Article VI Professional Development

A. Governing Philosophy

One crucial factor in creating and maintaining an excellent public school system is the professional development of teachers and paraprofessionals. Professional development is the process by which teachers, individually and jointly, increase, enhance, improve, and update their existing knowledge base and skills.

While the major responsibility for defining, developing, and implementing a plan for professional growth lies with the individual teacher or paraprofessional, the School Department and the Union agree that it is in their best interest to work together to jointly define developmental needs and to facilitate, support, and provide resources and opportunities for teachers to exercise that responsibility.

Professional development will increase teacher effectiveness, confidence, morale, commitment, and ability to improve the quality of education offered to students in the Boston Public Schools.​​ 

Professionalization will also improve the School Department’s ability

to attract, develop, and retain excellent teachers.

The central issues that should determine the structure and content of professional development opportunities are what teachers, mentors, and evaluators identify as needs and as the most effective, efficient way to meet those needs. Among the ways such opportunities might be structured are:

– granting teachers a sabbatical to pursue an advanced degree program at a university or college

– providing staff support and resources for a teacher-designed, school-based workshop held on a single afternoon

– zone-sponsored mini-sabbaticals spread over several months

– exchange programs for math, science, and computer teachers with business, industry, and government

– courses or seminars designed and tailored to respond to needs identified by Boston teachers and offered at school sites around the city

– courses, seminars, and workshops available over educational television.

– in-school collaboration for a period of weeks or months with a specialized professional​​ 

The range of possibilities for the content of such professional development opportunities might include:

– strategies for growing and nurturing parent involvement with a school and support for their children’s education;

– dealing with children who are acting out, taking the behavior as a symptom of underlying problems and addressing both;

– courses or seminars designed and tailored to respond to the ever-changing educational needs of the population of children being served by the Boston Public Schools, including, for example, multiculturalism;

– courses that are designed to update classroom teachers with new data, research, and topics that are being explored in their field of teaching.

B. Sabbaticals

The Superintendent and the School Committee in consultation with the Center For Leadership Development shall decide whether and how many sabbaticals there shall be in a given year, if any, and determine procedures for their allocation. Both teachers and paraprofessionals shall be eligible for sabbaticals.

C. Educational Conference Days

There will be 2000 days annually across the system budgeted for educational conference days that may be used for educational conferences, for visiting other schools locally, for teacher conferences, and for similar professional activities. The Career In Teaching Panel will be responsible for determining how such days will be allocated among schools.

D. New Teacher Developers

A. ​​ A system that mentors and provides support and training development to novice teachers and provides an orientation program for other incoming teachers will be implemented. ​​ To meet this need, the position of New Teacher Developer (NTD) will be created to work with novice teachers. ​​ The NTD will be paired where possible by content area, subject areas, and grade level with novice teachers for such activities as conducting observations, demonstrations, mentoring, coaching, and providing induction support and professional development.

B. ​​ The position of full-time New Teacher Developer (NTD) shall be created and will allow for one (1) NTD to work with 14 novices and will be paid an additional 5% above their base annual salary. ​​ The work year for a full-time NTD will be 183 days, an additional 18 hours per year, and an additional 2.5 hours per week commencing on or about the second week in August through approximately June 15th, or when the NTD completes his or her work year, of each​​ school year: ​​ however, full-time NTDs will be paid from September 1 through August 31 of each respective school year. ​​ All pay shall be retirement worthy. ​​ Full-time NTDs will be hired through a central hiring process. ​​ A team of three (3) members from the Boston Teachers Union and three (3) representatives from the Boston Public Schools will conduct the screening and selection of full-time NTDs using the job description and Dimensions of Effective teaching as criteria.

C. Part time NTDs shall be assigned to work on a 1:1 ratio at 5% for an additional 2.5 hours per week or 1:2 ratio (NTD to novice(s)) at 10% for an additional five (5) hours per week. ​​ A part-time NTD can be assigned up to two (2) novice teachers, but it is desirable that the ratio be kept 1:1. ​​ The work year shall be the same as the standard work year. ​​ The additional pay shall be retirement worthy and the 5% additional salary (10% for two) shall be guaranteed for the entire school work year, contingent upon the NTD’s successful completion of his or her responsibilities, with the understanding that NTDs assigned after the beginning of the school year will provide the balance of time as additional hours. ​​ Part-time NTDs shall be hired by each school’s “personnel subcommittee.”

