We hope this email finds you all well and enjoying the summer weather. It’s hard to believe that we are already approaching the end of July. As we get closer to the beginning of another school year, we will continue to communicate pertinent information through periodic summer bulletins.
BPS shared their reopening plans tonight at School Committee. When it was shared yesterday with union leaders, we raised dozens of questions pertaining to it and advised that they did not present it until those questions could be answered. We are disappointed to share that despite repeated efforts over the last few months, weeks and days to meet with the district and share our ideas, questions and concerns before BPS shared a reopening plan draft, BPS cancelled our Reopening Task Force Subcommittee Meetings last week, cancelled our Collective Bargaining Committee meeting on Friday and cancelled our negotiating meeting yesterday. Contrary to what was suggested at the Boston School Committee tonight, just like the principals and all other unions representing BPS staff, WE HAD NO INPUT into the first draft of this plan. Unsurprisingly, it is totally out of touch with reality and what will be needed to safely, thoughtfully, and equitably reopen schools under a realistic timeline.
And despite assurances that we would get results of the staff survey, we have not received them, so we have made our own. Please fill out this survey by logging into the member portal. You need to be a working, active member in order to complete the survey. Thank you to all of the members of the Collective Bargaining Committee and Negotiating Team for helping to put this together.
The responses to this survey will continue to inform our advocacy and our next steps as a union. As much as we want to return in peron, we cannot return without assurances of baseline health and safety for all students and staff and a thoughtful plan on how to prepare educators for an equitable reopening. The district must respond to our questions and heed our expertise if this is to happen. It is unfathomable that not a single teacher has been at the table where these conversations and decisions have been happening despite our repeated requests to share our ideas and collaborate.
As we continue to advocate for stakeholder voice in decision-making at the federal and local levels, it is important that we do everything in our power to continue to build upon the movement for the safe and equitable reopening of our schools and get ready to take action. If you missed the Reopening Schools Panel with Senator Warren this evening, you can still view the recording. On Monday, August 3, we will be hosting the “BTU Budget Forum on Fighting for Fully Funded Schools and Committees” from 5-7pm. The forum will include presentations on the State and City budgets and how we fight for the funding our schools and communities need.
Our budget forum is being held locally as part of the national Demand Safe Schools collective’s National Day of Resistance. The national collective of teacher unions is advocating for 8 demands in order to reopen schools safely, including: no reopening until the scientific data supports it, safe conditions, equitable access to online learning, and more. Read more about the collective’s purpose, demands, tactics and targets. Please see more details on our local event below.
We are also partnering with 10 parent-led organizations to call for more parent voices in the decision-making around the transition to school this fall. You can read the Institution for Educational Leadership’s open letter, and encourage your networks to contact their schools and make their voices heard.
In addition to August 3 event, please save the date for the next BTU Summer “Town Hall” for BTU members on Wednesday August 12 at 3:00pm. Please be sure to register in advance for the Zoom link. Similar to our membership meetings, we will be sharing the latest updates on reopening plans, share reports on current campaigns and have an opportunity for a Q&A.
We continue to amplify the voices of our members and many have been quoted in several publications recently, speaking out about the concerns and suggestions educators have about reopening. Check out Young Achievers pre-K inclusion teacher Chantei Alves’ interview on WBUR, as well as McKinley Elementary nurse Jonathan Haines’ quotes in the Globe and the Herald. Jonathan is a member of the Behavioral Health Faculty Senate and the Nurse Faculty Senate of the BTU, who recently released their statements on the reopening of our public schools.
We are continuing our advocacy and solidarity efforts within the Black Lives Matter movement. The Executive Board voted to support the NAACP Boston’s petition to “Suspend Boston Exam Schools Admissions Testing for One Year.” You can also learn more from an important series by the AFT: Making Black Lives Matter by Investing in Black Communities. The BTU’s work is recognized in the third segment.
We are always looking for members to join our BTU Volunteer Corps! If you find yourself with a little extra time this summer, please sign up for regular updates!
- BPS is hosting Zoom meeting to gather feedback about fall reopening plans.You can find information on upcoming meetings on the BPS website along with a rough reopening timeline and a survey to share your thoughts. Please share the information with parents and families, too.
- Reminder: We will be offering virtual tutoring through an extended Homework Helpers program through August 13. Please share our flyer (also in Spanish and Haitian-Creöle) and contact Brenda Chaney with any questions.
- The AFT’s 2020 convention will be held online from July 28 – July 30. You can learn more about the convention on the AFT’s website.
- For those utilizing Pandemic EBT funds, an additional $199.50 in food benefits were automatically added to each P-EBT card on June 24th. Families can now use these additional funds.
- A quick note on insurance for retirees who have chosen Harvard Pilgrim Enhance with Aetna SilverScript PDP as their Medicare Supplement: Those who have a new carrier for prescriptions are encouraged to call that new provider to make sure all current prescriptions have transferred over.
- Continue to submit your COVID-related questions or concerns on our Google Form. We will continue to check responses over the summer as we continue with negotiating reopening plans.