Vote in the Primary Election on September 1!

We hope you are enjoying the end of summer, and gearing up for the return to school in just a couple of weeks. But first up, don’t forget to vote!

This year, the Massachusetts primary elections will be held before Labor Day, next Tuesday, September 1. There are a number of critical races in the Democratic Primary, and the BTU has endorsed U.S. Sen. Ed Markey for re-election, and in the 8th Congressional District, has endorsed challenger Patrick Roath. We have also endorsed a number of candidates in state legislative and state senate races. Unenrolled voters can choose to vote in either party’s primary, and we encourage members to vote for the BTU’s endorsed candidates in the Democratic Primary next Tuesday. Early voting is underway through August 28 — early voting dates and locations can be found here.

You can find your polling place here, and you can view all of the BTU’s endorsed candidates on our website.

This weekend, the BTU will be out all over the city: knocking doors, setting up polling sites, and hitting the phones. It’s critical to ensure that BTU is seen as an electoral force and that our candidates get over the finish line this year because the stakes are so high. To help get our elected candidates during GOTV weekend this year, fill out THIS GOTV FORM.

Information about phonebanking can be found HERE. There are also three important GOTV events happening this week, and we’d love to have your support:

• Wednesday, August 26 at 5:30 PM: at Albion Playground in Somerville, BTU is going to be canvassing with Erika Uyterhoeven to get her campaign across the finish line. RSVP HERE to sign up!
• Thursday, August 27 at 5:30 PM: at Cambridge Public Library (449 Broadway St), we are canvassing to get Marjorie Decker re-elected to the Massachusetts Statehouse. RSVP HERE as BTU to sign up!
• Saturday, August 29: BTU is going to GOTV for Patrick Roath in West Roxbury! There will be 2 shifts, one at 11 AM and one at 1 PM: 11 AM SHIFT RSVP & 1 PM SHIFT RSVP. If you still want to help our GOTV efforts but can’t make that one, there is a general GOTV form that you can find HERE.

Retirement Board Election — please vote!

Speaking of elections, The Boston Retirement Board election is underway, and the BTU has endorsed two candidates: our own Karen Cross (BTU) along with firefighter Sean Kelly (Local 718).  Ballots were sent out on Friday, and voting concludes on September 25, 2026. Eligible members of the Boston Retirement System (active and retired) have the opportunity to cast their ballots by mail or electronically. Please watch for the ballots, review the election information carefully, and participate in the election before the September 25 5pm deadline.

BTU Events and Announcements

Labor Day Parade September 7

This year’s big Labor Day parade in Boston will start and end in Copley Square, at 10 AM on September 7, and the BTU will be out in force! We hope to see many of you there to send a message to our city and our nation: “Workers Over Billionaires”!

We know that even as billionaires are getting wealthier, and paying less and less in taxes, the federal government is cutting taxes on the wealthiest while cutting benefits to people who are struggling to make ends meet. The labor movement will be taking to the streets of Boston with a festive parade this Labor Day, sending the message that the interests of the working people of our country should come first. Last year, we had a huge showing from the BTU, and it should be a fun time again this year, so please come join your colleagues this Labor Day. To RSVP for the parade, please sign up here!

Block off some space on your calendar now for one of our favorite events of each year: the BTU Back to School Book Fair! For the past 12 years, the BTU has welcomed students, parents, and educators to our union hall to pick up free books, connect with local community organizations, and enjoy a day full of free games, food and inflatable entertainment. Over the past 12 years, the BTU in partnership with AFT national and AFT MA has donated more than 400,000 books to local students, families, and schools.

This is one of our biggest public events each year and we rely on the generous support of volunteers to make it happen. If you’d like to help prepare for the event or assist day-of, check out our landing page for this year’s fair!

The BTU is seeking members (active and retired) to serve as mediators in our upcoming Racial Harm Response Program. This program has been designed by our Racial Justice Standing Committee in order to establish a clear, fair, and humane process for responding to incidents of racial harm occurring between or among members within the workplace, in BTU spaces, or in connection with BTU-related activities. In order to serve as a mediator members must participate in and successfully complete up to 40 hours of training provided by The Mediation Group.

