E Bulletin #48 2010-11

Good day.

Let’s please keep the phone calls and the emails to our state senators coming. Our message: We value our health insurance and want to keep it within the realm of collective bargaining. You can send an email here or you can call your state senator. If you don’t know who your state senator is, see here. Please do one or both activities. The health insurance agreement we and other city unions have reached with the city can be found here.

Contract Reminders: Tuition Reimbursement & Longevity Awards

Tuition Reimbursement Program

As part of our contract, there is a tuition reimbursement program for teachers who are permanent and on steps, but not yet getting their first career award. The tuition reimbursement also goes to paras with 5 or more years. See the Superintendent’s Circular for more information on how to apply.

We currently have a contract proposal on the table to extend the reimbursement to provisionals and increase the dollar amount for all.

Longevity or Career Awards

These are for both teachers (nurses et al) and paras. Essentially teachers get their longevity pay after completion of 9, 14, 19, 24, 29, and so on years. Paras get theirs after 9, 14, 19, 24, and 29 years. For more information, see the BTU web page for teachers, or for paras. See Superintendent’s Circular for more information.

Pay careful attention to these awards, as you will want to obtain these as you are eligible.

When in doubt, find out. If you have any questions on this, please email either Michael or Caren for teachers (elementary and secondary, respectively) or Jenna for paraprofessionals.

BTU Union News and Events

Teacher Excess Pools

The pools were slated to be held on 5/13, 5/16, and 5/17. The pools have been postponed to 5/24, 25, and 26.

New Date for Para Pool: June 6

Any questions, please call the BTU office.

Candidates for BTU Elective Office

Anyone running for BTU office is able to purchase address labels for BTU members if he/she wants to contact members by mail. He/she can also purchase building representative labels.

Other Important Upcoming Dates and Events

Building Rep. evening-5/19
Para Informational-5/26
End-of-year-party-6/10
Charity Golf Tournament-6/17
Michelle Rhee is coming to town on November 9. We’ll be there! More information to follow.

Superintendent’s Weekly Bulletin: The Rest of the Story

The Superintendent has taken to writing weekly bulletins of late. That’s great “ as long as the information is not misleading or less-than-compete.

This week the Superintendent and her staff released information suggesting that Boston has the third shortest workday of the major cities the school department selected. That may and may not be true “ a lot depends on how one defines the issue. Regardless, the length of a school day may not be a measure of…anything. Even if it has become trendy. We took a look at student achievement.

There is only one national test given right now, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test. Using the NAEP, Boston “ and Massachusetts “ have done quite well over the years in comparison to other cities and states.

So we took a look at the school department’s selected longer-school-day districts to see how Boston compared. Five of the cities with a longer school day participate, as does Boston, in what may be termed an urban competition. Those cities that participate and have a longer school day than Boston are Atlanta, Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, and Milwaukee. How did we fare? Quite well.

We looked at reading, math, and science achievement in grades four and eight, for total of six categories. These are the only tests given. Boston’s scores exceeded the other five districts in each category. At each grade level. No exception. See the data below. So the next time the superintendent says we have the shortest day in America, she ought add, “but we have the best schools according to NAEP.”

Now you know the rest of the story.

	Math 4	Math 8	Reading 4	Reading 8	Science 4	Science 8
Boston	236	279	215	257	139	130
Atlanta	225	259	209	250	134	127
Baltimore	222	257	202	245	117	113
DC	220	251	203	240	“	“
Philadelphia	222	265	195	247	121	119
Milwaukee	220	251	196	241	126	122

(Data, courtesy of NAEP)

Education in the News

Gates Study on Value-Added Debunked (Again)
Value-Added Measure Loses Even More Ground as Teacher Assessment Tool

Picture a balance scale that measures evidence that either supports or rejects the notion that teacher effectiveness can be measured by the ‘value-added’ model. On the left side of the balance beam is a study funded by CEO Bill Gates last year and a handful of others. On the right side of the beam, outweighing the lonesome Gates study many times over, are a number of studies done by educators, economists, mathematicians, and a lot of others.

