfield, a

badly leaking roof on the high school building soaked carpets and tiles in

1997 and set off health problems for half the 80-member faculty, math

teachers Sweatt and Diane Ethier said.Sweatt has had problems with her

eyes, throat and breathing and says she rarely leaves her classroom, where

she keeps the windows constantly open and a fan blowing to circulate fresh

air. " This is not my voice, " Sweatt said. " You will not hear my voice until

April. " Both say they have seen their students suffer and have difficulty

learning because of the unhealthy environment. " The state has got to be the

overall watchdog of what's going on, " Ethier said after her testimony.A

similar bill passed in the Senate last year but died in the House.The bill

would allow schools to use construction money to make improvements, said

Sen.

Gaffey, D-Meriden, co-chair of the Education Committee. " It's

startling

that so many schools in Connecticut can't meet the federal air quality

standards, " Gaffey said.This year's version of the bill does not require

mandatory testing of all buildings. A system of testing may be in the

future,

Gaffey said, but lawmakers would likely reject such a plan this troubled

budget year .because of the system's cost.The Connecticut Education

Association and some of the teachers pressed lawmakers Wednesday to include

mandatory testing of buildings in the bill. " How do you know you have a

problem without testing? " Plainfield teacher Ethier said. " In the beginning,

they tell you it's all in your head. It's not — it's in my lungs. "

http://www.rep-am.com/statenews/index.htm

© 1997-2002 American-Republican

[Guest guest]

PLEASE REMOVE ME FROM THIS MAILING LIST. ----- Original Message ----- From: Barbara Herskovitz Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2002 9:04 PM Sick Buildings Subject: []Teachers want state to cure ‘sick schools' http://www.rep-am.com/statenews/kwd.htmTeachers want state to cure ‘sick schools'Thursday, February 14, 2002By MastersonAssociated Press HARTFORD (CT) — Teachers from across the state toldlawmakers Wednesday that they suffer allergic reactions, breathingdifficulties, chronic colds, headaches, burning eyes and sinus infectionsfrom working in "sick schools."More than a dozen teachers testifiedWednesdayat a public hearing before the Education Committee on a bill to regulateindoor air quality in schools.Educators are asking the state to setstandardsfor school districts to protect the health of students and teachers. Thisweek, the Connecticut Education Association — the state's largest teachers'union — began airing TV ads touting the importance of clean air inschools.Many of the problems are at old and poorly maintained schools withleaky roofs, contaminated carpets and tiles and poor ventilation systemsthatcreate ideal situations for mold to grow and thrive, teachers said.The billincludes standards for the operation and maintenance of ventilation, heatingand air conditioning systems. It also has proposed air quality regulationsfor new construction and renovation projects.The legislation also wouldrequire school districts that receive grant money for correcting air qualityproblems to show their workers are trained to maintain indoor airquality.Twenty-six-year-old choked up as she toldlawmakers how she went from a healthy, athletic college graduate to achronically ill and heavily medicated person in the four years she has beenteaching in Milford."I am in fear every day," said. "I feel asthough my health and the health of my students are at risk."In Plainfield, abadly leaking roof on the high school building soaked carpets and tiles in1997 and set off health problems for half the 80-member faculty, mathteachers Sweatt and Diane Ethier said.Sweatt has had problems with hereyes, throat and breathing and says she rarely leaves her classroom, whereshe keeps the windows constantly open and a fan blowing to circulate freshair."This is not my voice," Sweatt said. "You will not hear my voice untilApril."Both say they have seen their students suffer and have difficultylearning because of the unhealthy environment."The state has got to be theoverall watchdog of what's going on," Ethier said after her testimony.Asimilar bill passed in the Senate last year but died in the House.The billwould allow schools to use construction money to make improvements, saidSen. Gaffey, D-Meriden, co-chair of the Education Committee."It'sstartlingthat so many schools in Connecticut can't meet the federal air qualitystandards," Gaffey said.This year's version of the bill does not requiremandatory testing of all buildings. A system of testing may be in thefuture,Gaffey said, but lawmakers would likely reject such a plan this troubledbudget year .because of the system's cost.The Connecticut EducationAssociation and some of the teachers pressed lawmakers Wednesday to includemandatory testing of buildings in the bill."How do you know you have aproblem without testing?" Plainfield teacher Ethier said. "In the beginning,they tell you it's all in your head. It's not — it's in my lungs."http://www.rep-am.com/statenews/index.htm© 1997-2002 American-RepublicanFAIR USE NOTICE:This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.