D. The parties hereby agree that in 2006-7, all part-time NTD training will be conducted during school time, except that all part-time NTDs will work on Saturday, 9/16. Time spent on Saturday, 9/16, will be paid at the contractual hourly rate. Part-time NTDs will also receive two in-service credits for working on Saturday, 9/16. The in-service credits will b transmitted no later than 10/30. Teachers who do not complete the training program by the end of the school year will forfeit the in-service credit until completion of the program. In 2007-8 and 2008-9, all part-time NTD training will be conducted during the normal school day and no in-service credits will be provided.

E. Center for Leadership Development

The Boston Public Schools and the Boston Teachers Union are committed to establishing the Boston Public School Center for Leadership Development (CLD) which will provide educational leadership development opportunities to BPS parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, substitutes, and administrators. The Boston Public Schools Center for Leadership Development will be a service-based operation designed to integrate and facilitate the coordination of training programs for parents, teachers, and staff in the BPS. It will be the institution primarily responsible for facilitating and coordinating the support and training necessary for implementation of school reform in Boston.

1. Leadership Development for the Entire School Community

The Center for Leadership Development will be the coordinating body for all teacher related professional development. The Boston Public Schools Center for Leadership Development will provide the following services to teachers, administrators, and parents:

(a) Systemwide Leadership Development

The BPS Center for Leadership Development will provide the professional development and training services required as a result of systemwide reform initiatives. The Career In Teaching Panel will provide to the BPS Center for Leadership Development a description of the professional development requirements associated with systemwide reform initiatives.

(b) School-Based Leadership Development

Each school will be able to secure services from the BPS Center for Leadership Development to meet the professional development needs of its own school-based reform initiatives.

(c) Individual Professional Development

Individual teachers will be able to use the BPS Center for Leadership Development to develop their own professional development plans. The School Department, through the Center for Leadership Development, shall conduct an annual survey of teachers to assess what courses, workshops, and seminars they need in specific content areas to enable them to recertify under the 1993 Massachusetts Educational Reform Act.

The CLD shall make available to BTU bargaining unit members courses, workshops, and seminars, including ones that focus on content areas, prior to 1999 to enable them to recertify under the Massachusetts Educational Reform Act.

(d) Peer Assistance

The BPS Center for Leadership Development will facilitate or provide assistance for teachers. Lead Teachers may be available to work with individual teachers who agree to this form of assistance.

(e) BPS School Department

The BPS Center for Leadership Development will be available to provide training and professional development programs for BPS administrators, principals and staff.

(f) SBM/SDM Support and Training

Beginning in the 1995-96 school year, the BPS Center for Leadership Development will be available to train parents, teachers, and administrators on School Site Councils and involved in school-based parent organizations. During the 1994-95 school year, it will work with the SBM/SDM staff and the SBM/SDM Consortium to provide training to the School Site Councils.

(g) Dissemination of Best Practices

Another role of the BPS Center for Leadership Development will be to coordinate the dissemination of the “best practices” from the BPS teachers and administrators as well as from other school districts. This includes disseminating the best practices of the BPS Pilot Schools. It will sponsor workshops and publications which help to accomplish this as well as the training of lead teachers in these practices, so that they can then train teachers in other schools.

2. Types of Leadership Development Opportunities Provided

The BPS Center for Leadership Development (CLD) will provide the following types of leadership development opportunities:

(a) Workshops and Courses

The CLD will develop and sponsor courses and workshops in response to systemwide and school-based education reform needs. The CLD will provide an annual catalogue of all courses and workshops to parents, teachers, and administrators. The CLD will seek to become a Continuing Education Unit (“CEU”) approved provider.​​ 

Effective 9/1/07, the CLD shall post an online list of courses, workshops, and seminars offered. ​​ Professional development programs shall never be scheduled during religious holidays recognized by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. ​​ A joint committee of teachers and management, with teachers in the majority, shall be convened within two months of the signing of this agreement to survey the course offerings and to make recommendations to the superintendent. ​​ 

(b) On-Site Workshops

The CLD will also provide on-site workshops that meet the specific needs of particular schools. This may include School-Based Management training for parents and teachers, or​​ training geared to the needs of the local parent center, or professional development opportunities for groups of teachers.

(c) Individualized Support

The CLD will train BPS Lead Teachers who will provide mentoring and consulting services to individual teachers in the BPS.

(d) Peer Coaching and Observation

The CLD will also make available opportunities for teachers to observe other teachers model “best practices.” This may be in the classrooms of the BPS Lead Teachers or in the BPS Pilot Schools.

