BTU Endorses Mayor Michelle Wu for Re-Election

Happy Summer! We hope you take advantage of the nice weather to get some sun and rejuvenate. We’re checking in to share some updates on the BTU’s summer activities and to provide details on opportunities in August to get politically engaged and prepare for the next school year!

BTU endorses Mayor Michelle Wu

Last week, the BTU announced its endorsement of Mayor Wu for re-election. (Check out the press release here) We believe that she is the best choice in this race when it comes to supporting and improving our schools. With Mayor Wu in office, we’ve been able to secure historic raises for our lowest-paid workers, institute new parental leave policies, and secure additional resources for students.

Mayor Wu has also defended our city against outside critics during tense and unprecedented times. We feel confident supporting an individual who has proven that she will ensure that our city is welcoming to all and who will protect our students.

The BTU is working to schedule BTU-specific events on several Saturdays over the summer to give members the opportunity to canvass neighborhoods together for our endorsed candidates. Stay tuned for those details. If you want a yard sign for Mayor Wu or any of the BTU-endorsed candidates, please contact the BTU office (617-288-2000) to make sure we have signs, then stop by to pick up a sign. In the meantime, you can apply to be a member of the BTU Electoral Action Team (BEAT) to keep up to date on every political opportunity this summer.

On July 11th, BTU officers and staff joined members of Teamsters Local 25 on the picket line outside of Republic Services waste management in the South End. Teamster locals across the country went on strike July 1st after Republic Services repeatedly refused to provide employees the industry standard pay and benefits. Since then, Republic Services has brought in replacement workers and repeatedly walked away from the bargaining table. Now, multiple towns are suing the company for not meeting their contract obligations.

We will continue to support our fellow union workers as they fight for a fair contract.

On July 16th, BTU and AFTMA members joined fellow public service workers at the statehouse to testify in support of reforms to the state’s Retirement Plus program. In 2001, the state introduced the R+ program which allows public service workers to contribute an additional percentage of their salary towards their pension to either qualify for retirement by a certain date or receive increased pension payments following retirement. However, the implementation was poorly publicized and as a result thousands of public workers were never registered.

For the past 20+ years the BTU has been working with members and the state to rectify this mistake on a case-by-case basis. But it is clear that the state needs to step in and correct an administrative blunder from more than two decades ago. We are closer than ever before to getting this reform passed. We strongly encourage you to contact your state legislators and encourage them to support H.2932 and S.1884. Thank you to The Committee for a Fair Fix for R+ for tirelessly working on this issue and thank you to State Representatives Alice Peisch and Rob Consalvo as well as State Senator Liz Miranda for sponsoring legislation to get this done.

In case you missed it on July 14th, the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration in a decision which allows the federal government to continue mass firings at the Department of Education. With this ruling, the Trump Administration appears to be free to continue firing dedicated workers who oversee student loan programs, provide research to local school districts, and administer resources to support the education of students with the highest-needs.

MA Attorney General’s Office Message on Immigration and Childcare

Since President Trump’s return to office, the BTU has heard of multiple instances where ICE officers detained parents as they were bringing their kids to school. Please see an excerpt of guidance sent by Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office:

Please share these documents with families in your community. For more information, go to Resources for Immigrants in Massachusetts.

BTU Events and Announcements

BTU Summer Organizing Institute August 13-14!

Join us for the “Meeting the Moment, Building the Movement”, our annual Summer Organizing Institute open to all BTU members. This two-day training will help build our skills to organize and bargain; dive deep on the issues impacting our schools; and take action together. RSVP today!

BTU Homework Helper Program Needs Volunteers

The Boston Teachers Union Homework Helper Program has three vacancies for the 2025/26 school year: Brighton, East Boston and Honan-Allston. Homework Helpers work a few hours a week at local libraries to help students with their schoolwork. If you are interested in finding out additional information, please contact Brenda Chaney: bchaney@btu.org.

Early Childhood Co-Planning Drop-In: July 29 12:00pm-4:00pm and August 26 8:00am-12:00pm

Early Childhood Lesson Planning Sessions: Time to lock in for SY 25-26 with co-planning drop in sessions in July and August! This is an opportunity to reflect on your teaching and the curriculum from SY 24-25 and start planning for this year with your colleagues. BYO instructional materials, refreshments provided. Fill out this form if you plan to attend. Contact Caitlin Gaffny cgaffny@btu.org with any questions.

BTU ABA Group Educator Summer Meetings: August 18th ZOOM

The BTU ABA Educator Group has been engaged in productive discussions around the vision and requirements for successful ABA programming in BPS over the course of three meetings so far. The work will continue this summer on August 18th from 4-5pm on Zoom. If you are not yet on the calendar invite and would like to be, please reach out to Madison Kronheim (madisonnkronheim@gmail.com) or Katie DeLaRosa (kdelarosa@btu.org) to be added.

Early Childhood Co-Planning Drop In July 29 12:00pm-4:00pm and August 26 8:00am-12:00pm

Early Childhood Lesson Planning Sessions: Time to lock in for SY 25-26 with co-planning drop in sessions in July and August! This is an opportunity to reflect on your teaching and the curriculum from SY 24-25 and start planning for this year with your colleagues. BYO instructional materials, refreshments provided. Fill out this form if you plan to attend. Contact Caitlin Gaffny cgaffny@btu.org with any questions.

New Educator Institute (Volunteers Needed): August 19th-21st

We’re looking for volunteers for the New Educator Institute on Aug 19 &-21. All NEI events this year are taking place in the George Sherman Union at Boston University campus (775 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215). As a volunteer you’ll be helping to welcome new members into our union. Volunteering at these events is a great way to connect with new members, especially first year educators who may have never been part of a union before! If you’re available to volunteer please complete this form.

De-escalation Training: September 3rd at 10am & 2pm

This de-escalation training, designed specifically for Boston Public Schools staff, offers practical, easy-to-use strategies grounded in trauma-informed practices. You’ll learn how to recognize the early signs of student escalation, prevent power struggles, stay calm under pressure, and support students through every stage of a behavioral crisis. Join us and build your skills to make a bigger impact every day! Please use this link

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk: Join the BTU Team on October 4^th!

The BTU is once again organizing the BTU Walkers for another year of walking and fundraising in support of the effort to eradicate breast cancer. Each year, the BTU provides a shuttle bus from the BTU Hall to the Hatch Shell so volunteers can participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on the Esplanade. Check out more information here and search for the BTU Walkers Team to register with our group!

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.

• Nuestros Niños Professional Development Program
• New Fellowship for Impact in Early Childhood Policy
• Stipend Opportunity for Bilingual Educators
• Bullying Intervention Specialist Training
• Maintaining a Restorative Community Training
• New Fellowship for Impact in Early Childhood Policy
• Online Training or personal presentations-Rainwater Harvesting-For Teachers/Students/Schools/Colleges/Retired Persons/Physically Handicapped

Community Events

Transforming Writing Instruction: A Summer Teacher Institute with WriteBoston: July 28-30, 9am-4pm

This summer, join WriteBoston for an immersive, three-day professional development experience designed for high school ELA, Social Studies, and Humanities educators. Observe real-time instruction at Teens in Print’s Summer Journalism Institute, reflect on identity and pedagogy, and collaborate with fellow educators to walk away with practical, meaningful writing assignments for your classroom. Course cost is $300 and participants are eligible for 20 PDPs or 1 graduate credit from Bay Path University. Learn more information here.

BTU in the News

The Boston Herald covered the BTU’s endorsement of Mayor Michelle Wu last week!

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