Immigrant Pride Week of Action April 13-17th

This week the BTU is leading Immigrant Pride Week of Action, sponsored by BTU Unafraid Educators, the Immigrant Rights committee of the BTU. We are dedicating this week to supporting immigrant students throughout Boston Public Schools and beyond. The BTU Unafraid Educators Committee has put together a comprehensive guide for how members can participate.

For today (Tuesday), BTU members are encouraged to wear their BTU union shirts and/or their Unafraid Educators T-shirts, along with buttons and stickers that were distributed to Building Reps last week. BTU social media accounts will be featuring examples of educator support for immigrant students throughout the day. Please take a photo and email it to photos@btu.org along with the name of your school.

This evening, the BTU is joining AFT MA and the Massachusetts Teachers Association in holding a “Teaching Through the Crackdown” webinar for educators at 6:30pm. The webinar will feature guests from states that have been heavily impacted by immigration enforcement, including educators, school administrators and community organizers. We will learn how the crackdown has impacted schools, what organizing on the ground looks like and what we need to be mindful of going forward. Register for the zoom here.

This Friday, schools across the district will be holding either “walk-ins” or “walk-outs” at their school buildings in support of our immigrant BPS families. These demonstrations will take place either before the morning bell or after dismissal and are intended to reiterate to our families and federal government that educators will always stand and fight in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors.

For a full rundown of Immigrant Pride Week of Action, check out the events section, as well as this chart.

This past weekend, AFT MA held its annual conference, which connected educators from across the state for a day of collaboration, strategizing, and celebration of our collective achievements over the past year.

During the AFT MA convention, delegates also participated in important leadership votes. Jessica Tang and Brant Duncan were re-elected to a two-year term of President and Secretary Treasurer, respectively. BTU members Erik Berg, Brenda Chaney, Colleen Hart, Vanessa LaRocque, and Johnny McInnis were re-elected as Vice Presidents on the AFT MA Executive Board.

At the convention, AFT MA passed resolutions regarding the fiscal crisis affecting schools and libraries across the state, the importance of paraprofessionals in our schools, showing solidarity with immigrant families, and declaring May Day a Day of Civic Action. Check out the Events section below for more details on May Day!

The convention was also an opportunity for educators from across Massachusetts to connect ahead of next week’s AFT MA Lobby Day at the Massachusetts Statehouse on April 22nd.

Lobby Day is an opportunity to come together and speak directly with elected officials and staff about our priorities for the Fiscal Year 2027 budget and key legislation we’re advocating for. We’ll connect with legislators and their staff to share our experience and expertise—you’ll be trained and supported throughout the day! Breakfast and lunch will be provided. RSVP here today!

Paraprofessional Updates: Payroll

Paraprofessionals and community field coordinators now have the option to change how often they will receive paychecks if they so choose. Paras and CFCs can elect to receive their pay over a 10 month or 12 month schedule. You must notify the district by June 1st if you want to make a change.

You can find all of the information you need, including the application, in this Superintendent’s Circular. If a member chooses the 10-month option, it is important to understand that the healthcare deduction in your paycheck will be larger on certain dates to adjust for the change in pay frequency. The chart below shows which dates you can expect that to happen:

Open enrollment period for health insurance is from April 27th to May 15th. If you wish to change your health insurance plan you must do so during this period. Any questions may be answered at information sessions as follows:

April 30th, BTU Hall from 4pm – 6pm

May 5th, Florian Hall in Dorchester from 11am – 2pm

May 13th, Boston City Hall Room 801 from 10am-2pm

Towards the end of March, BPS management informed the BTU that they have received what they are calling a suspicious number of transcripts supporting educators’ requests for advancement on the salary grid due to additional graduate credits from Idaho State University. They stated that they are investigating the issue and have temporarily paused accepting these credits. The BTU filed a grievance regarding this change and we will keep members posted as we engage in these conversations with the district.

BTU Events and Announcements

Unafraid Educators Week of Action Social & Fundraiser: April 16th

Join the Unafraid Educators Committee at The Haven in Jamaica Plain on Thursday, April 16, from 3-6pm for our Week of Action Social and Fundraiser. Come celebrate the Week of Action, strengthen our community, and support the Unafraid Scholarship Fund with a suggested donation of $10–$50. RSVP Here! If you cannot attend and wish to donate to the Unafraid Scholarship Fund, please use this link. 

BTU Negotiating Team Application: DEADLINE April 15th

As we gear up for the next round of contract negotiations, we are seeking applications from members interested in serving on the BTU Negotiating Team. If you are interested in this role, please send a resume and statement of interest to eberg@btu.org by no later than April 15.

BTU Black Caucus Meeting (Caucus Officer Nominations): April 14th

The next Black Caucus meeting will be Tuesday, April 14, at 5:30 pm, via ZOOM. At this meeting, we will nominate members for the following Officer Positions: Chairperson, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership. All offices are open to members whose dues are current. You can nominate a fellow member or yourself for any position. We will vote on the nominations in person at the BTU Hall on Tuesday, May 19 at 5:30. We will also discuss participation at Boston’s Juneteenth celebration , scheduled for June 20th at Franklin Park.

Student-led Professional Development: Bettering the Future of BPS Youth, April 14th

The Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) presents student led, student focused workshops in its Professional Development Series. The next workshop, titled “Bettering the Future of BPS Youth, will take place April 14 from 4:00-5:30pm at the Bolling Building. Sign up here!

