NEW-Special Election for Elementary Field Rep.
This election will determine who will fill the remainder of the term, from December 19th-June 30th, 2025. Paper and electronic nominations are currently open. All BTU/RTC members in good standing can sign nomination papers for 1 candidate in this race. 100 signatures are required, but it is recommended that prospective candidates gather more in case of duplications. Voting will be limited to those members and retirees currently and formerly serviced by the Elementary Field Representative. For electronic nomination instructions, click on this LINK. Nominations will close on November 8th. All mail-in ballots will be due on December 17th. In-person voting will take place at the BTU on December 18th from 8pm to 6pm.
The Elementary Field Rep. represents this list of schools/programs. Here are the links for the candidate’s guide and the limitations on campaigning.
You may contact ombudsperson Danielle Fraine with questions or concerns at electioncommittee@btu.org. Members are welcome to attend and ask questions at the start of election committee meetings. Next meeting is November 25 at 5 pm at the BTU. Contact mfrank@btu.org with any questions about your membership status.
Dear Member,
We are officially one week away from Election Day. We encourage all members to support our endorsed candidates for office, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the Harris/Walz ticket, and to vote YES on Question 2. While Massachusetts is an historically blue state, we cannot become complacent. We encourage you to join the BTU Electoral Action Team or the AFT GOTV team to participate in phone banks reaching voters in swing states. One-on-one conversations are among of the strongest opportunities to connect with a voter and every effort we make to support the Harris/Walz ticket is an effort to work for a better future.
On Sunday night, the Trump campaign held a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York that featured speakers spewing racist jokes, bombastic promises of undemocratic authoritarianism and threats of political retribution. This is the future we are ardently fighting to prevent.
Put simply, a second Trump administration would be disastrous for democracy, workers’ rights, and public education in general. The Trump/Vance ticket is being guided by the orchestrators of the Project 2025 agenda, which, among other disturbing things, calls for the end of public employee unions, the dismantling of the federal department of Education, and the gutting of public programs which support our most vulnerable students and their families.
Locally, some of our endorsed candidates are facing challenges. Given the stakes, we must ensure that our communities are represented by individuals who understand the importance of taking local action to preserve our best in the nation education system in the face of potential federal influence. You can see the full slate of our endorsed candidates in the image at the top of this email. Make a plan to vote! Talk to your colleagues, friends, families and neighbors. Every vote counts.
During this last week, we are also collaborating with our allies across the state to pool our time and resources to ensure that Ballot Question 2 passes. The question would keep the MCAs test in place, but remove it as a graduation requirement and replace it with an evaluation system developed by educators and the community which assesses a student’s abilities’ comprehensively. A student’s future should not depend on a single test score and educators should not have to shape their entire lesson plans to meet the requirements of standardized tests.
The MCAS graduation requirement is a roadblock to multilingual learners and students with disabilities who are expected to conform to and pass a test that was not designed with their circumstances in mind. This weekend, the BTU will be joining the Yes On 2 campaign to canvass in Roxbury on Saturday with City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, as well as in the South End and Roslindale on Sunday.
Walk-ins and Negotiations
This morning, more than a dozen schools across the district will participate in walk-ins to raise awareness about our contract campaign and to inform the public of our fight for Inclusion Done Right and a living wage for all BTU members, especially our lowest-paid workers.
These actions have generated considerable coverage from the press, drawn the attention of BPS higher-ups, and moved the needle at the negotiating table. The collective action of our members has an impact and it is one of the strongest tools we have to build the best possible BPS for our students and educators. If your school wants to join an upcoming walk-in, please first check in with (ekouka@btu.org) or Jonathan Rodrigues (jrodrigues@btu.org). Our organizers provide materials and support to these walk-ins and need ample notice for scheduling purposes. You can check out some of the news coverage we’ve received in the BTU in the News section on our website.
These walk-ins are just one part of our multi-pronged strategy. BTU members have testified at the School Committee each week and these public statements are leading to principals and other administrators taking notice. Our efforts are working.
These walk-ins are also a lead up to our negotiating session with the district this afternoon, Tuesday, October 29th at the BTU Hall from 5 to 8 pm. We encourage you to register to attend. Over the past few weeks, after months of advocacy from the BTU, the district has shown a willingness to finally discuss changing its approach of forcing general education teachers to obtain multiple specialized licenses to meet the requirements of student IEPs.
We know that one teacher performing the job of multiple educators is not an appropriate way to ensure all students receive the education they deserve. It is up to all of us to help the district come around to this reality.
Anti-Union Mailer
We are aware that the so-called “Freedom Foundation” is once again targeting our members to try to spread misinformation and convince individuals to revoke their BTU membership. This is not the first time that this right-wing, anti-union billionaire-backed organization has tried to sow discord amongst our union family.