(e) Collaboration with Boston Higher Education Partnership

The CLD will work to access greater training support from the Boston Higher Education Partnership. Such training support will include, but not be limited to, courses and workshops by higher education faculty.

3. Organizational Structure

(a) CLD Executive Director

The CLD Executive Director will be selected by the Superintendent. The Superintendent, in selecting an Executive Director, will seek input and advice from the Professional Development Committee and the CLD Advisory Committee. The CLD Executive Director will report to the Superintendent.

(b) CLD Advisory Committee

The CLD advisory committee will include representatives from the following organizations: Boston Teachers Union, Higher Education Partnership, the Boston COMPACT, the Boston Plan for Excellence, and the parent organizations. Additional members may be added by the Boston School Committee. The CLD Advisory Committee will, through the CLD Executive Director, report to the Superintendent and School Committee.

The CLD Advisory Committee will be responsible for:

– providing advice and input about the overall direction of the CLD;

– assisting in coordination between the participating organizations;

– spearheading fundraising for the CLD; and

– monitoring the CLD’s progress in achieving its goals.

4. Funding of CLD

The BPS Center for Leadership Development will be funded through multiple sources.

(a) The BPS will provide a foundation budget of $250,000 for the 1994-95 School Year to the BPS Center for Leadership Development designed to facilitate the implementation of the systemwide reform initiatives.

(b) The BTU will contribute a to-be-determined amount of in-kind services to the BPS Center for Leadership Development to support the professionalization of Boston Public School teachers.

(c) The CLD Advisory Board in collaboration with the BPS grants office and the BTU will be responsible for ongoing fundraising from public and private sources.

F. Career Ladder

The BPS is committed to improving the profession of teaching–a profession that offers opportunities for professional growth, involvement in decision-making, communication and collaboration, and increased responsibilities and accountability. By implementing systemic educational reform, teachers will be increasingly assuming greater responsibility for the success of the reform effort. Accordingly, they should be given opportunities to develop these leadership skills and to earn correspondingly higher salaries. The development of a professional teacher career ladder is one way to provide these incentives to attract and keep quality teachers in the profession. The BPS shall establish a Career in Teaching Program that will be governed by a Career in Teaching Plan (the “plan”) administered by the Career in Teaching Panel. The Career in Teaching Program will have the following components.

1. TeachBoston

The Boston Public Schools, in cooperation with the Boston Teachers Union, will establish the TeachBoston Program. Its mission will be to recruit and prepare BPS students to be future teachers. The Program will be a collaborative effort with local college and universities.

2. ​​ Lead Teachers​​ 

For the 2012-2013 and the 2013-2014 School Years, there shall be one lead teacher per school, and two at schools with more than 1,000 students. ​​ For the 2014-2015 School Year and subsequent school years, there shall be one lead teacher per school subject to a maximum funding of $300,000 per school year. ​​ Lead teachers shall receive a stipend of $2,250.  ​​​​ The personnel subcommittee shall make recommendations to the building administrator for the selection of the lead teacher and the building administrator shall determine the duties of the lead teacher(s) in consultation with the lead teacher(s). ​​ 

3. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

Teachers who successfully complete the certification process of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) shall be reimbursed by the BPS for the costs of the application fees. Although not a requirement, successful completion of the NBPTS certification requirements may be considered as a special qualification for Lead Teacher eligibility.

Teachers who receive reimbursement for the NBPTS certification process shall commit to remain in the BPS system for at least two years after receipt of such reimbursement.

All National Board Certified Teachers shall receive additional compensation in the amount of 4% of their annual base salary as long as they hold National Board Certification. ​​ Such payment will be part of the teachers’ annualized salary for retirement purposes.

4. Tuition Reimbursement

Effective September 1, 2012, permanent teachers, who are not eligible to receive a career award and who commit to three (3) years of continuous employment in the Boston Public Schools will be reimbursed for tuition paid in a given school year. ​​ Payment will not exceed $1,000 per permanent teacher, per school year. ​​ Provisional teachers, who have completed at least one year of service in the Boston Public Schools, shall be eligible for tuition reimbursement provided there has not been a break in service. ​​ Payment will not exceed $500 per provisional teacher, per school year who satisfies the above-mentioned prerequisites. ​​ The total expenditure for tuition reimbursement under this provision shall not exceed $350,000 per fiscal year. ​​ However, the following reimbursement for provisional teachers shall not apply to the fiscal year cap: ​​ 1) any reimbursement for first year provisional teachers, and 2) any reimbursement over $500 for second and third year provisional teachers.

