Join the BTU, community partners, BPS students and families to fight for the schools Boston Students Deserve!
Good morning,
We’d like to begin by wishing you all a belated Happy Mother’s Day! Whether through birth, adoption, foster care, or simply by being there for someone in need, we honor the diverse ways motherhood is expressed. We’d also like to extend our love and support to the members of our BTU family who may struggle on this holiday.
We’re somehow already at the mid-point of May. The next few weeks are full of crucial opportunities to demonstrate to the district that we are united not only as a union, but as a community, behind the priorities contained within our contract proposal.
BPS students have organized a rally in front of City Hall TODAY from 4:30 to 6:30 pm to call attention to the worrisome state of many of our school buildings and extracurricular facilities. The student organizers will call on the mayor and city leaders to ensure student voices are considered in decision-making, improve mental health services and expand college/career counseling opportunities. It’s important that we stand behind and alongside our students to show them they are not in this fight alone. We are also looking for BTU members to act as rally marshals to help with logistics. Please let the youth organizers know if you can attend.
Standing in solidarity and fostering these relationships with students and community allies will only further strengthen our movement as we approach our own rally. On June 5th the BTU will be gathering in front of the Bruce C. Bolling Building at 4:30 pm to rally for a fair contract now! Our contract proposals center the needs of students and our communities while ensuring that our members are treated with respect. When we fight together, we win together!
Our goal is to have more than 1,000 BTU members and allies in attendance, and we all need to do our part in recruiting our colleagues, friends and families. We have put together some tips on how to recruit people to our cause and to explain what the BTU is fight for. Please register ahead of time.
We have been inspired by the level of engagement and enthusiasm our members have shown over the past few months, but we still have work to do. We need to make sure that every one of our members understands the stakes of the situation and why our contract priorities are concrete solutions to the challenges within BPS.
At our membership meeting last week, we debuted a Contract Campaign Hype video which we encourage you to share with your colleagues. We continue to encourage BTU members to attend a bargaining session and check btu.org/bargaining for summaries to share with colleagues and community members. When we are all on the same page, and in the same fight, anything is possible. We need to maintain this public pressure to ensure the district comes to the table to bargain in good faith. So far, the district said it is only willing to consider or agree to 18 out of the more than 150 proposals the BTU has introduced.
District representatives have repeatedly said they’re committed to supporting our lowest paid members, but the current proposal falls short of addressing the dire financial situation so many of our paraprofessionals face. They have also repeatedly said that our one-teacher/one-license proposal is “inflexible” and “fiscally impossible”, regardless of the research which shows the multiple license model harms student performance. This is not the only resistance we’re confronting, and that is why we need you there June 5th!
We were proud to welcome educators from the Codman Academy Public Charter School at our membership meeting last week! Nearly 90 percent of educators announced in April that they intend to join the BTU. Administrators responded by withholding job offers to nearly a third of all educators. We have put together a letter writing campaign targeted at the school’s board demanding that they end their union-busting tactics. Please show solidarity to these courageous educators by signing on!
As the school comes to a close, we’d also like to share some important information regarding the inclusion planning team process. Members of the school inclusion planning team should confirm at the end of each year whether they would like to continue to serve. After two (2) years of service that seat should be open to election and the member may choose to run and continue to serve if elected. Teams should represent diverse voices and representation across the school community (race, grade level, content area, professional role, etc.) and a diversity of experiences and perspectives, especially in special education, multilingual education, and inclusive settings, including paraprofessionals, related service providers, and COSE. At least 50% of the IPT must be BTU elected, through a school-based BTU vote that follows the same protocols as all other faculty votes. Results should be shared with the school leader and the BTU Inclusion Liaison Katie DeLaRosa.
