BTU Paraprofessionals and ~1,000 others marched around the Bolling Building on June 5th to call on the district to offer a wage proposal which meets the needs of our lowest-paid workers as well as many other BTU priority proposals.
Good morning,
Our union is strong and so is our collective movement. Over the past week, we have laid the foundation for a brighter future for our students, educators and school communities. Close to one thousand BTU members, students, families, labor allies and community partners rallied in front of the Bolling Building last Wednesday to call on the district to ratify a contract that provides the resources our students deserve and our educators need to ensure Boston’s children thrive.
Following the rally, nearly 100 members packed the School Committee meeting to stand in solidarity as our educators explained why our contract proposal would go a long way to address the significant challenges facing BPS. You can check out our social media accounts ( X, Facebook, Instagram) and the BTU in the News section at the bottom of this bulletin to see firsthand the level of energy and passion our members brought that day.
This was truly a collective effort. Members worked together to recruit colleagues, create signs, lead chants, coordinate parking, speak at our rally and testify before the School Committee to drive our message home: the BTU’s contract will help create the Schools Boston’s Students Deserve!
Rest assured, our efforts made an impact. During our collective bargaining session the following night, the BTU and BPS made progress in reaching agreements that would secure parking stipends for our itinerant workers, a personal day for cluster subs, clear working conditions for Centrally Based Instructional Coaches and salary credit for nurses’ who have working experience outside of the district prior to being hired.
However, we have far more work to do. The district still has not provided a coherent response to our proposal to end the ineffective inclusive education model of forcing one teacher to use multiple licenses to meet the deserve needs of our students on individual education plans. The district’s wage proposal for our lowest-paid workers, while appreciated, still fails to address the dire financial situation they currently face.
We have brought our goals closer and cast our path to victory in sharper focus, but we need to keep this momentum going as the dog days of summer approach. That is why we strongly encourage all members to attend our membership meeting TOMORROW at 4:30pm.
The BTU staff will be sharing reflections from the rally as well as details on our organizing and negotiation strategy going forward. While we are focused on securing a contract that will make a positive impact in Boston, we also cannot lose sight of the broader picture. November will be here before you know it and we all need to do our part to fight for the sake of democracy. We’ll be providing details on how you can get involved locally and nationally to ensure that we have a pro-public education President for the next four years.
President Tang will be “passing the gavel” to EVP Erik Berg at this meeting, and our BTU Election Committee will also be sharing important details about upcoming BTU elections to fill vacancies once Erik formally takes over as the BTU President in July. It is our last membership meeting of the school year, so it’s important that we are all on the same page so we can achieve our goals. Check out the agenda ahead of time and let us know if you need childcare.
Important Updates on Inclusive Education and Professional Development:
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.
Important PD Scheduling Info for Next Year – FAQ
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. We have created an FAQ document to address the issues we have heard from members. Please continue to share your questions and concerns with the BTU so we can address them as needed. Please contact Paul Tritter for assistance.
Week in Review: In addition to rallying for the future of Boston’s students, the BTU also participated in multiple events last week that we would like to highlight. More than 75 members participated in the Boston Pride for the People Parade, we hosted more than 100 people at the first ever Statewide (Hub) Community School Summit where we made significant inroads in expanding a nationally proven model for student success to other schools and districts, and we also celebrated the gains we have made together at the End of the Year Party at PKL Bar in South Boston on Saturday night! At that event, we acknowledged the stellar contributions of Building Reps of the Year!
In addition, Vice President Erik Berg shared our priorities at the Greater Boston Labor Council Delegates Meeting Tuesday and Legislative Breakfast on Friday, BTU members and students contributed to a hearing hosted by City Councilor Julia Mejia on the needs of BPS the same day, and President Jessica Tang rallied support for the Thrive Act at the New England Area Conference of the NAACP on Saturday. Rest assured, the BTU has a multi-pronged approach to ensure that our city is pursuing a path that benefits All residents of Boston.
See you tomorrow at Membership Meeting, 4:30-6:30pm!
BTU Events and Announcements
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.
Educators on the Hill Day- June 11th-TODAY!
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
Juneteenth Celebration: June 15th from 11 to 4pm
Join the AFT Black Caucus Boston Chapter, AFT-MA and the BTU in a celebration of Juneteenth. There will be free food, music and books available at the Shattuck Picnic Area at Franklin Park from 11 to 4 pm. Please register ahead of time.
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.
NEW-Contribute to the Unafraid Scholarship-Boston 2023-2024
The Unafraid Scholarship was founded by BTU’s Unafraid Educators in order to provide financial support for students who are not eligible to receive FASFA due to their immigration status. You can contribute to the scholarship by donating here
Join the AFT Black Caucus Boston Chapter, AFT-MA and the BTU for a Juneteenth Celebration at the Shattuck Picnic Area in Franklin Park! There will be music, food and free books!
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
- 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
- Important PD Scheduling Info for Next Year – FAQ
- Power Saturdays Applications Now Open!
Community News & Events
NEW-MEJA Public Education Justice Series – Thrive Act: June 12th 6:30PM
Are you interested in learning about public education justice work and issues? The next MEJA Public Education Justice Series will be about one of the most important education policy changes – the Thrive Act! Join caregivers, students, educators, and community members to learn from a dynamic panel of speakers and dive into a discussion about the Thrive Act! Sign up now to get the Zoom link and share that you’ll be there!
NEW-Condon Retirement Party Tuesday June 18th 5pm @ Florian Hall Dorchester: June 18th
Join us for a retirement celebration honoring 7 long-time employees at the Condon Elementary School! The Party is from 5 to 9pm and costs $60 if you’d like to contribute a gift and attend. You can also contribute $30 towards a gift if you cannot attend. Please send funds and RSVPs via Venmo to @Buntha-Hazell. Contact: Buntha.Hazell@gmail.com
NEW-Mass Teachers Association: Understanding and Combatting Antisemitism: June 27th 5-6:30 pm (Virtual)
Join Jewish organizers, labor activists and community members from the New England Jewish Labor Committee in a discussion about what antisemitism is, a historical overview, and what we can do about it now. You can register here
NEW-AAPI Teacher Cohort Application: Deadline June 28th
We are thrilled to announce an exceptional opportunity for eight experienced high school teachers to bring a transformative curriculum to high schools across the country! This project, originating from the AFT Asian American and Pacific Islander Task Force, seeks to provide a cohort-based learning community to grow in K-12 pedagogy informed by Asian American Studies using sample lessons about Japanese American incarceration. Teachers will receive a $3k stipend. Apply here
NEW-2024 WILD Summer Institute: June 29th
The Women’s Institute for Leadership Development will hold its Annual Summer Institute at the Carpenters Training Center in Boston from 9am to 6pm. WILD is a program that providers women the leadership vision, confidence, and skills to be more effective organizers in the Massachusetts labor movement and community organizations. You can learn more about the program and the application here.
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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