School Committee to Vote on School Closure Proposal Wednesday, Dec. 19th

Happy Hanukkah to all of our members who observe. We know that the holiday this year is tinged with sorrow, and we offer our deepest condolences in the wake of the horrific anti-Semitic attack carried out on the first night of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach in Australia. We condemn the disturbing escalation in religious and political violence abroad and at home. The BTU joins fellow unions in reaffirming our commitment to fight bigotry, hate, and violence of all forms.

“In face of so much darkness, this Hanukkah, I wish everyone light, hope, resilience, and peace.”- AFT National President Randi Weingarten

In light of another disturbing incident in our own backyard, we also demand action in our country. As of this writing, two Brown University students are dead and 9 others are recovering from gunshot wounds following yet another mass shooting at an American University. It is reprehensible that there are currently students on the Brown University campus and campuses across the country who survived a school shooting in high school only to be forced to endure a similar trauma in college. Congress cannot continue to abandon its moral responsibility to pass sensible gun control legislation.

Solidarity with BTU Members at Charter Schools

Last Wednesday, BTU members at Codman Academy rallied in solidarity ahead of their latest negotiation session with school administrators. Thank you to Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, our national union AFT and statewide union AFT Massachusetts for attending and supporting their fight to secure their first ever collective bargaining agreement.  For more than a year, Codman Academy educators have been fighting for fair pay and stable working conditions to address concerns about staff turnover while school administrators are fighting to retain the right to use subcontractors to fill vacancies.

Study after study shows that students thrive when they are able to establish long-term connections with trusted mentors and educators in a stable learning environment. The educators at Codman Academy are deeply committed to their communities, but cannot be expected to be effective educators if they can’t afford to support themselves or their families.

Show your solidarity with Codman Academy educators by signing onto this petition! Stay tuned for details on ways you can support our fellow charter school BTU members at Codman Academy and Neighborhood House Charter School as they continue to fight for their first-ever contracts!

The BTU has consistently agreed that the district needs to bring our school facilities out of the 1940s and into the 21st century. Our students, especially those with additional and high needs, deserve to learn in state-of-the-art facilities that foster curiosity and offer opportunities to pursue skills that will prepare them to be productive members of their communities. However, the BTU does not support the district’s method of delivering top-down expedited decisions to shut down school buildings without offering a better alternative to those communities. Families deserve to have both a voice and a choice in these decisions.

The three schools designated for closure and the Henderson Inclusion School’s grades 9-12 serve students with significant learning and emotional needs. If the district is serious about its commitment to providing a world-class inclusive education to all families, then it has serious work to do. To all the educators, students and families who have spent weeks organizing for your schools, know that your effort has had an impact and will pay dividends towards empowering community voices in district decisions.

Solidarity with Bus Monitors and Starbucks Workers

On Thursday, BTU members joined the Greater Boston Labor Council and the United Steelworkers to show solidarity with BPS Bus monitors who are currently negotiating their own contract. Bus monitors are critically underpaid and are often forced into unsafe situations to cover staff shortages. They play a crucial role in ensuring our students start and end their school days safe and secure.

The Starbucks Workers Union is also looking for solidarity as they engage in actions this week. The SBWU is calling for a boycott of all Starbucks stores and products for the duration of the strike.

You can also donate to the SBWU strike fund to support the striking workers and join a picket line as you are able. Thus far, there is one local Starbucks store on strike, and that is Newton Corner (259 Centre St Newton, MA  02458.) If you are on the activist/solidarity listserv, please stay tuned for future opportunities to join stationary and flying pickets!

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.

National Board Certification

Congratulations to the 16 BTU Members who were notified last week that they have achieved National Board certification and the five who have maintained their certification! We celebrate these members’ decision to complete this rigorous process to improve their practice for the benefit of their students.

The BTU and BPS collaborate to provide a range of supports for members to achieve this certification, known as “the gold standard” for teaching in the United States. If you are interested in learning more about National Board certification or our available supports, check out our program website and complete the embedded interest form to get connected.

Emma Nalchajian, Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Centers, Timothy McQuade, Boston Latin School; Sarah Forte, Hugh R. O’Donnell Elementary School; Maria Doreste Velazquez, Edison K-8 School; Jenna Brown, Tech Boston Academy; Anthony Browne, Brighton High School; Shelby Cleaveland, Up Academy Dorchester; Helen Sullivan, Hurley K-8 School; Emily Silas, English High School; Emily Bletzer, Mildred Avenue K-8 School; Joshua Shea, Special Education; Sophia Goncalves, O’Donnell Elementary School

Maintenance of Certification
Cathy O’Flaherty, Boston Latin Academy; James Heffron, John D. O’Bryant School of Math & Science; Quayisha Clarke, Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School; Deborah Weitz, Mozart Elementary School; Emmanuel Fairley-Pittman, Roosevelt K-8 School.