May continues to be a busy month, but there are also opportunities to decompress, gather together and celebrate. The BTU Haitian Educators Committee co-hosted an appreciation event last Saturday, and this Sunday at 1:00pm we are excited to host an AAPI Heritage Month Meet the Author event! There are also multiple end of the year gatherings organized by various BTU committees, check out the section below for details!! The BTU also welcomes you to join us in marching in this year’s Boston’s Pride for the People Parade in June. Sign up HERE to march with the BTU in our delegation.
In honor of AAPI Heritage month, the BTU is hosting a Meet the Author event featuring Read-a-Louds from local authors (including two BTU members!), book signings, and light refreshments!
Join the BTU Electoral Action Team
Help make a difference and strengthen democracy with the Boston Teachers Union. The BTU is looking for members to get involved with our BEAT (BTU Electoral Action Team) to organize and take action in the upcoming elections. WE NEED YOU to win this fall! Please sign up here.
NEW-APALA General Membership Meeting: TONIGHT at 5:30pm
APALA Massachusetts is having a general membership meeting this Tuesday May 14 at 5:30pm at Chinese Progressive Association at 28 Ash St, Boston. All are welcome to attend! We will gather potluck style (please feel free to bring whatever food you can contribute), conduct regular business for our chapter, and also share updates with each other about the amazing labor movement struggles we are all leading! RSVP here. Become a member of APALA at www.apalanet.org
Para Informational Meeting: May 15, 5PM
Please join us at the Para informational meeting! Come ask questions and learn about any updates. RSVP here.
NEW – MEJA Statewide Education Justice Convening! May 18th
Join us May 18th, 8:30-4pm at Worcester Tech! MEJA’s convening is a space for parents/caregivers, educators, students, and community activists to come together to collaborate, build power, strengthen relationships and amplify issues facing public education. Register here.
Free Program for Paras and Others Who Want to Become Teachers
Applications are open for the Bilingual Education/Accelerated Community To Teacher (BE/ACTT) program, which is a free, one-year pre-practicum program that is designed for paras, subs, career switchers, and others looking to become teachers of record in BPS. There is no requirement to be bilingual to participate. Application to apply (deadline is May 31st).
NEW- Black Caucus Meeting: May 21st at the BTU
The AFT Black Caucus Boston Chapter is holding an in-person meeting at the BTU Hall from 5 to 6:30pm. New officers will be elected at this meeting.
Unafraid Educators Week of Action & Social!
Happy May everyone! This year’s Immigrant Pride Week of Action will be from May 28th – May 31st. You’re invited to our Spring Social on May 29th at the Brendan Behan at 4:30pm. Please fill out this interest form and spread the word in your school communities: https://bit.ly/
Housing Justice Committee End of Year Celebration: May 29th at BTU Hall
Want to organize for a more affordable Boston for BTU members and BPS students? Join the BTU Housing Justice Committee for an end of year celebration and documentary screening! RSVP here.
Free BPS Initial Licensure Program: May 31 DEADLINE
Applications are open for the BPS Teaching Fellowship, which is a free, one-year practicum program designed to support novice teachers on waivers, emergency license, or provisional license to complete an ed prep program to secure initial licensure in either ESL or Moderate Disabilities (note: this would also allow for initial licensure in one’s subject area pending any other requirements from DESE, which are subject-dependent). Deadline is May 31, 2024; application here.
BTU Scholarships by Tremont Credit Union: June 8th Deadline
The Tremont Credit Union will be awarding $10,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors who have a parent, guardian, or caregiver who is a member of the Boston Teacher’s Union. For more details on scholarship requirements and the application, please visit the Credit Union’s page.
March with the BTU in the Boston Pride for the People Parade: June 8th
The Boston Pride for the People parade is returning to Boston this summer, 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. Sign up HERE to march with the BTU in our delegation.
NEW – Community Schools State-wide Summit June 8th, 9am-3:30pm at the BTU!
