Published On: May 7, 2025

Teacher and Nurse Appreciation Week!
Thank you to all of our Teachers and Nurses!
Good Morning,

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week and National Nurses Week! Thank you to our teachers and healthcare workers for the multiple roles you fill in our children’s lives and in our communities: Educator, mentor, activist, confidant, role model, counselor, advocate and many more.

May also brings many cultural appreciations and celebrations. We encourage you all to join us in celebrating Haitian Heritage Month, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month!

Week in Preview and Review: Activism and Contract Update

The Boston City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing followed by a vote on the tentative contract agreement. which covers the 2024-2027 school years, reached between the BTU and BPS in March. We have been in active discussion with our city councilors and anticipate that the council will approve the funding for the collective bargaining agreement. The city council vote is the last official step in the ratification process and would allow the terms we secured to be implemented immediately.

The BTU has been consistently communicating with BPS management to get a clear timeline on when members should expect to see their new wages go into effect. We are also advocating for the district to distribute retroactive paychecks as soon as possible. BPS has said it won’t be able to do so until the fall. We have made it clear that timeline is unacceptable and will provide updates as soon as we receive them.

Reminder: The in-person primary election for BTU Executive Board is taking place TOMORROW at the BTU Hall. Please see the message from the BTU Election Committee below for more details.

Last week the BTU participated in multiple events emphasizing the critical role that labor unions have played and must play going forward as the Trump administration continues to try to dismantle worker and civil rights protections.
On Monday, April 28th, the BTU joined the Massachusetts Coalition of Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) for a Workers Memorial Day ceremony at the Massachusetts Statehouse to commemorate the members of our local labor community who lost their lives on the jobsite over the past year.
This comes as worker safety continues to be undermined by the current administration: 11 regional OSHA offices have been shuttered and the agency responsible for providing research to inform OSHA policymaking has lost more than 70 percent of its workforce because of funding cuts.
On Thursday, May 1st, the BTU collaborated with local labor and advocacy organizations to participate in a national May Day action in recognition of International Worker’s Day and in response to attacks on immigrants and the federal workforce throughout the Trump Administration’s first 100 days in office. Check out some coverage of the protest which drew more than 2,000 people to the Boston Common.
Finally, AFT Massachusetts hosted its annual convention over the weekend which connected BTU members with colleagues of other education locals from across Massachusetts. At the convention, two BTU members were honored with AFTMA Distinguished Service awards: Social Worker Randi Davis was recognized with the Emerging Leader award, and ABA specialist Claude James received an award for distinguished service in the PSRP category. Congratulations, Randi and Claude!
At the end of the convention, members held a stand-out in front of the Social Security Administration building in Dorchester in protest of the widespread cuts to customer service support which have caused significant issues for seniors attempting to access their hard-earned benefits
BTU Organizer Position Posted

In BTU news, our longtime amazing organizer, Jonathan Rodrigues, is leaving the BTU at the end of the school year.  We will miss Jonathan’s dedication, intelligence, and deep commitment to BTU members very much, and wish him and his family well in the future!  The BTU will be seeking a new organizer, and we encourage applications.  BTU members or others with organizing experience who are interested in the Organizer position should apply here.
BTU Members joined more than 2,000 allies on Boston Common for a “May Day” rally last Thursday.

Message from the BTU Election Committee

Primary Election for our Executive Board is tomorrow! Voting will be at the BTU from 8am-6pm on May 7th. All candidates and members are welcome to stay while the ballots are being counted and the results are announced.

General Election ballots will be mailed out no later than May 13th. Please check your mail and mail your ballots in ASAP! They are due by June 3rd. In person voting will be on June 4th from 8am-6pm.

Candidates Night for President, Executive Vice President, Secretary Treasurer, Political Director, and Elementary, Secondary, and Para/ ABA/Substitute Field Reps will be at the monthly Membership Meeting on May 14th. Each candidate will have two minutes to speak. Please hear the candidates statements at 4:30pm

You may contact ombudsperson Danielle Fraine with questions or concerns at electioncommittee@btu.org. Next meeting is May 19th 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 members gathered with their AFT MA colleagues for the annual AFT MA convention in Boston over the weekend!

BTU Events and Announcements

NAEP is Hiring

The National Assessment of Educational Progress is looking to hire in-school data collectors for national assessments for grades 4,8 and 12 for the time period of January 26 to March 20, 2026. For more information, please visit www.WorkNAEP.com

ABA Classrooms Group 1st Meeting

The new BTU group focused on ABA classrooms will hold it’s first meeting on Monday, May 19th from 5-6pm on Zoom. If you have not yet completed the interest form, please do and you will be added to the calendar invite. Everyone who has shown interest will also get updates from the meeting. If you have questions you can reach out to Madison Kronheim at madisonkronheim@gmail.com or Katie DeLaRosa at kdelarosa@btu.org.

