Good morning,
We hope you’ve had a joyous start to Pride Month! We are proud to say that this year the BTU and AFT-MA filled every single slot afforded to us as a sponsor for the this year’s Boston’s Pride for the People Parade! Seventy-five of our union members, BPS friends and allies will be representing the BTU and AFT-MA this Saturday, June 8th. The parade starts at 11 am on Clarendon Street. To ensure that all of our students feel welcomed and affirmed, we encourage you to check out ShareMyLesson for some great resources for your lesson plans!
Also on June 8th, is our first ever State Wide Community Schools Summit, beginning at 9am at the BTU. Stop by before heading downtown to celebrate Pride! There will be an opening plenary to give an overview of the Community Schools movement (known as Hub Schools in Boston), and workshops to take a deeper dive. And don’t forget to wind down and relax at the End of the Year Party later that night at the PKL Bar in South Boston from 6 to 10 pm. It’s been a demanding year, and we would be honored to spend some time in reflection and celebration together!
But before we gather to celebrate, we must come together to agitate and advocate! Months of hard work has led us to our rally tomorrow at the Bolling Building at 4:30 pm. The BTU team will be on site starting at around 3:30 and will provide signs and materials for people to make their own signs. The program will kick off at 4:30 with a series of solidarity chants, music and marching around the building. We will also have a speaking portion of the event in the second half, allowing members from late schools more time to get there. We’ll hear from our BTU leaders, members and community allies before a group marches into the School Committee meeting at 6pm where a BTU delegation will testify.
We understand that getting to Nubian Square at that time can pose a logistical challenge. So we’ve worked with some of our schools and community partners to provide some support. Please see some details about transportation and parking below:
Parking Lots available starting in early afternoon:
– O’Bryant (enter from Malcolm X Blvd) – 1:30pm and later
– Twelfth Baptist Church (enter from Warren St) – 1:30pm and later
– Orchard Gardens (enter from Webber St) – 2:45pm and later
Later Lots:
– Madison Park (enter from Tremont St next to Whittier Street Health Center Pharmacy) – 4:00 and later
– Dearborn/BDEA (enter from Kearsarge Ave, put Boston Day and Evening Academy into a GPS) – 4:30 and later
Shuttle Buses
The BTU has secured two shuttle buses to bring members from our hall (180 Mt. Vernon St., 02125) to the Bolling Building. The first bus will leave at 4:00pm and the second bus will leave at 5:00pm. Both buses will return to the BTU Hall at the end of the rally.
Nearest T Stop: Roxbury Crossing
Those are the logistics, but let’s revisit the purpose of all this collective effort.
During last week’s collective bargaining session, the BTU introduced our final set of contract proposals to the district. So far, the district has addressed less than a third of the issues we’ve elevated and has offered a severely flawed strategy to solve some of the district’s most pressing issues.
Tomorrow is our chance to ramp up our advocacy, educate the public on our priorities and the resistance we’re confronting, and galvanize the educational justice and workers rights communities behind our contract. This YOUR time to fight for the change YOU want to see in BPS! Watch and share our explainer video to learn more about what we are fighting for!
BPS has called our proposal to fix the broken one-teacher / multiple license inclusive education model as “inflexible” and “impossible”. The district has claimed it wants to help our lowest-paid workers, yet is offering a wage proposal that fails to address the economic reality of living in Boston, offering just a 2% raise for all workers in the first year. They’ve rejected a proposal that would guarantee every school has a library. They’ve rejected a proposal that would improve students’ access to mental health services. They’ve even rejected a proposal to make sure all school buildings have secure doors.
We understand that the end of the school year can be hectic and that you may be tired and feeling burn out. That is precisely why we need to dig deep and harness our collective energy to continue this fight together. The priorities we are pursuing in our contract proposal would go a long way in addressing the staffing shortages, low pay and poor working conditions that can drain our educators as they continue to make do with what they have to serve Boston’s students. Because you are feeling exhausted is why we need you there!
For our members who are not able to attend, we encourage you to support the cause in other ways. We’ll be posting content on our social media channels ( X, Facebook, Instagram) all throughout the day which you can reshare to broaden our reach. We will also be launching a letter writing campaign the day of the rally which will target the School Committee. So keep an eye out for a link tomorrow morning so you can add your voice to our advocacy. However big or small, every contribution matters when it comes to fighting for our students, educators and schools!
Last, but not least, we have several inclusion and professional development Updates:
The work of BTU members on inclusion planning teams next year will include monitoring the implementation of inclusion in grades K0, K1, K2, 7, and 9 while also planning for the roll out in grades 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, and 10 in SY 25-26. This year’s challenges are even more of a reason for BTU members to ensure their voices are represented on the teams. Please see the Updated IPT Election & Membership Guidance for more information and submit the names of your IPT members to bit.ly/IPTmembers as soon as possible.
