Ratification Vote April 9th;

Informational Zoom Sessions March 27th & 31st

The link to the Memorandum of Agreement(MOA) that was sent out on Friday contained an error, so please refer to this MOA link. It is also on the BTU website.

We have scheduled two Information Sessions on zoom where members can learn more about the tentative agreement on a new contract. You must register for the information sessions in advance. Each person will receive an individual link to join after registration.

Please join us for either:

March 27, 2025 @6pm – 7pm LINK To Register for zoom

March 31, 2025 @7pm – 8pm LINK To Register for zoom

In order to be authenticated to join the zoom session, you must be signed up on zoom. If you need to sign up, please go to zoom.us/signup.

Regarding inclusion, the BTU made it a priority to secure improvements that would alleviate burnout and guarantee better support for students. Under this agreement, general education teachers can no longer be required to add a special education license under threat of losing their position.

Furthermore, the district cannot post new positions requiring dual licensure for teachers in K2-12. There are now IEP thresholds that, once passed, require the district to either assign an additional licensed special educator to the classroom or provide more push-in services. There is a new paraprofessional position specifically created to assist in special education service delivery, and new centrally-based COSE positions responsible for original evaluations. There will also be a central pool of special education teachers to provide direct services to students with IEPs in general education classrooms in schools that need support midyear.

This contract would result in the largest wage increase for paraprofessionals in BTU history. If ratified, classroom paras will receive between a 23%-31% wage increase over the course of the contract, and all teacher unit members will receive a 9%-11.5% wage increase over the three years. Once the additional money at each step and lane–which will compound with percentage increases– is incorporated, along with the career award increase, every member will receive at least a 9% raise over their current base pay.

We cannot cover every aspect of the TA in this email, so we strongly encourage members to attend one of our informational sessions. In the meantime, please refer to our plain language summary as well as a one-page highlight for more details.

Boston Retirement Board Elections: Vote Elissa Cadillic

The BTU and RTC have voted to unanimously support Elissa Cadillic for the Boston Retirement Board special election. All City of Boston employees are eligible to vote in this election. Ballots were sent to eligible voters beginning March 11th and are due back by April 11th. If you have not received a ballot, please call 866-384-9968 to request a ballot. You can also vote online. We strongly encourage you to use your voice and vote for Elissa as the Retirement Board is in charge of setting Cost of Living Adjustments and manages the Retirement Fund for pensioners.

AFT Massachusetts joins lawsuit against Trump Administration:

Monday afternoon, our statewide union AFT Massachusetts, along with a broad coalition of educators, school districts, nonprofits, and labor unions, took legal action to stop the Trump Administration’s attempts to decimate the Department of Education and the critical services it provides to students, teachers, parents, and communities across the country.

Here is an excerpt from a statement released by AFT Massachusetts President, and former BTU President, Jessica Tang:

“Dismantling the federal government’s role – whether it’s by an illegal executive order or widespread firings to bring critical services and support to a halt – will cause the most harm to students with the greatest needs, greatly diminishing our ability to provide all children with a free and equal education. At the end of the day, the White House is not just illegally dismantling a department – they’re dismantling the futures of millions of children and working families across the country.”

Additional plaintiffs include the American Association of University Professors, the American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 93, the Easthampton School District, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the Somerville Public School Committee.

A Message from the BTU Election Committee:

Candidate’s Night is on April 2nd! Retired Teachers Chapter Candidates will be presented from 4:30-5:30pm. Candidates for Executive Board and Para Council will be presented from 6pm-8pm. Candidates will have two minutes to speak and will be provided the questions ahead of time to prepare. All members who are interested in hearing from our candidates can register HERE.  There will be a primary election for executive board. Ballots will be mailed in early April, in-person voting will be held on May 7th.

All Election Committee resources are HERE. Candidates should review the Election Committee Campaigning Rules and Procedures.

You may contact ombudsperson Danielle Fraine with questions or concerns at electioncommittee@btu.org. Next meeting is April 28th at 5:00 pm at the BTU. Members are welcome to attend and ask questions during the first 15 minutes of the meetings. Contact mfrank@btu.org with any questions about your membership status.

BTU Events and Announcements

39th Statewide Para/PSRP conference March 29th at BTU 8:30 to 3:30

Join AFT Massachusetts and the Boston Teachers Union on Saturday, March 29, 2025  for the Para/PSRP Conference! This year’s conference is centered around us Moving Forward Together. Register to attend here!

BTU Dependent Scholarships: Deadline April 4th

This year there will be 16 scholarships in the amount of $2,000 awarded to high school seniors who are dependents of BTU members. To apply, please obtain an application from Michelle Frank at mfrank@btu.org or download the application from the BTU FAQ page under the “Other Benefits” drop-down section.