 

BTU Pre-K Classrooms Group 1st Meeting

The new BTU group focused on Pre-K classrooms will hold it’s first meeting on Tuesday, May 20th from 5-6pm on Zoom. If you have not yet completed the interest form, please do and you will be added to the calendar invite. Everyone who has shown interest will also get updates from the meeting. If you have questions you can reach out to Caitlin Gaffny at cgaffny@btu.org or Katie DeLaRosa at kdelarosa@btu.org.
Bilingual Education in BPS: Community Voices from Busing to Today: May 13th

This event hosted by St. Stephen’s Youth Programs is a community forum that brings together parents, educators, and advocates to reflect on the ongoing fight for quality public education for immigrant children in Boston. From the desegregation era to today’s push for multilingual programs, immigrant communities have always led the struggle for justice in our schools. Click here to learn more and register!

Para Power: Past, Present, and Future- May 29th from 6-7:00pm

UMass Boston Professor Nick Juravich, author of Para Power: How Paraprofessional Labor Changed Education, will be having a discussion with BTU paraprofessionals Sharon O’Dwyer and Cynthia Ferris about the impact of paras within the educator labor movement. The event starts at 6pm at the South Boston BPL branch. See the flyer below for more details.

 

3rd Annual BPS STEAMfest & Innovation Challenge: May 31, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

The 3rd Annual BPS STEAMfest will feature the BPS Innovation Challenge where students will present their STEAM projects. There will be hands-on activities for students and families of all ages. Lunch, raffles, prizes and more! To learn how you and your students can participate in the Innovation Challenge, visit bit.ly/bps-steamfest or contact Marcus Penny (mpenny@bostonpublicschools.org).

BTU End of Year Party (The Last Bell): Saturday, June 7th, 5-9pm at Lawn on D

Calling all BTU members! Join us for the BTU’s annual End of Year Party (The Last Bell) being hosted at the Lawn on D (420 D St. Boston, MA 02210) on Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 5-9pm. Please note this event is for MEMBERS ONLY! This evening of fun will have games, food, drinks, and swag! You won’t want to miss out! Register here!

Summer Organizing Institute August 13-14!

Join us “Meeting the Moment, Building the Movement” our annual Summer Organizing Institute open to all BTU members to help build our skills to organize and bargain; dive deep on the issues impacting our schools; and take action together in a fun and engaging two days of sharing and learning. RSVP today!
Click here to learn more and 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.

  • Building Independence and Agency in a Productive Learning Environment Learning Site
  • New Sections of Required 12 Hour Inclusive Ed Course Added
  • Telescope Connect & Share: “Early Childhood Inclusive Environments”: May 13th, 5:30-7:00PM on Zoom
  • Aspire & Inspire Educator Symposium, May 22nd, 5:00-7:00pm
  • Connect & Share: “Teaming for MTSS”: May 15, 5:30-7:00 PM

Community Events

BPS Teacher Publishes Second Edition of Book

Liz Byron Loya has been a proud BPS teacher for 15 years, and she just released the second edition of her book, Art for All. The book shares strategies for implementing Universal Design for Learning in Visual Art and highlights Boston Public Schools. Check it out here.

 

Licensed Educators: Earn $4,500 this Summer

Trinity Education for Excellence Program is a 5 week-course open to the public. TEEP ELA and Math Teachers will be responsible for teaching rising 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students from Monday – Thursday during our 5-week summer program (July 7 – August 8). The TEEP Summer ELA Teacher must also complete TEEP staff training (June 30 – July 3) prior to the start of summer session. Interested educators can send a cover letter and resume to Morgan Beckford, Youth Development & Leadership Pathway Director at mbeckford@trinityconnects.org.

Apex for Youth Program: Application Deadline May 31st

We are now recruiting 8th-11th grade students for our free National Virtual Mentoring Program (NVMP), which connects students nationwide with dedicated mentors for 1:1 support, career guidance, and more. To date, we’ve matched 69 students across 16 states with mentors who undergo thorough vetting to ensure the best experience for all involved.

CitySprouts Fifth Quarter Job Opportunities!

CitySprouts is excited to be hosting Fifth Quarter learning for rising 5th and 6th graders at the Higginson Lewis School. We will be hiring a site coordinator as well as two teachers through BPS, and site leads through CitySprouts. We encourage anyone who believes in hands-on, nature-based learning to apply. Please also encourage your students to apply! If you have any questions, check out the CitySprouts website and/or reach out to Melissa Wender at mwender@citysprouts.org.

Better Budget Alliance—People’s Budget Survey

What do our neighborhoods need? Take our Survey. Boston’s People’s Budget is a community-led process in which residents put forward a proposal for the city budget. Learn more and join us!

Bilingual Storytime and Cooking Adventure

Bibim Together: Bilingual Storytime & Cooking Adventure is looking for multilingual educators who speak Portuguese, Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, or Haitian Creole to co-lead a joyful, family-centered event.

Each session includes:

Reading a children’s book in your home language and English

Guiding families in cooking a dish inspired by the story

Sharing stories, identities, and culture in community Register Here!

BTU in the News

Check out coverage in the Boston Globe of the May Day rally on Boston Common from Thursday, May 1st 2025.

In Memoriam

Margaret “Peg” Hart, who served in various secretarial roles across Boston Public Schools for more than 30 years, passed away peacefully last week. For more information on how you can honor Peg’s life, please see her obituary.

Thank You for Reading

Please send your comments and questions to us at bulletin@btu.org, or call the BTU at 617-288-2000.
Sign up for our weekly eBulletins here!

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