BTU Events and Announcements

Update on BTU Kwanzaa! Celebration

Thank you to all of the members who registered to attend our Kwanzaa! celebration planned for December 12th at the BTU Hall. Unfortunately due to HVAC issues at our building, the event has been cancelled. The BTU is planning to hold a replacement event on Friday, February 6th for a joint celebration of Black culture and holidays. Stay tuned for more details!

MA AFL-CIO Student Scholarships: Deadline December 19th

The Annual AFL-CIO Scholarship and Labor Education awards financial resources to high school students pursuing trade union programs or college/university study. ­The Massachusetts AFL-CIO administers half a million dollars of scholarship awards on behalf of unions and labor councils throughout the state. Individual awards range from $500 to $16,000. You can view a list of available awards and their criteria here.

Students: Register by filling out the 2025-2026 application by Friday, December 19, 2025.

BTU Latino Caucus Three Kings Day Celebration: January 15th

The BTU Latino Caucus will be hosting a Three Kings Day Celebration at the BTU Hall on Thursday, January 15th from 5:30-7:30! We are looking for people to sign up to bring food, participate in an open mic, and donate items for a raffle. If you are interested in attending and/or helping out, use this link to sign up!

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.

• Addressing Knowledge Gaps in Secondary Math (Connect & Share)
• MTSS Learning Cohort Session 2: “MTSS in Secondary” – Wednesday, January 7, 5:30-7:00 on Zoom
• SLIFE Educators Day of Learning: January 16, 2026; 9AM-3PM
• Exploring AI in K-12 Education: Winter 2026 Session
• SEI History Day of Learning, January 22, 2026, 9am-3pm
• Early Career Mentoring Program for Professional Licensure: For provisional and initial-licensed teachers in their 2nd year or beyond
• Teacher Training Opportunities from BHS Available on BPSLearns
• Secondary Math Learning Site: Jan 16, 2026
• Emergent Literacy in Early Childhood Classrooms Connect & Share: Mon, Feb 9th and March 9th, 5:30-7:00PM
• Telescope: Language in Centers Learning Site (K1) 8:00-2:00

Community Events

BPS Elementary Inclusion Survey

A BPS teacher and doctoral student at UMass Boston is investigating the impact of Boston Public School’s Inclusive Education Plan. Specifically, they are studying how inclusion implementation has impacted elementary school educators and their ability to provide all students with access to equitable learning opportunities. The confidential survey is open to all elementary educators (classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, special educators, coaches, COSE, etc). The survey should take no more than five to ten minutes to complete. If you are interested in taking the survey or have any questions, please email megan.murray002@umb.edu.

Research Opportunity to support student interest in a Genetic Counseling career

As part of a graduate research project from the MGH Institute of Health Professions Genetic Counseling Program, you are invited to participate in a research study titled “Raising awareness of the genetic counseling profession through the high school curriculum.” The purpose of this research study is to increase awareness of genetic counseling by reviewing an educational activity designed by genetic counselors that could be used in high school science classes. Participation involves completing a 15-20-minute educational activity, 20-minute post-survey and a 30-minute semi-structured post-interview. The 15–20-minute educational activity will involve watching an approximately 5-minute genetic counseling-focused video and answering questions related to the concepts learned in the video. Participants who complete the study will have the option to receive $50 worth of classroom supplies as appreciation for their participation.

Click here if you are interested in learning more and/or participating in this study.

Friends of the Boston Schoolyard Newsletter

The Friends of the Boston Schoolyard is an organization that supports outdoor learning in the BPS. They publish a seasonal newsletter that highlights the work of outdoor learning that is happening in the BPS and shares information about other organizations that support outdoor learning. Link: https://conta.cc/3VnDyTL

#BPSCoders Contest 2025

Celebrate Computer Science Education Week with the annual #BPSCoders Student Contest! Please visit bit.ly/bpscoders for more information. The contest is open to all BPS students, grades K0-12, from December 8, 2025 to January 9, 2026. Contact hhosokawa@bostonpublicschools.org for more information.

Thank You for Reading

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