Retired Teacher Chapter Scholarships: Deadline April 4th

Each year the Retired Teachers Chapter of the Boston Teachers Union awards three scholarships in the amount of $2,000 to deserving high school seniors who are children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, grandnieces or grandnephews of RTC members. One of these scholarships is earmarked for a student who chooses to attend a vocational school or equivalent institution. To apply, please obtain an application from Michelle Frank at mfrank@btu.org or download the application from the BTU FAQ page under the “Other Benefits” drop-down section.

The Bilingual Educator/Accelerated Community to Teacher Program open now to April 11th

The Bilingual Educator/Accelerated Community to Teacher Program (BE/ACTT) is a no-cost, in-district, multigenerational, community-based teacher preparation program. We encourage BPS paras and substitutes who wish to become teachers to apply! SY25-26 Applications are now live! Contact Ivelisse Santos-Hicks with questions: santoshicks@bostonpublicshools.org

FREE BPS Licensure Program – Applications due April 11

We are currently accepting applications for the BPS Teaching Fellowship, which is a free, one-year educator preparation program designed for teachers on waivers, emergency license, or provisional license to get initial licensure in either ESL or Moderate Disabilities (note: this would also allow for initial licensure in your subject area pending any other requirements from DESE). Deadline is April 11, 2025; more info and application found here: https://www.teachboston.org/bpsteachingfellowship

The Teacher Leadership Fund: What challenge do you want to solve? Early application deadline, April 1st.

Grants of up to $15,000 are available for teams of educators who want to work together to create solutions to challenges that impact our students. Grantee teams also benefit from working in community with other educators across the district and receiving support throughout project implementation. For complete information about the program including application and guidelines, bit.ly/TLFund2025. Info at bit.ly/bpsbtutlfund

AFT Teach Conference 2025: Go to D.C. with the BTU! April 11 Deadline

Join the BTU’s delegation to TEACH, our national union’s biannual professional development conference. Join thousands of educators from across the country to learn about professional issues, policy challenges, and classroom strategies. Members of the BTU’s delegation receive conference registration, shared hotel room in Washington, D.C. and reimbursement for travel. The BTU will select up to 40 members to attend, with priority given to members who have not attended in the past. For more information see the conference website. Apply Today!

APALA Convention: Application deadline April 15th

This year’s convention will be held from June 26-29, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Priority will be given to those who are active in the APALA MA chapter, identify as AAPI and/or have not attended in the past. All BTU members, including paraprofessionals, ABAs, and substitute teachers are eligible to apply. The BTU will pay for registration, a set average cost for the travel and hotel cost. If you have any questions, please contact Karen Cross at kcross@btu.org. Please Click here to apply.

Save the dates! Earth Month/Climate Week of Action April 28-May 1

The BTU Climate Justice Committee is calling for a week of action, April 28- May 1. With the climate science deniers now in ascendancy in the federal government, it is critical our students learn the truth about climate change and feel empowered to act to save our planet. Sign up here for more information. And check out this link for an April daily calendar of climate related topics for all grades.

Educator Night at the Red Sox: May 16th

We have tickets for sale to the Red Sox vs the Braves at Fenway park on May 16th at 7:10pm. Tickets are in the Right Field Grand Stand, Section 3, price is $55.00 each. There is a free Quarter Zip with each ticket purchased to be picked up at the park the night of the game. You can fill out the form and a PayPal link will be forwarded to pay for your tickets. Tickets are not guaranteed until Payment is received. Feel free to reach out to Michelle at the office or mfrank@btu.org with questions or concerns!

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.

-Connect & Share Sessions on “Access to Fishtank for Multilingual Learners

-Multilingual Learners Math Learning Site

-Building Independence and Agency in a Productive Learning Environment Learning Site

-Climate Change in the City: Place-based Science in Boston Harbor

-“Witnessing Black America through the Art of John Wilson” Educator Workshop Thursday, April 10, 4:30-6:30pm; MFA Boston; Free

-BU Wheelock Forum, Thriving in the Middle School Years March 27-28

Community Events

Anna’s Pals Boston Marathon Fundraiser

Anthony Catino, son, grandson, nephew and cousin of BTU members, is running the Boston Marathon this year. Anthony is a graduate of BLS and his charity is Anna’s Pals , founded in memory of Anna Jerome, also a BLS student. Anna’s Pals is working to build “Pal Houses” to provide a safe environment for patients recovering from surgery to interact with their loved ones. Please consider donating to this cause.