G. Collaborative Coaching and Learning

Effective September 1, 2004, teachers are ​​ required to participate in Collaborative Coaching and Learning (“CCL”). Each elementary teacher will receive either coverage for the 180 minutes of planning and development time or will be compensated on a pro rata, retirement-worthy basis on their annual salary for the 180 minutes used for CCL per year, at the discretion of the teacher.

For school year, 2006-2007, teachers will not be required to give demonstration lessons. Effective 9/1/07, all teachers will demonstrate at least one lesson in a CCL cycle per school year. Observations of demonstration lessons will not be used in any performance evaluation or as part of the evaluation document. ​​ No teacher will be required to commit additional time to prepare or debrief a CCL demonstration lesson outside of contractual time.

H. Peer Assistance Program (Effective 9/1/07)

a. Purpose and introduction

The objective of the Peer Assistance program is to improve teaching in the Boston Public Schools and provide support for permanent teachers who are experiencing difficulties in the classroom. ​​ In cooperation with the building principal or headmaster, a Peer Assistant will work with the participating teacher to identify areas of improvement, develop specific performance goals, offer support and monitor the progress of the teacher. ​​ Individually crafted performance and teaching goals for the participating teacher will be aligned with the BPS Dimensions of Effective Teaching and the teacher performance evaluation tool. ​​ 

Participation in the Peer Assistance program is voluntary.

The management of the Peer Assistance program will be the responsibility of the Peer Assistance Committee (PAC) which is to be comprised of both BPS and BTU members.

While the Peer Assistance program is designed and intended to help teachers in need, the Peer Assistance program will be separate from the performance evaluation of teachers. ​​ A teacher’s selection into or denial of selection into the Peer Assistance program will not be grievable nor be arbitrable. The parties agree that peer assistants shall receive training, and the development thereof shall be up the joint committee below.

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a. Program Management & the Peer Assistance Committee

The Peer Assistance program will be administered by a PAC comprised of two (2) BPS selected members and three (3) BTU selected members. ​​ This five-member committee will be responsible for:

– Selecting participating teachers in the Peer Assistance program.

– Hiring, evaluating, deploying, and managing Peer Assistants.

– Providing reports to both the Superintendent and Boston Teachers Union President on the progress of, participation in, and results of the Peer Assistance Program on request.

b. Peer Assistant

i. Four (4) full time Peer Assistants will be hired for the 2007-2008 school year. ​​ Effective September 1, 2013 there will be five (5) full time Peer Assistants hired.

ii. Each Peer Assistant will work with up to twelve (12) teachers at any one time.

iii. The length of time a Peer Assistant is assigned to a participating teacher will be determined by the PAC, taking into account the recommendation of the Peer Assistant.

iv. Peer Assistants will be compensated at BTU Group I Salary plus a 5% differential for 2.5 additional hours of work per week.

c. Evaluation of the program

The Peer Assistance program will be evaluated at the end of the 2009-2010 school year. ​​ Continuation of the program will be subject to the mutual approval of the Superintendent and the BTU.

d.​​  Peer Assistance and Review

The parties shall also form a joint-labor management committee to explore the development of a Peer Assistance and Review program.

I.  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Academic Coaches (Effective 9/1/07)

All academic coaches shall be granted permanent status as teachers after working, while properly licensed, for three consecutive years and one additional day under the contract.​​ 

The role of an academic coach is to support the classroom teacher. ​​ Classroom support is to be prearranged in order to minimize classroom disruption. ​​ Coaches and teachers are encouraged to work together to create a mutually agreed upon schedule of interaction.

J. Common Professional Development Time

All specialty teachers such as but not limited to art, music, physical education, guidance, district-wide shall meet as a group at least once annually during the contractual school year for a professional development day, on one of the city-wide all schools professional development days already scheduled on the academic calendar.

K. Professional Development Institute

Effective for the 2012-2013 school year and continuing for the duration of this agreement, the parties shall create a joint BPS-BTU Professional Development Institute. ​​ This institute shall be staffed with a Professional Development Institute Coordinator who will be a member of the BTU. ​​ The parties shall be responsible for the payment of 50% of such coordinator’s salary. The coordinator shall be chosen by the BTU, provided that the Superintendent approves the selection. The Superintendent shall designate an individual to evaluate the coordinator.