Join us for the first state-wide summit on Community Schools! Featuring guest speakers CTU President Stacy Davis Gates and Jitu Brown from Journey for Justice! Join us for a day exploring this evidence-based nationally recognized strategy for transforming school climate and academics. Learn more about Boston Community Hub Schools at btu.org/boston-community-hub-
Educators on the Hill Day- June 11th
June 11 will be our annual Educators on the Hill Day! The event to lobby for the Educator Diversity Act will start at 10am with a rally on the State House steps, followed by a legislative briefing in the Member’s Lounge at 11:20 and then end with door knocking from 1-3pm. We will send out more information on the event and on opportunities to support and engage. Please reach out to Lea Serena at lserena@btu.org
The BTU Haitian Educators Committee held a celebration of Haitian Heritage Month this past weekend in conjunction with the BPS Office of Multilingual and Multicultural education. We’ll be posting more pictures of the event soon!
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
- Upper Elementary ESL Learning Site: May 21, 7:00-11:45AM
- Telescope Spring Survey: Share Your Leading & Learning Needs
- Critically Disciplinary Literacy Course: Weekly from May 7-June 11
- August 2024 MIT Climate Professional Development Workshop (paid) for high school educators
- Aspire & Inspire Educator Symposium: May 30, 4:30-7:30PM
- Stipend Opportunity: Educator Feedback on SY24-25 Professional Learning
NEW- BLS Youth Climate Summit, May 18 at MIT
Boston Latin School Youth Climate Action Network (BLS YouthCAN) is inviting you and your students to their Youth Climate Summit, an annual free event held at the Stata Center – MIT on May 18th. The theme of the summit is “Your Place in a Sustainable Future.” Middle and high school students and their supporters are invited to attend in-depth workshops, browse tables, and listen to a keynote speaker. Entry to the event is free, and lunch will be free as well. Register here.
K-3 Teachers: Opportunity to participate in research!
We are seeking BPS educators to participate in a national research study to understand the barriers and facilitators schools face when implementing ongoing professional learning. Complete an anonymous survey on professional learning needs and receive a $20 Visa Gift Card. You must be 18 years old and above, be a BPS employee and currently working as a K-3 classroom teacher. Please access the survey via this flyer.
Generative AI and Social Science Summer Program by Stanford Alumni
Inspirit AI is a 25-hour project-based AI program taught by Stanford graduates that introduces middle and high school students to fundamental AI concepts to build interdisciplinary AI projects across domains. In 2024, the team is excited to announce new projects such as Generating Language Safely with ChatGPT. No CS experience is necessary to apply and priority applications are due soon.
Sunday Funday for a Cure: May 19
This summer, Jillian O’Neil Geraghty will join thousands of bike riders in the Pan-Mass Challenge fundraising event. Jillian will be riding for Camila Hernandez de Obi Tabot, a fellow BTU member, whose son was diagnosed with leukemia last year. On May 19, from 12-3, their team will be hosting a fundraising event at Roundhead Brewing in Hyde Park. Please visit their event page for tickets and any donations.
Aspire & Inspire Educator Symposium: May 30
Celebrate this school year with BPS’s Office of Educator Development and Leadership (OEDL) on May 30th from 4:30-7:30 (location TBD) by honoring the work of educators who are leaders both in and outside of the classroom. There will be a variety of ways for attendees to engage– join a presentation, talk to a teacher leader 1-on-1, and explore the OEDL programs! Food and beverages will be served. bit.ly/AIES24
FREE Summer Middle School Science Program, July 1 – August 2
The Arnold Arboretum runs a free, science and nature based summer program intended for current 6th and 7th graders from BPS, called Arboretum Young Scientists. We are actively recruiting students who are interested in furthering their learning and growth in science and love being in nature for our 5 week program, July 1 through August 2. The application form can also be found on the AYS (Arboretum) webpage, and it is in both English and Spanish.
In Memoriam
We previously announced that a beloved teacher at Charlestown High, Jerry Wellman, passed away unexpectedly at the end of April. Jerry leaves behind two young children and his wife, fellow BTU member Elizabeth Wellman. If you are able to, please consider donating to help the Wellman family navigate this difficult time.