Happy June! It’s hard to believe we’re already finishing out another school year. The weather has certainly gotten the memo that summer is starting, and we hope you’re enjoying the sunshine!
From the Election Committee: If you have not yet voted in the BTU election, please swing on by the BTU tomorrow, Wednesday, June 7 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to cast your ballot. Results will be tallied Wednesday night and announced in a special bulletin shortly after. Thank you to all for your engagement and please be on the look out for a feedback form in the coming weeks to help us improve our election practices.
June also means that it is officially Pride Month! The Pride Parade is returning to Boston this Saturday, June 10, and the BTU wants you to be a part of it. The parade exists to commemorate the brave LGBTQ+ people who risked their safety to advocate for the lives and humanity of LGBTQ+ people, to celebrate the richness and complexity of LGBTQ+ community, and to continue to advocate for equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ people, especially those who face intersecting forms of oppression. Join our delegation of BTU educators and allies to march in the Boston Pride for the People (BP4TP) Parade!
The Inclusion Done Right Committee invites you to their next open forum, which will be held in-person at the BTU on Thursday, June 8 from 6-7:30 p.m. Come to hear updates, share concerns, ask questions, and collaborate with BPS educators and families. Food, childcare, and interpretation will be available with advanced registration. Register now! Download the flyer here to share with educators and families at your school.
REMINDER: Submit your Building Rep Election Results! Please submit election results at btu.org/brelection.
BTU Events and Announcements
Inclusion Done Right Forum: June 8, 6:00-7:30PM
The Inclusion Done Right Committee invites you to their next open forum, which will be held in-person at the BTU on Thursday, June 8 from 6-7:30pm. Come to hear updates, share concerns, ask questions, and collaborate with BPS educators and families. Food, childcare, and interpretation will be available with advanced registration. Register at bit.ly/IDROPENMTG. Download the flyer hereto share with educators and families at your school.
NEW- Mary Lyon Pilot High Cornhole Fundraiser: June 9, 6:00-9:00PM
Come support the Mary Lyon K-12 school for a fun evening of Cornhole at the BTU Hall. Plenty of raffles, 50/50, and fun!
Join the BTU at Boston’s Pride Parade: June 10, 10:30AM-12:30PM
The Pride Parade is returning to Boston this summer, and the BTU wants you to be a part of it! We hope to bring a group of 75 members to march in the Boston Pride for the People (BP4TP) Parade to show our support and solidarity to our students and educators and to promote the empowerment of LGBTQ+ communities within our schools. Register here to join.
Telescope Trivia at Roundhead Brewery: June 16, 5:00-7:00PM
Join us for the return of in person Telescope Trivia at Roundhead Brewing Company in Hyde Park! Join our your own or bring a team. Free apps! Free cover! Prizes! RSVP now.
BTU Housing Justice Committee Retreat: June 17
Do you think living in Boston is too expensive? Join the Housing Justice Committee for food, community building, and to make a plan to win a more affordable Boston for our students, families, and coworkers. All are welcome, especially people who have never been involved before! Register here.
Summer Organizing Institute: June 26-27, 9:00AM-3:00PM
Join AFT MA and BTU for two days of skill-building for union leaders, building reps and member activists. Register at bit.ly/SummerOI2023.
NEW- BTU Pride T-Shirts
BTU Pride t-shirts are now available at the BTU Online Store! Order yours today.
Electing your Inclusion Planning Team (IPT)
All schools are required to have an Inclusion Planning Team (IPT), which will work to plan and implement the vision for becoming an inclusive district within each school community. To assist school teams in forming IPTs, we have summarized key information here. All schools should conduct their elections and have a full team roster by the end of this school year. Please send your team roster to Katie DeLaRosa, Inclusive Practices Liaison. The full contract language on Inclusion Planning Teams can be found on pages 9-10 of the MOA. For more information and support, please contact Katie DeLaRosa and/or your field rep.
NEW- Signing Up for First Book
AFT has launched the Reading Opens the World initiative and is teaming up with First Book – a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting educators serving kids in need – to distribute another 1 million free books to children and families in 2023! To access these incredible opportunities and receive updates about the initiative, sign up with First Book for free!
BRep Stipend Information
Complete the direct deposit form linked to facilitate easier and faster payment of your yearly BRep stipend. Complete the direct deposit form linked and email to Kendall Mosley.
NEW- Inclusive Education Tools and Resources
We will be continuously sharing inclusive education updates, tools and resources in this bulletin. Information is also being stored in this shared folder and will be updated regularly. Additionally, relevant research and news will be added. Currently in the shared folder you can find information on professional development, establishing the IPT, implementation timeline, the current contract, and FAQs.
NEW- ESY is Hiring Teachers and Paras
Come join the Office of Special Education this summer! We are hiring teachers and paraprofessionals for Extended School Year (ESY). ESY is a Special Education program for students with disabilities whose IEP team has determined that, in order to minimize substantial regression and reduce substantial recoupment time, a student is required to attend ESY. ESY is a five (5) week, five (5) day, five (5) hour per day summer program, which runs from July 10 – August 11th. Visit www.bostonpublicschools.org/ESY-Hiring for updates or email ESY-Hiring@bostonpublicschools.org with questions.
Apply to be a Summer Organizing Union Leader!
The BTU seeks Summer Organizing Union Leaders (SOULs) to support BTU’s campaigns around welcoming new members into the union, advancing our legislative priorities, and preparing for our upcoming contract negotiations. This is a stipended opportunity. Program runs from July 10- August 11 with flexible hours. Learn more and apply at btu.org/soul.
