Melissa in the Morning: Unpaid Student Teachers

Are we shooting ourselves in the foot when it comes to attracting and retaining people to teach in Connecticut? A new survey conducted by the Connecticut Education Association, Connecticut largest teachers’ union, shows 90% of student teachers in Connecticut are deeply concerned about affording groceries and other necessities, and more than 80% say unpaid student teaching makes them feel exploited. That’s why there’s a renewed call for paid student teaching in Connecticut. To talk more about this, we spoke with Hannah Spinner, a graduate student at UConn pursuing a teaching career. She also chairs the CEA‘s statewide Aspiring Educators Program.

For the survey: https://cea.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AEP-Survey-Results-Dec-18-2025.pdf