The district has made a shift in how professional learning is being offered for next year (SY24-25). As part of the existing contractual PD hours (not extra time like this year SY23-24) all Teachers will be asked to participate in a 12 hour course addressing some fundamental knowledge and competencies required to implement the district’s inclusive education plan. These courses are differentiated by curriculum aligned to the curricula required across the district. Schools are asked to permit educators to attend a course that aligns to the curriculum they teach. For an overview of the shifts and the content see this slide deck from BPS.
While offering more choice is a great step forward, and one that BTU members have been seeking for years, these shifts can create some questions and challenges. Please continue to share your questions and concerns with the BTU so we can address them as needed. Please contact our Director of Professional Learning, Paul Tritter, for assistance.
See you tomorrow at the Bruce Bolling Building, 4:30-6:30pm!
Submit Building Rep Election Results
A reminder that all schools should conduct Building Rep elections before the end of the school year. If you need guidance on how to conduct a Building Rep election, please see p. 25 of the Building Rep Handbook. Once you have your election results please submit them at btu.org/brelection.
Apply to be a Summer Organizing Union Leader! (Earn a stipend!)
The BTU seeks Summer Organizing Union Leaders (SOULs) to support BTU’s contract campaigns. This is opportunity comes with a stipend. Program runs from July 8-August 9 with flexible hours. Learn more and apply at btu.org/soul.
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.
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-schools
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
Summer Organizing Institute: August 14-15 at the BTU
Join AFT Massachusetts and the Boston Teachers Union for our annual Summer Organizing Institute. Whether you are a brand new building rep or activist learning the basic building blocks of organizing or a seasoned union leader looking to bargaining your strongest contract ever these two days are for you. Register with this form.
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
- Critically Disciplinary Literacy Course: Weekly from May 7-June 11
- August 2024 MIT Climate Professional Development Workshop (paid) for high school educators
- Stipend Opportunity: Educator Feedback on SY24-25 Professional Learning
- National Board Summer Program Manager: Summer Stipended Role to Support Educators of Color
- Applications now open for fully-online or hybrid teacher/school leadership programs through Salem State
Community News & Events
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.
Testing Education – A teacher’s memoir, Thursday, June 6 at 6:30pm Join us virtually to hear veteran Cambridge educator Kathy Greeley read from her memoir. In Testing Education, Greeley details how schools went from learning communities infused with excitement, intellectual stimulation, and joy to sterile spaces of stress, intimidation, and fear. Please register here to attend. Make sure to grab tickets beforehand!
Telescope/OEDL Music Trivia Night! June 14: Doors at 4:30, Trivia at 5:15 Join us at Live Long Brewery in Roxbury for an in-person trivia social event sponsored by the Office of Educator Development and Leadership (OEDL) and hosted by Mark & Kadian from the Telescope Network. Doors open at 4:00 p.m. Trivia starts at 5:15. Come solo or bring a team of colleagues. Free apps! Free cover! Prizes for winners! Fun for all! Register here!
Frantzy Delphonse Retirement Party: June 13th 5-9pm Join us as we celebrate the retirement of Dr. Frantzy Delphonse following 30 years of dedicated service to the students of Boston Public Schools. Please reserve a spot by June 7th, the cost is $75 per person. Payments can be made via CashApp to $lucianuvf, via Venmo to Gisele Jean-Baptiste @Gisele-Jean-Baptiste, via Zelle:Frantzy Delphonse; For questions, contact Gisele Jean-Baptiste at gbaptiste@bostonpublicschools.org
NEW-Apply to be a member of the Attorney General’s Youth Council!: Deadline June 16th
The AGO Youth Council will serve as a catalyst for youth engagement, representation, and inclusion. The Council Members will convene 12 times between September 2024 and May 2025 to learn about critical issues, build skills as leader and advocate, and provide counsel to the Attorney General and her staff. Applicants must be a MA resident, 14-19 years old or enrolled at a MA high school by Sept. ’24. Please encourage students to apply!
Empowering Girls, Empowering Futures: Girls Inc. Expands to Boston Empowering girls to become strong, smart, and bold leaders – that’s the heart of Girls Inc. Through mentorship, education, and advocacy, we equip girls in grades K-12 with the skills and confidence they need to navigate life’s challenges and excel in their aspirations. Contact us to bring opportunities for the 24-25 school year to your school. https://girlsinclynn.org/
The Boston Education Justice Alliance (BEJA) is Seeking a New Executive Director The Boston Education Justice Alliance is seeking a new Executive Director. Learn more about the position and how to apply here.
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