Membership Meeting TOMORROW

We hope changing the clocks didn’t throw you off too much on Monday, because we have a busy week ahead of us! We look forward to seeing all of you at our monthly membership meeting TOMORROW at the BTU Hall beginning at 4:30 pm.

Advocacy at City Council and School Committee Hearings

The City Council will be holding a hearing this afternoon about the availability and quality of programs available to BPS students who are on IEPs and/or are multilingual learners. BTU inclusion liaison Katie DeLaRosa will be testifying for the BTU, bringing concerns from the membership about the lack of supports for students with disabilities and multilingual learners, and how the latest budget proposal will make it even more difficult for teachers and paraprofessionals to ensure students are receiving the services they need and deserve.

Also on Tuesday, the City Council will also be holding a hearing on the city’s budget at 6 PM. We encourage any BTU member who is able to attend the evening hearing and tell your story on how budget decisions are impacting your school community. Our window to influence these critical budget decisions is narrowing. Decision-makers need to hear directly about the impact of their choices. The School Committee will be holding a final budget hearing on March 18th, and will then vote on the budget at the March 25th meeting. We will be providing more details on our advocacy strategy at tomorrow’s membership meeting.

Last week, educators across the district participated in the National Day of Action to Protect Our Kids. BTU members at schools across Boston participated in stand-outs, walk-ins and leafleting within their school community to engage with parents about how the Trump Administration’s funding decisions and unlawful immigration law enforcement methods are harming public education. From Chelsea to Lawrence, we hear the same thing from our colleagues: the spectre of ICE and CBP agents is frightening families and deterring undocumented immigrants from enrolling their children into public schools.

Last Wednesday, the BTU joined Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance (MEJA) and other community partners for a policy briefing on Beacon Hill. The focus was on the harm federal immigration policies are causing to local school districts and to advocate for the state to provide some temporary assistance to cities and towns confronting devastating funding losses. BTU President Erik Berg explained that BPS data show that after several years of stable enrollment, the BPS lost nearly 1,700 students from last year to this year, largely a decline in newcomers to the country. BPS is now being asked to meet the needs of our most vulnerable students with less, and we believe the state can play a role to mitigate the harm with some funding from the Fair Share Amendment surplus.

Also at the State House on Wednesday, BTU Political Director Johnny McInnis testified alongside AFTMA President Jessica Tang in support of the PROTECT act. This bill, filed by the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, would bar local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE for civil offenses statewide, prohibit new 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement and the federal government, ensure detainees’ rights in detention facilities, and empower the Massachusetts Attorney General to enforce compliance.

BTU Events and Announcements

RTC Members Apply by March 15th to attend the Alliance for Retired Americans Conference
The BTU is sponsoring three RTC members to attend this year’s national Alliance for Retired Americans conference in Las Vegas from April 27th-30th.

This conference will bring members together to elect national officers, debate and vote on resolutions, sharpen organizing skills, and prepare for the high-stakes 2026 elections. The BTU will cover travel, hotel, and conference fees. Please fill out this form by Tuesday March 10th at 5pm to be considered. Apply HERE

MassCOSH Environmental Testing Study at worksites

Are you concerned about mold, Co2, asbestos or other environmental hazards at your schoolsite? MassCOSH is working with students to help workers survey their jobsites and provide accurate data that Safety Committees can use to advocate for safer working conditions. The work is as follows:

• Build a team to survey 70%-80% of staff at your location
• Help coordinate a time for MassCOSH to come test areas of concern
• Share out MassCOSH’s findings to staff for discussion and next steps

Only one school will be selected for this study. If you are interested in applying to participate, please contact BTU organizer Wednesday at wromeroklevisha@btu.org to coordinate next steps.

BTU Black Caucus Meeting: March 17th

The Black Caucus for the BTU will meet via Zoom Tuesday, March

17 at 5:30. For details about the meeting, please contact BTU Political Director Johnny McInnis at jmcinnis@btu.org.

NEW-Boston Green Academy Students Present: Newsies
The talented students at BGA and their teacher Emily Graven are proud to present their performance of the musical Newsies, which follows a group of young newspaper sellers who band together to form a union to fight back against powerful business owners. Through catchy songs, thrilling choreography, and a strong message about unity and courage, Newsies celebrates the power of youth voices and the importance of standing up for what’s right. Performances are scheduled for March 12th, 14th and 15th. More info and tickets here!

NEW-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

ABA Strand Specialists Solidarity Letter!

The ABA Working Group has put together a sign-on letter to send to the district about the Strand Specialist caseload increase from 4 to 6 classes for next year. This abrupt change means that many specialists will be excessed and classes will struggle. We want as many names as possible on this letter, so please review the letter and sign on using the Google form!

Dever Digitizing Day: March 26th

The Dever Digitizing Day will be held on March 26, 2026 3-7pm to bring together the widespread Dever community, share memories, and celebrate the Dever’s journey. At the event, in collaboration with University Archives and Special Collections at UMass Boston, we will be developing a public, online archive to tell the story of the Dever over the years. Please bring 1-3 photos, artwork, documents, or stories that have special meaning to you and the Dever. What you bring will be scanned or recorded and returned to you, then uploaded to the permanent Dever collection in the UMass Boston online archives. The event will also be a chance to mingle, reminisce, and celebrate together! Please register for the event here.