Volunteers Needed for the 2023 NAACP Convention: July 26-August 1
Save the dates! The 2023 NAACP Convention is coming to Boston. It will take place from Wednesday, July 26 to Tuesday, August 1. Events will be taking place at the Park Plaza and Boston Convention Center. Please fill out the NAACP Volunteer Interest Form if you are interested in volunteering. More information will follow and training will take place for all volunteers (exact training date and location is TBD). For more information, please visit their website: www.NAACP.org
Changes in Pay Frequency for Paras and CFCs
Applicants who wish to change their pay frequency from 10 months to 12 months or 12 months to 10 months must notify Payroll by submitting the Para Pay Frequency application or completing the Google form prior to the June 1 deadline to be effective September of the next school year.
City of Boston Expands Chiropractic Benefits
Effective July 1, 2023, a Chiropractic benefit will be added to BCBS HMO and Mass
General Brigham HMO plan (there is already coverage under the BCBS PPO plan).
UPDATED- Educator Supports Program Seeking Consulting Teachers
The Boston Educator Supports Program (ESP) is seeking Consulting Teachers (CTs) for the 2023-24 school year. The Educator Supports Program is a jointly managed BTU-BPS program that provides support to permanent teachers rated less than proficient on their evaluation. We are particularly seeking applicants with experience working at the secondary level. Please see the posting to apply, and for more information about this opportunity, please visit the ESP website.
Take Action: Retirement Legislation
AFT Massachusetts is supporting a number of legislative proposals supporting a dignified retirement for our retirees. Among them are: Increasing COLAs, A Second Chance at Retirement Plus and repealing the WEP and GPO.
BTU Merchandise
You can purchase your BTU apparel at the BTU Swag Shop. We have hooded sweatshirts, t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts and our newest item: BTU polo-style shirts! We also have new Pride Month gear. Get them while they last!
Paraprofessional Mentors
Paraprofessionals, we want to make sure you are aware of the wonderful Para Mentors that we have to assist you. If you are struggling with your evaluation, or needing assistance with your role as a paraprofessional, the mentors can help. Please reach out to Colleen Hart at chart@btu.org if you are in need of a mentor or have any questions.
Revised Focus on PreK Curriculum Summer Training: August 29-31
Focus on PreK has lots of exciting revisions!! Come and learn what’s different in the new curriculum, what’s familiar, and how to use the NEW Focus on Prek Curriculum for equitable early literacy instruction. We’ll unpack the big ideas, key components, core texts, and assessments, with a deep dive into Unit 1. This professional learning opportunity is highly recommended for ALL BPS PreK educators.
Para Pro Assessment Prep Classes
BPS is offering support in preparing candidates to take the ParaPro Assessment and start their journey to becoming paraprofessionals in our classrooms. Join to learn more about the test and how best to prepare! Five separate sessions of online test prep courses will be offered. Register now!
Unafraid Educators Meetings
Unafraid Educators, BTU’s immigrants’ rights committee, is meeting the second Monday of each month from 4:30 – 6 p.m. on Zoom. Please join us!
Important Dates for Paras
Please see here for important dates for excessing, pools and assignments.
Professional Learning & Development Updates
- AFT Member Benefit Virtual Workshops
- Bringing the Campus of Boston into Your Classroom: Teaching with Historic Places
- Creative Coding in the Classroom
- Place-Based Boston Summer Institute
- Tech: Past, Present, and Future
- Mental Wellness Workshops
- Lifting as We Climb: Black Women Activists in Boston
- Bilingual Education Certificate Cohort 5 at Boston College
- STEAM PD Quilting & Math
- Learn with BPSTechnology in Summer 2023
- National Board Leadership Team Open Position
- MIT CATE Climate PD Workshop
Community News & Events
Library Educator Day of Learning! June 6
Library Services is hosting an in person day of learning for Library Educators in collaboration with Harvard School of Education and the Telescope Network. Join us at the Harvard Gutman Library as we tackle the question “How do we create critical, culturally responsive, and joyful libraries?”. RSVP by emailing ephippssoeiro@bostonpublicschools.org or fhumphries@bostonpublicschools.org.
NEW- Full STEAM Ahead Into Summer: July 31 – August 11
MIT is launching a FREE, in-person two (or three) week STEAM summer program for 11 – 14-year-olds in Massachusetts! The program runs July 31 – August 11, with the option to extend till August 18. Please visit the webpage to learn more and apply.
Retirement Party Honoring Isilda Coleman: June 15
Join for a party honoring Isilda Coleman’s 31 years of hard work, dedication and service to BPS students. See the flyer for more info.
NEW- BIPOC LGBTQ+ Youth Community Convo: June 7
Youth will have the opportunity to share their experiences, stories, and perspectives through large and small group discussions at Boston GLASS Youth need to attend the full session to receive a $50 Visa gift card. Food will be provided. Please register here to attend.
NEW- Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk
The Boston Teachers Union is once again sponsoring a team of walkers in the fight against breast cancer. Please join the BTU Walkers as we join the thousands of others fighting the good fight. Fighting breast cancer is very personal to us, and that’s why we have joined the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer movement in our community. You can support it too by helping us reach (or exceed!) our fundraising goal. Click here to visit Brenda Chaney’s personal page, and click here to view the TEAM page for BTU Walkers.