ACLU State of Immigration: BTU Hall & on Zoom, April 15th, 5pm-7pm

The ACLU will be leading an information session on the current state of affairs regarding immigration enforcement in Massachusetts, as well as how to bring Family Preparedness to your schools. BTU Members & BPS Families are highly encouraged to attend in-person. Register here: bit.ly/BTUACLU

AFT MA Lobby Day 2026: April 22nd

Join fellow AFT Massachusetts members from across the Commonwealth for our second annual Lobby Day! It’s a great way to come together and speak directly with elected officials and staff about our priorities for the Fiscal Year 2027 budget and key legislation we’re advocating for. We’ll connect with legislators and their staff to share our experience and expertise—you’ll be trained and supported throughout the day! Breakfast and lunch will be provided. This event is family friendly! Bring your kids along to visit legislators, or utilize the provided childcare. RSVP today to make your voice heard!

Haitian Educators Committee Meeting: April 27, 5:00-6:30PM

Haitian Educators Committee (HEC) Meeting: Monday, April 27th, 5:00-6:30PM

Join us on Zoom to discuss issues and in our community. We will also discuss how to support our students’ families with end of the year resources. Please contact Bianca Pierre at bpierre74@gmail.com for the zoom link.

New BTU Working Group – Educator Experience in Times of Change

As our district moves toward inclusion, the “educator experience” is often a missing piece of the conversation. The BTU is convening a working group designed for educators to reflect and share how their roles, energy levels, and planning needs have shifted. We are seeking a few more interested members to help get this working group started. If you are interested in helping to get the group started and/or attending this working group meeting in the future, please let us know by using this form: bit.ly/ChangeWG. Questions can be directed to Kdelarosa@btu.org.

40th Paraprofessional/PSRP Statewide Conference: May 2nd (Register by April 17th)

Join your fellow BTU and AFT MA PSRPS on Saturday, May 2nd, from 8:30am-3pm for a day of informative workshops, networking and to celebrate “40 years of Para/PSRP Solidarity.” The BTU must receive your REFUNDABLE check/money orders by April 17th. If you would like a Paypal option please call Valerie Tobin at the union office 617-288-2000. You can find more details on the conference, and the fundraiser for a fellow paraprofessional scheduled for the night before on May 1st, here.

Action Toolkit: Fight BPS Staffing Cuts
Over half our schools are expecting budget cuts next school year. We are fighting back for the fully-funded schools Boston students deserve! Use this toolkit to help you educate and organize at the school-level so students, parents/families, and educators understand the proposed BPS budget for next school year, how the budget impacts your school, and how we fight back. Toolkit can be found at tinyurl.com/BTU26Toolkit

Dual Language & Inclusion: BTU Member Meeting, April 14th @ 4:15pm

Do you work in a dual language school or classroom? How is the inclusion rollout going in your program? The BTU is hosting two opportunities to join in a conversation about best practices and challenges with the rollout of inclusion in dual language settings. We hope you can join to connect with colleagues and share your experience at one of the meetings! Registration link

StudySync Curriculum Survey for BTU Members
A group of BTU members is organizing to gather input from BTU members who teach with the StudySync secondary ELA curriculum. Your feedback will help us understand your experience with the curriculum and determine the next steps in our organizing. The information in this survey will only be shared among BTU members, but the themes and aggregated data may be shared more widely. Fill out the survey here!

BTU Reading Committee: Survey on Dyslexia in BPS

The BTU Reading Committee is investigating what happens in the BPS special education process when a student is suspected of having dyslexia. Help us better understand current trends and practice across BPS about one of the most common learning disabilities! Please share your insights in our (anonymous) survey here

On April 18th, we’re honoring the 60th anniversary of the founding of BEAM with a themed celebration: “Education for Liberation” This is more than an anniversary. It’s a call to action. A call to connection. A moment when organizations, educators, and communities come together and say: we’re all in this fight together. Register at: https://bit.ly/BEAMis60

May Day! International Workers and Immigrant Solidarity: May 1st

May Day is a global holiday that celebrates international worker solidarity, and in Boston, it has been a powerful day to celebrate our immigrant communities. Join the BTU and others to stand in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors and school communities.

WHEN: May 1st, 2026 / 3pm for Art Build / 5pm for Main Rally

WHERE: Liberty Mall, Boston Common

RSVP Here

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.

• World Languages Spring Professional Development
• Exploring Sense of Belonging: Connect and Share April 28, 2026 4-6pm and Learning Site April 29, 2026 11:00am-3:30pm

Community Events

Immigrant Family Engagement Webinar: April 28, 4:00-5:30PM

“Family Engagement in Uncertain Times” is a webinar hosted by The Immigrant Learning Center to provide K-12 teachers with actionable ideas to foster trust, communication and meaningful collaboration with immigrant families. Experts in the field will provide insight into culturally responsive strategies for engaging immigrant families, along with practical approaches such as home visits and family literacy supports. This webinar is free, find more details here!

Celebrate Earth Day, April 22nd!

Earth Day 2026 is on April 22. Either before or after spring break, take some time to talk with your students about Earth Day! Earthday.org, has abundant resources to help you plan your lessons and connect to local events. Subject to Climate also has tremendous resources, searchable by grade level, subject etc. Likewise, AFT Share My Lesson has great resources. To share your Earth Day efforts or to join the BTU Climate Justice listserv, email btuclimate@gmail.com

Thinking Through Art: Professional Development at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

This summer, check out the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Thinking Through Art (TTA) professional development program for Boston Public Schools teachers. The TTA program is proven to boost culturally responsive instruction, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning, and the summer PD sessions take place at the Gardner Museum. For a $100 materials fee, you will have access to all program components and the opportunity to earn PDPs or graduate credits. Apply by July 1, 2026, at gardnermuseum.org/tta  to start your journey, or email ThinkArt@isgm.org with any questions.

Thank You for Reading

Please send your comments and questions to us at bulletin@btu.org, or call the BTU at 617-288-2000.