We hope you all had a restful weekend and were able to enjoy some of the beautiful fall weather. As we ramp up toward the November elections and continue to receive news on COVID rates in the city, we have a number of updates for you all below.
We are watching the citywide Covid rates closely.
Seven-day averages from BPHC are analyzed and shared on Thursday evenings and Tuesday evenings with the city. Last Friday, the rate citywide for positivity was 3.9%. If the rate Tuesday evening is 4% or above, the district will have to resume fully remote learning beginning Thursday. As always, we are advocating for safety first. We are also working with the city and district on how to best support our high in person priority students during any all-remote periods. If the rate is below 4%, in person for the HIPP students will continue.We continue to follow up on individual situations where concerns of health and safety have been identified. Please continue to use this form to enter your safety concerns. The appropriate BTU staff member will follow up and respond.
Our next membership meeting is next Wednesday, October 14 at 4:30 p.m. You must register in advance in order to get a Zoom link. Please remember that due to logistical restrictions, registrations cannot be accepted past 4 p.m. the day of the meeting. Each link provided is unique and cannot be shared. Register today. Please also note that the November membership meeting will be Wednesday, November 18, not Nov. 11, due to Veterans Day.The 2020 election is on November 3. We are just 28 days away! THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE IS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24. We have many Political Action updates, with some important updates to get involved below:
- Please sign up for our Political Activist list to get more information about our progress and other opportunities as they come up.
- Save the Date: October 19 will be the AFL-CIO Massachusetts Educators Phone Bank! This will be a joint BTU, AFT-MA, and MTA event, and we will be calling voters in Maine. Register HERE and please share our Facebook event so we can get as many volunteers as possible!
- BTU has standing phone banks Saturdays between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Tuesdays between 5 and 7 p.m. from now until Election Day. Your support is crucial in order for us to retake the U.S. Senate and make sure we have a President who cares about public education. We ask that you please support our efforts here (most volunteers sign up for two shifts). Sign up here!
- Yes on 2 will give Massachusetts voters a stronger voice and ensure that our elected leaders have majority support. Adopting Ranked Choice Voting is one thing we can do right now to empower voters at this critical time in our democracy. The Yes on 2 campaign is working to educate voters across the state on the importance of passing Question 2 on Election Day, and they need help from all of us. We hope you will show your support by displaying a yard sign from now until November 3. Request a free yard sign today, and view a map of pickup locations near you.
- If you are not available during those times, you can sign up for AFT phone banks any other day of the week by going to the AFT’s Mobilize landing page. They are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 5 and 7 p.m., and Fridays between 3 and 5 p.m. At these phone banks, make sure to tell the lead that you are representing BTU.
- We have a new Facebook profile picture frame for members to show their support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. To find it, visit this link and put “btuvotes” on the search bar. Select the one that says ‘high-res’ for the better quality image. Please use it and share it with your BTU friends!
- Join with other BTU members TOMORROW to watch the Vice Presidential Debate, and the next two weeks for the Presidential Debates on October 15 and October 22! We will have the option for people to join by Zoom or you can watch on our Facebook page’s live stream.
- Please visit our BTU Votes page for more information on phone banking opportunities, need-to-know dates, endorsed candidates, and more!
If anything changes for the week, we will send out a special bulletin, but please keep an eye out tomorrow night and Wednesday for communications from the city and district.
The following are a few other important updates and reminders:
- Questions regarding the MOU or COVID Concerns? We are resuming our Q&A submission form for COVID-related questions. Please remember these should be general questions, not individual ones that should be directed to your Field Rep or BTU staff.
- Information about options for leave, particularly for high-risk educators: We recommend seeking accommodations from the Office of Equity first. Please see our special bulletin for updated details, and click here for emergency paid sick leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). If you need support or are applying for the family or childcare leave under for FFCRA, pleaseemail OHC leaves, but, again, we suggest contacting the Office of Equity first.
- BPS has shared a variety of tutorial videos regarding the start of the school year. Please see the welcome video “Together, We Rise”, as well as the following tutorials:
- Unafraid Educators and the Boston Education Justice Alliance (BEJA) co-founded a Relief Fund for BPS students and families experiencing financial need during this ongoing pandemic — regardless of immigration status. Please donate to and share the Relief Fund with your networks. All BPS students and families are eligible to apply.