Are you interested in Job Sharing in SY 26-27 and looking for a possible match? Fill out this form by March 15th and we can send you the informational slides from BPS about Job Sharing and possibly help you “find a match” in the district. The deadline for the BPS Job Sharing formal application is March 27 and can be found in Supt Circular.

Apply to attend Labor Notes 2026: Deadline March 16th!

The Executive Board has approved funding to this year’s Labor Notes conference for up to 8 BTU members. This year’s Labor Notes Conference will take place from June 12-14 in Chicago.

Every effort will be made to select from a diverse range of job categories and bargaining units. Priority will be given to those who have not attended ANY conference at BTU expense with the exception of fall conference. The BTU will pay for the cost of conference registration, a shared hotel room, and travel expenses.

Please submit an application here by March 16th at 5pm.

National Board Office Hours: March 24, 5-7PM; April 16, 4:30-6:30 PM

The National Board Leadership team holds office hours monthly. Join us to ask questions relevant to completing your National Board component or reach out about how to begin your National Board Journey. Use this link to attend.  Register Here!

Black Educators’ Alliance of Massachusetts: Celebrating 60 Years

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

National Board Writing/Reading Retreats

National Board Writing/Reading Retreats are an opportunity for National Board Candidates and National Board Maintenance of Certification Candidates to focus on their writing, meet with a reader or engage in Q&A with experienced cohort leaders. Each retreat is 3 hours. Free parking is available. To attend retreats 1 & 2 register here. Registration for retreat #2 will open in April. To request a reader, candidates can reach out to Nationalboard@bostonpublicschools.org with the header, Reader Request.

Saturday, March 21, 9AM-12PM (Emmanuel College)

Saturday, March 28, 9AM-12PM (Emmanuel College)

Saturday May 9, 9AM-12PM (BTU)

BTU Dependent Scholarships: Application Deadline April 10

The BTU will be offering 16 scholarships in the amount of $2,000 to high school seniors who are dependents of dues-paying BTU members. If you’re interested in applying for the scholarship, please contact Michelle Frank (mfrank@btu.org) or download this form.

Ukraine Professor Literacy Connection

A Ukrainian professor preparing teachers for the classroom is seeking to connect with an educator working with elementary school kids with literacy, specifically around digital stories. If you would be interested in connecting with this professor, please email Caitlin Gaffny, cgaffny@btu.org

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.

• Emergent Literacy in Early Childhood Classrooms Connect & Share: March 9th, 5:30-7:00PM
• Middle Grades Amplify Desmos Math Learning Site: March 18, 8:15am-2:15pm
• Early Childhood Inclusive Practices Learning Cohort Session 4: Writing
• Middle School Day of Learning: March 9, 8am-2:30pm
• Emergent Literacy in Early Childhood Classrooms Connect & Share Series, Mon, March 9th, from 5:30-7:00
• MTSS Learning Cohort Session 4: SEL in MTSS, March 18th, 5:30-7:00
• MFA Educator Institute Teaching “America at 250”: August 10-14, 2026
• Joy of Learning Grant

Community Events

BEJA is hiring! Part-Time Youth Organizer and Part-Time Parent Organizer

The Boston Education Justice Alliance is hiring:

 Part-Time Youth Organizer

 Part-Time Parent Organizer

We’re looking for passionate community leaders who believe in student voice, family power, and fully funded, equitable public schools. If you’re ready to organize, advocate, and build collective power in Boston, we want to hear from you. Email Keo with questions: Keo@bostoneja.org. Click here to learn more.

Fundraiser for Horace Mann School for the Deaf RIT/Middle School Math Competition
The Horace Mann Middle School Math Team will be traveling to Pittsburgh, PA for the RIT/NTID Northeast Regional Math Competition. We are looking for support to help defer the costs of transportation. Donate HERE:  http://bit.ly/horacemannmath

Mobilizing Pensions for Climate Resilience – March 11

As a public employee or retiree, you know your pension is more than just a paycheck—it’s a massive pool of capital with the power to protect a dignified retirement while shaping a better future. But for many, how these funds actually make decisions feels like a “black box.” Join us on Wednesday, March 11th, for a webinar that demystifies how your pension fund thinks and operates.

Voices of Boston Public Schools: 1st World Languages Week March 9th-13th

Join us for the first-ever BPS World Languages Week! We are celebrating our vibrant multilingualism with a district-wide Spirit Week featuring daily themes. Students: enter the poster contest. All staff, students & community: submit a video that celebrates “Voices of Boston Public Schools. Learn more here!

Practical Strategies for Supporting Immigrant Students with Disabilities Webinar: March 10, 4:00-5:30PM

This free, 90-minute webinar focuses on practical, classroom-based strategies K–12 educators can use to ensure meaningful access to education for multilingual learners with disabilities, how to make content-rich history and civics instruction more accessible, and how to better support Latino students with ADHD. Join us on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from 4:00-5:30 PM ET. Learn more and register here.

BTU in the News

Check out some coverage of the Massachusetts Justice Alliance (MEJA) press conference highlighting the impact of federal immigration policies on local enrollment and school funding. GBH News & MassLive.

Please also check out the Dorchester Reporter’s coverage of Neighborhood House Charter School reaching a tentative agreement on their first-ever union contract!

Thank You for Reading

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