Last Christmas, the same organization distributed similar flyers trying to convince our members to revoke their membership to “save” money for holiday shopping. This organization is funded by the DeVos and Koch family and was designed to erode the strength of public education and public unions so they can more easily push their privatization agenda. Check out this one pager on the organization and for tips if you mistakenly filled out their card.
Inclusion Planning Teams
BPS released a district-wide IPT Attendance Form that must be completed at the beginning of each IPT meeting by each IPT member. They emphasized that no other types of hours submissions will be accepted. IPT members will be paid in two rounds:
Round 1: Hours processed in January with expected payment in February
Round 2: Hours processed in May with expected payment in June
The Office of Inclusive Education shared these IPT key actions for SY24-25 to clarify the scope of the work for the IPTs this school year. If your school needs support in electing members to the IPT, please refer to the IPT Elections document or contact Katie DeLaRosa.
Acknowledgements
We would like to congratulate the Mattahunt community on winning this year’s $100k “School on the Move Prize” awarded for EdVestors to acknowledge schools who have implemented policies and cultures which have led to improvements in student outcomes. The Mattahunt established the first-ever English/ Haitian Creole dual language learning program! Congratulations to the Josiah Quincy Elementary School and Boston Adult Technical Academy for being nominated.
We’d also like to congratulate Jane Kelly of the Mary Lyon High Pilot School for receiving one of the 2024 Henry Shattuck Public Service Awards.
You can read more about both the Mattahunt and Kelly in the BTU News section at the end of this email. If you have any stories of educators being celebrated or school success, please let us know by filling out this form!
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Professional Learning & Development Updates
Each week, we have many new and exciting Professional Learning & Development opportunities to share with you. You can find a full description of each listing on our Professional Learning & Development Updates Page.
- AFT Member Benefit Virtual Workshops
- Degree Completion
- Elementary Illustrative Math Learning Site: October 29, 10am-3pm
- Teaching About Desegregation Busing in Boston: A Conversation About the 50th Anniversary with Educators
- Early Childhood Inclusive Education PD Series
- High School IM Learning Site: November 15, 8:30am-1:30pm
Community News & Events
Busing in Boston: A Conversation About the 50th Anniversary with Educators November 18 from 4:00-6:00
The Boston Desegregation and Busing Initiative is co-sponsoring this event with UMass Boston at the UMass Boston Campus Center, 3rd Floor Ballroom. This event is a part of a series dedicated to examining the history and impact of busing in Boston 50 years following Judge Garrity’s decision. Learn more at www.bostondesegregation.org
BPS Mayor-Student Townhall: Nov. 12, Bolling Building.
Are you a Boston Public School student dealing with issues in your schools around bad facilities, lack of mental health support, insufficient career or college counseling, nasty lunches, or more? Tell the MAYOR about it in-person at her BPS Student Forum coming up this Tuesday November 12th from 4:30pm-6pm. Students, make your voice heard and speak with the Mayor directly. Please fill out this form!
Walking Tour of the Key Events of Boston School Desegregation and Busing offered for the BPS community
Join this walking tour on Nov. 12 at 4:30, starting inside of the Boston Athenaeum at 10 1/2 Beacon Street, to learn more about the key events of this tumultuous time. More information here
Bringing 100 Years of MFA Photography into the Classroom: Thur., Nov. 14, 4:30–6:30PM at the MFA
Educators across disciplines and grades are invited to join this workshop to learn a brief history of the collection as a whole—“fine art photography” as well as photojournalism, scientific photographs, land surveys, and more. Hear from curators, view art in the galleries, and explore the many ways you can bring this content into your classroom. Light refreshments and discounted parking available.
In Memoriam
Magda Y. (Alvarez) Donis passed away peacefully in her Hyde Park, MA home on October 11, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. For nearly four decades, Magda dedicated herself to the Boston Public School System, where she taught in the Bilingual program and ESL classes. Her commitment to her students went beyond the classroom; as a Boston Public Schools Literacy Coach and Boston Teachers’ Union Representative, she was a pillar in the community, helping countless individuals find their voice in a new language and culture. You can read more about Magda and her services here.
BTU in the News
The Mattahunt Elementary School community received a $100k “School On the Move” prize from EdVestors acknowledging the school for creating the first ever dual language program for Haitian Creole speakers. Congratulations to the Josiah Quincy Elementary and Boston Adult Technical Academy for being nominated and receiving awards as well. Read the full coverage here.
Congratulations to Jane Kelly of the Mary Lyon High Pilot School for receiving one of the 2024 Henry Shattuck Public Service Awards. Kelly received recognition for her more than 20 years serving as an Inclusion Specialist, Special Education Teacher and Reading Specialist as well as her contributions to her community through coaching and fundraising. Read more here!