Sandy Hook Teachers Worry About Loss Of Mental Health Services
NEWTOWN, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, have told top union leaders in the state and nationally that they are worried what will happen once funding for mental health services runs out by the next school year.
Leaders of the American Federation of Teachers met privately Tuesday with about a half dozen teachers who worked at the school.
In an earlier building, the school was the scene of the Dec. 14, 2012, shooting rampage by Adam Lanza, which left 20 first graders and six educators dead.
As WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported, Randi Weingarten, the AFT's national president, said Sandy Hook is full of strong people.
Sandy Hook Teachers Worry About Loss Of Mental Health Services
"If you did not know what had happened two years ago, if you just came in from a time machine and had no idea, you would never know the trauma that had been experienced," she said.
But she said below the surface, the pain is still there.
"What you have is a lot of people who are in different stages of trauma, grief and then healing," Weingarten said.
Weingarten said the union is committed to fighting for continued federal mental health funding to help teachers and students years down the road.
The union plans to revisit proposed Connecticut legislation requiring workers compensation coverage for mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress. Similar legislation died in recent years.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories:
(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
