Healey Proposes More School Funding;

Primary on September 1st

AFT Convention

Earlier this month, 53 BTU members spent four days with our union sisters and brothers from across the country at the biennial AFT Convention. At the convention, delegates heard from elected officials, fellow educators, scholars and others about the issues facing us, from the need to vote this fall to protect our democracy, to AI guardrails, to preventing workplace violence and the need for quality professional development. Delegate also re-elected Randi Weingarten as president for another two-year term, and our own state federation president Jessica Tang was re-elected to another term as an AFT Vice President.

Also at the Convention, the AFT Women’s Rights Committee honored 4 long-serving BTU members with Living Legacy Awards. Congratulations to Alice Yong, who received the award for her 40 years of service to our union, and to Mae Bishop, Brenda Chaney and Marilyn Marion for 50 years of service to the BTU and the AFT! The many BTU members who joined the ceremony were thrilled to see these BTU she-roes honored for their legacy. We do indeed stand on the shoulders of giants.

In addition, the AFT Black Caucus recognized two BTU members for their work and dedication to lifting the voices of Black members in the AFT.  CasSandra Samuel received the Outstanding Service award and BTU Political Director Johnny McInnnis received an award for chapter growth. Also, Johnny was elected to serve as Second Vice President of the National AFT Black Caucus, and BTU Vice President Lea Serena was elected as Communications Secretary. Congratulations to all the awardees!

Bottom: BTU member Alice Yong (Middle, white hat) was awarded for dedicating 40 years of service to the BTU

On July 15th, Governor Maura Healey introduced a $100 million supplemental funding proposal to support struggling school districts across the state. BTU President Erik Berg and educators from across the state joined Gov. Healey at the Statehouse to emphasize how critical additional funding could be for school districts that are already struggling due to significant cuts in federal support and skyrocketing healthcare costs.

This proposal would add an additional $112 for every student in the state and Boston Public Schools would receive a total $5.1 million. While this one-time funding infusion would not solve all of the district’s financial struggles, it would allow BPS to restore some positions in a year where over 500 are slated to be cut.

To be clear, this is a proposal from the Governor that still needs to be approved by the state House of Representatives and state Senate. Our state representatives need to hear from us EVERY DAY so they understand that this additional funding would have a legitimate impact on the education our students will receive during this upcoming school year. Call and email your state representative and tell them why Boston Public School students need them to approve this funding package promptly.

Again, we are asking all BTU members to email your state legislator today: click here for an easy template!

Primary elections in Massachusetts are early this year, even before the Labor Day Weekend on September 1. If you are out of town on September 1, make sure to send in your mail-in ballot or take advantage of the early voting period.

The BTU has endorsed a number of candidates for federal and state offices in the democratic primary. Our membership made these endorsements in order to improve working conditions for our members and learning conditions for our students.

If we want our country and our state to chart a better course than the past year, we need to put in the work together. If you want to support our endorsed candidates this summer, please sign up for our BTU Electoral Action Team (BEAT) and look out for opportunities to volunteer.

BTU & AFT Massachusetts Support Vigil for Immigrants

The BTU and AFT Massachusetts participated in a 24 hour-long vigil organized by LUCE in front of the State House July 24-25 to honor those who have been killed during the Trump Administration’s surge in violent enforcement and detainment tactics. If you are interested in learning more about LUCE’s work or would like to volunteer to be a community observer, then check out their website.

BTU Events and Announcements

BTU Canvass with Erika Uyterhoeven on August 2nd
The BTU is supporting the Erika Uyterhoeven campaign in another canvass on Sunday August 2nd at 4:30pm. The group will meet at 24 Logan Ave. in Medford. You can register and find more details here.

Door Knock with Patrick Roath Campaign on August 9th

The BTU and AFT Massachusetts will be joining the Patrick Roath campaign for a day of door-knocking in Dorchester on August 9th. The group will meet at 1:30 at the Kenny School in Dorchester before heading out into local neighborhoods. You can register and find more details here.

Now Hiring: Peer Mediators for BTU’s New Racial Harm Response Program

The BTU is seeking members (active and retired) to serve as mediators in our upcoming Racial Harm Response Program. This program has been designed by our Racial Justice Standing Committee in order to establish a clear, fair, and humane process for responding to incidents of racial harm occurring between or among members within the workplace, in BTU spaces, or in connection with BTU-related activities. In order to serve as a mediator members must participate in and successfully complete up to 40 hours of training provided by The Mediation Group.

Sunday, October 4th (full day)

Saturday and Sunday October 24th and 25th (full days)

Sunday, November 8th (full day)

Additional asynchronous work.

For full details of the role, training requirements, compensation, see the full posting and apply here if interested. Applicants will be accepted into the training on a rolling basis, and we strongly encourage you to apply ASAP. Contact Lea Serena and/or Paul Tritter with questions or for more information.

Paraprofessional Professional Development Opportunities Sept 2nd or Sept 3rd at the BTU Hall @1pm

This course is designed for paraprofessionals and second teachers working with early years students from Pre-K through Grade 2. Participants will explore the six pillars of foundational literacy through the components of the Focus curriculum, gaining practical strategies to support young learners’ language and literacy development. Register for either session here

Paraprofessional Professional Development Opportunities on Safety Care: Initial Course on & Recertification Course September 2nd-3rd

The Initial Course is for those who have never taken Safety Care or whose certification has expired. This is a two-day training and is competency based. You must attend the entirety of both days to be certified. While the end times are listed, we cannot conclude the class until all class members have completed the course.

Recertifications are for those who have taken Safety Care within the last 15 months. It is a one day training and you must attend the entirety of it.  While the end time is listed, we cannot conclude the class until all class members have completed the course.

Date: Thursday 9/3/2026 from 8 am – 4 pm

Here is the link to register.

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.

• Prioritize YOUR Well-being with Educators Thriving and the BTU

BTU in the News

Check out our BTU website to find articles and/or public statements regarding

• Governor Maura Healey’s $100 Million Supplemental Budget proposal

In Memoriam

The BTU offers its condolences to the friends and family of Melvin “Red Bear” Ellis, a music educator who dedicated more than 3 decades to the students of Boston. Mr. Ellis retired from Madison Park in 2003. You can read more about Mr. Ellis and his family in his full obituary.

The BTU offers its condolences as well to the friends and family of Meg Goodwin, a Building Representative at the Thomas Edison K-8 School who recently passed after a long battle against cancer. In the words of her colleagues, Meg was “a union representative for several years because she was unafraid to stand up for what was right. She was a brilliant and fierce advocate for all of us at the Edison…Meg was also a person of incredible strength and grace.” You can find her obituary here.

Thank You for Reading

Please send your comments and questions to us at [email protected], or call the BTU at 617-288-2000.