THIS WEEK — Celebrating Black History and BLM Week of Action
The national demands for the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action include: End Zero Tolerance, Hire More Black Teachers, and Mandate Black History and Ethnic Studies. Want to get involved? Learn more about how you can participate. Make a commitment to participate in Boston’s Week of Action by filling out this form. See the plan for Boston during the week of action, and check out our extensive resources atbtu.org/blackhistory.
TODAY — Academics Committees Meeting
Our BTU Academics Committees (Inclusion, Climate Change, Early Ed, Arts and PLAB) meet on the first Tuesdays of the month. Join us at 4:30. We will provide light dinner. To learn more and RSVP, please contact Natalia at ncuadrasaez@btu.org.
TODAY — BTU Arts for All Organizing Meeting
Do you believe all BPS students deserve access to high quality arts education? Do you want to get involved in making this vision a reality? Join us on February 5 at 4:30 PM at the BTU for our next advocacy planning meeting. There will be an option to call in if you can’t be there. To learn more and RSVP please contact Natalia at ncuadrasaez@btu.org.
TOMORROW — Nurse Faculty Senate Meeting
Please join us tomorrow, Wednesday, February 6 from 4:30-6:30 PM at the BTU. The last half of the meeting will include an update and discussion of current contract negotiations with members of the Negotiating Committee. If you have any questions feel free to contact Jonathan Haines at jhaines@bostonpublicschools.org.
SATURDAY! BTU Winter Conference
Calling all BTU members! Register today for our annual BTU Winter Conference, which will take place at the BTU this Saturday, February 9 from 9 AM to 3 PM. This year’s theme is #StudentsDeserve: Building Power in Boston and Beyond to Fund our Future. This conference is open to Building Reps and ALL interested members! Register on the BTU website at btu.org/winter-conference/.
Restorative Justice Organizing Committee Meeting: February 12
Join us at the BTU at 4:30. We will provide a light dinner. To learn more and to RSVP please contact Natalia at ncuadrasaez@btu.org.
Election Committee Meetings: February 12 and February 26
The next Election Committee meetings are February 12 and February 26, both at 5 PM. All meetings are open to BTU and RTC members, and the first 15 minutes of each meeting are set aside for member questions and comments. See the BTU website for everything you need to know about the BTU election, from nomination papers to positions and more: btu.org/electioncommittee.
BTU Learning Community Circles: February 28
The BTU Restorative Justice Organizing Committee is hosting a series of Learning Community Circles designed to deepen our shared understanding of Restorative Justice and to build a strong community of restorative practitioners across the district. Our second circle of the series will take place on Thursday, February 28 at Dearborn STEM Academy with the theme, “But I’m Just One Person: Deepening Our Sphere of Restorative Influence.” You can register on MyLearningPlan or RSVP with Natalia at ncuadrasaez@btu.org. Experienced practitioners, newcomers, and everyone in between are welcome! Come to one session or all four — they run through April 6.
NEW — BTU Donation Drive: March 1-13
Ending student homelessness is a priority for the BTU, especially as many of our students and families face housing instability. As spring cleaning approaches, we hope you may consider donating to our clothing drive and needed items drive for three local shelters: Rosie’s Place, St. Francis House and the Pine Street Inn. Please contact Para/Sub/ABA Field Rep Colleen Hart at chart@btu.org if you would like to help out or if you have any questions. See the flyer for more.
Educator Wellness Day at the BTU: March 9
Paras, subs, teachers — all are invited to join us for a day of relaxation and healing and a celebration of self-care in our work as educators! There will be workshops to choose from: yoga, calligraphy, meditation, and Zumba. Learn from a panel of educators on their practices of self-care and building resilient cultures of support at school. Breakfast and lunch included. Read more, download a flyer and register: btu.org/educatorwellness.
NEW — Seeking All Paras!
The BTU Early Childhood Committee is interested in hosting a professional development for our paraprofessionals! Our hope is that we would get a group of paraprofessionals to attend the training who would then be interested in serving as trainers in their own schools or networks. In order to best meet the needs and interests of the early childhood paraprofessionals, we thought we would survey you all to find out what the best use of time and content would be. Paras, please fill out our Early Childhood Paraprofessional PD Interest Survey.
NEW — Save the Date for Annual Paraprofessional Conference: April 6
Join AFTMA and the BTU on Saturday, April 6! Discussion topics will include Professionalism, Self Care Plan, Equity, Trauma vs. Behavior and more. See and share the flyer!
HIRING — BTU Community Organizer
The BTU is seeking to hire a Community Organizer. Read the full job description and find out how to apply.