Last week yet another study was added to the right side of the balance beam. This study done by a leading mathematician drives one more nail into the value-added coffin:

“The latest instance of the phenomenon (misuse of mathematics) is valued-added modeling (VAM), used to interpret test data. Value-added modeling pops up everywhere today, from newspapers to television to political campaigns. VAM is heavily promoted with unbridled and uncritical enthusiasm by the press, by politicians, and even by (some) educational experts, and it is touted as the modern, “scientific” way to measure educational success in everything from charter schools to individual teachers.

Yet most of those promoting value-added modeling are ill-equipped to judge either its effectiveness or its limitations. Some of those who are equipped make extravagant claims without much detail, reassuring us that someone has checked into our concerns and we shouldn’t worry. Value-added modeling is promoted because it has the right pedigree – because it is based on “sophisticated mathematics.”As a consequence, mathematics that ought to be used to illuminate ends up being used to intimidate. When that happens, mathematicians have a responsibility to speak out.”

Local Non Profits Can Have HUGE Profits But Pay Very Little in Property Taxes

In an interesting news story, it was reported that Partners Health, composed of the MGH, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and many other affiliates, had a record fiscal quarter ending March 31, earning $71 million over last year’s $13 million. Good for them; they do good work and we are proud to have them in the city.

But what do they pay in taxes to the City of Boston given that they are a nonprofit? Not very much. They voluntarily pay $3 million in taxes to the City. Read the report by the City here. Were they to pay as if they were profit-making institutions, these two hospitals alone without their affiliates would pay north of $60 million per year in property taxes.

The City is to be given some credit for finally turning up the heat on these institutions and others, which get away virtually scot-free from paying taxes under a law that dates from 1830(!). By the way, the medical non-profits have lots of company on the academic side: Northeastern, for example, paid only $30,571. in FY 09 to the city (see p. 64 of the City’s report).

More and more cities are demanding more from non-profits in these hard times. See a report in the NY Times.

Get Involved: March on DC to Protest ED Policies

The BTU membership has endorsed a Save Our Schools March in DC on July 30. Here’s what the organizers are saying:

We’re putting the Public back in Public Schools!

We, a collection of people from all walks of life and every corner of this nation, embodyWhite House a mixture of ideas and opinions regarding how we can improve educational opportunities for all children. We stand united by one belief – it’s time for teachers and parents to organize and reclaim control of our schools.

As concerned citizens, we demand an end to the destructive policies and rhetoric that have eroded confidence in our public schools, demoralized teachers, and reduced the education of too many of our children to nothing more than test preparation.

A well-educated society is essential to the future of the United States of America. Our students must have access to a fully funded, world-class public education system, and it is our responsibility to hold our government accountable for providing the means to achieve it. Please join us!

Depending on numbers and interest, the BTU will probably rent a bus to send some members to the rally. Our plans are flexible. For more information and to let us know of your potential interest, please email Garret Virchick.

Activities for Teachers, Staff & Students

Boston People and Places Summer Institute

The Summer Institute will be presented the first week in August. This is a wonderful opportunity for teachers to learn about the resources right here in their back yards. The National Park Service and six partner sites along the Freedom Trail have been in collaboration for 26 years presenting free programs for Boston Public School Children.

Our Summer Institute is a week long intensive study of historical places emphasizing the role of women in shaping Boston’s history from 1760-1860. Presentations by site educators and local scholars and researchers will focus on the city and state frameworks of social studies and English language arts. We offers not only professional development points, but college graduate credit as well. Email here for more information.

Global Education Resource Fair for BPS Teachers

Thursday, June 2, 2011, 4:00 – 6:00 PM
Boston Teachers Union Hall

At this “drop-in” resource fair, teachers will find resources to take their students abroad on service learning trips, language immersion experiences, study tours and exchanges. In addition, there will be organizations represented which focus on learning experiences abroad for teachers.

For more information, please contact Bethany Wood. To register, please go to MyLearningPlan.com.

The BTU Online

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Sincerely,

Richard Stutman
President
Boston Teachers Union
rstutman@btu.org
617-288-2000