Sunday, October 4th (full day)

Saturday and Sunday October 24th and 25th (full days)

Sunday, November 8th (full day)

Additional asynchronous work

For full details of the role, training requirements, and compensation, see the full posting and apply here if interested. Applicants will be accepted into the training on a rolling basis, and we strongly encourage you to apply ASAP. Contact Lea Serena and/or Paul Tritter with questions or for more information.

AFT Massachusetts virtual Back to School Town Hall: Wednesday, August 26th, 5:30-7:00 PM

As we enjoy the final weeks of summer, please join us for AFT Massachusetts’ virtual Back to School Town Hall on August 26 at 5:30pm. During the event, we’ll get resources and updates from this summer’s AFT National Convention, discuss best practices of signing up new members and strengthening our local, gear up for fall elections and actions, and more!

RSVP HERE to join.

We have a limited amount of seats to a great preseason game: Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers. This is an 8pm game, and the seats are located at the Bud Light Deck (or newly named Top Shelf Bar) for $110.00 each. If you have never been up here before, it’s a great chance to give it a try!

All ages permitted. Please fill out this form and you will be sent a PayPal invoice for payment. Seats are not guaranteed until payment is made.

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.

Paraprofessional Professional Development Opportunities Sept 2nd or Sept 3rd at the BTU Hall @1pm

This course is designed for paraprofessionals and second teachers working with early years students from Pre-K through Grade 2. Participants will explore the six pillars of foundational literacy through the components of the Focus curriculum, gaining practical strategies to support young learners’ language and literacy development. Register for either session here.

Paraprofessional Professional Development Opportunities on Safety Care: Initial Course & Recertification Course September 2nd-3rd

The Initial Course is for those who have never taken Safety Care or whose certification has expired. This is a two-day training and is competency based. You must attend the entirety of both days to be certified. While the end times are listed, we cannot conclude the class until all class members have completed the course.

Recertifications are for those who have taken Safety Care within the last 15 months. It is a one-day training and you must attend the entirety of it. While the end time is listed, we cannot conclude the class until all class members have completed the course.

Date: Thursday 9/3/2026 from 8 am – 4 pm

Here is the link to register.

When students face housing insecurity, schools can be a critical source of stability and support. Join us on Tuesday, September 15 from 4:00–5:00 PM ET for a free webinar featuring SchoolHouse Connection to learn about immigrant students’ educational rights under the McKinney-Vento Act, practical strategies for reducing barriers to school success and how to collaborate with school district homeless liaisons to connect students and families with resources.

Register here.

Educators Thriving: Apply by September 18

In this free course for BTU members, learn and practice concrete strategies to prevent burnout and support your own well-being. See our flyer to learn more. Applications due Friday, September 18. Earn 3 ALCs for completing all course requirements. Space is limited.

“Thank you for creating this course. It helped me have a better year and thinking through the things that are important to me and really did help me change my mental state while at work. Things are still stressful and there’s always too much work, but it helped me prioritize, and keep my life in order.” -BTU Member

Day of Learning: Supporting Multilingual Learners in ELA

October 9, 2026 9:30AM – 3:30PM

Are you a secondary ELA teacher looking to build on your practice of embedding ESL 4 into your content? Join the Office of Multilingual & Multicultural Education, BPS ELA Department, and The Telescope Network for a Day of Learning designed for ELA educators of multilingual learners. Together, we’ll explore how to embed ESL instruction in ways that support language development and meaningful access to rigorous ELA content.

Connect with colleagues, learn from effective practices across BPS, share challenges and successes, and collaborate on approaches you can bring back to your classroom. Continue the learning through an optional Planning Cohort focused on embedding ESL into StudySync unit planning.

Participation in the Planning Cohort fulfills the BPS 12-hour Inclusive Education Course requirement. See this flyer for more details and RSVP at this link to register now.

Community Events

Through September 6th, JustBook-ish in Dorchester will be offering a 10% discount on books to all teachers — see the flyer below for details.

And please save the date: on Thursday, September 3rd, JustBook-ish will host a Back to School Kick-Back — an evening gathering for teachers! You can learn more and RSVP HERE.

The BTU sends condolences to the family of Beverly King, who passed away on August 17, 2026. Beverly was a longtime Surround Care Para at The East Zone Early Childhood Education Center, until her retirement in 2006. A funeral service for Beverly will be held on Friday, September 11 at 10:00am at The Holy Tabernacle Church in Dorchester. For more details, please read Beverly’s obituary.