BTU Membership Meeting Tomorrow at 4:30

We’d like to begin by expressing our gratitude to our members who are veterans as well as their loved ones who supported them during their military service. We are deeply grateful on this Veterans Day for your public service and sacrifice.

Election Results a Win for Public Education and Labor

We’d like to congratulate Mayor Michelle Wu and the City Council candidates endorsed by the BTU who won their elections on Tuesday, November 4th, along with at-large candidate Marvin Mathelier, who ran a strong race for a first-time candidate running without major institutional support. Thank you also to the BTU members who volunteered to support these campaigns. Your time and effort helped ensure that Boston is represented by politicians who understand the importance of protecting public education.

We didn’t just win in Boston. Across the country, pro-public education, pro-labor candidates who will protect our democracy and focus on the everyday problems of Americans prevailed. Tuesday’s election results should give us hope. When push comes to shove, voters are far more concerned about their day to day struggles than the latest argument on social media.

The best place to start is in our own neighborhoods. So we look forward to working with our recently elected officials to create a brighter future for our students.

Congratulations to our endorsed candidates who won their races:  Mayor Michelle Wu, District 1 Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, District 2 Councilor Ed Flynn, District 3 Councilor John FitzGerald, District 4 Councilor Brian Worrell, District 5 Councilor Enrique Pepen, District 6 Councilor Ben Weber, District 7 Councilor Miniard Culpepper and At-Large Councilors Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, and Henry Santana.

Federal update and food drives

At the time of this writing, the federal government is still shut down. The latest update on Monday is the Trump Administration is planning to go to the Supreme Court to once again seek permission to refuse to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance program. The Trump Administration could use reserve funds which were set aside specifically for these situations to ensure families could still access food.

Instead, they’re choosing to spend resources to argue in court that the federal government shouldn’t have to meet its obligation to feed millions of hungry families. More than 1 million people in Massachusetts rely on federal snap benefits.

The BTU is hosting a non-perishable food drive before our membership meeting tomorrow, November 12th, which begins at 4:30 at the BTU Hall. If you’re able, please bring some shelf stable foods to the BTU Hall. Staff will collect the donations and arrange for drop-offs to our schools with food donation sites.

Boston Public Schools has also established food donation boxes at 11 sites across the city. BPS is asking that donations be dropped-off before the morning bell at school locations to avoid interfering with student routine. See the chart below for the locations and the times they’re open.

Sadly, some of our members rely on SNAP and other public support programs just to stay afloat in high-cost Boston. Your donations will provide support to them and every child in our city who worries about their next meal.

5 BPS Schools Exit Transformation Status

BPS recently announced that five BPS schools will be exiting “transformation status” at the end of this school year. They are: the Chittick, Curley, Grew, Holmes and Perkins schools. This is a designation BPS uses for schools The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education designates as “requiring assistance or intervention” meaning they have a low percentile ranking in the state’s test score driven accountability system. While the BTU continues to oppose the use of standardized test scores to assign ratings or special status to schools, we do recognize that in the system we have, it is a positive sign that these schools have exited transformation status. We are also heartened that the additional coaching supports these schools received as transformation schools will continue for at least another year.

If you are not being paid correctly, please contact payroll and the BTU. We suggest that you contact your Building Representative, keep copies of your paystubs and any relevant correspondence, register your issue with the BTU, and also file a complaint with the state Attorney General’s Office

We will emphasize again the importance of keeping thorough records of your paystubs as well as any correspondence with your administrator or the district to try to resolve the situation.

If you have recently changed your address, please make sure to tell BPS Central Office, update your Sirius Member Portal profile, and also notify the BTU Health and Welfare Office. If your address is not up to date with the BTU Health and Welfare office, you could miss important notices about your dental or Eye Care benefits.

BTU Events and Announcements

AFT MA Fall Conference

You will gain new tools and resources to help engage your members, continue to strengthen your local to meet the moment and fight for our students, our members and our communities. There will be workshop offerings on growing membership density, role of building reps, safe school communities for immigrants, how to create a rapid response and mobilization structure, and more! Register here!

BTU Black Caucus Meeting: November 18th

The Black Caucus for the BTU will meet in person on Tuesday, November 18, 5:30 at the BTU. Please email Johnny McInnis (jmcinnis@btu.org) for more details

Safe Routes to School Training Program:
The City of Boston is hosting a training for educators who work with 2nd and 3rd graders to provide guidance on how to discuss pedestrian safety with students. This 30-45 minute pedestrian safety lesson covers 1) how to cross streets and intersections safely, 2) parking lot safety, and 3) outdoor bus safety. If you’re interested, then please schedule a visit here.

Questions? Please reach out to samantha.veth@boston.gov

BTU Night at the Celtics & Bruins

The BTU is purchasing a block of tickets for members is offering Bruins and Celtics tickets for members for games in January. Bruins tickets are for January 11th at 5:00 pm against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Seats are in balcony 320 and $65.00 each. Please fill out the interest form for the Bruins and you will be sent a PayPal invoice for the tickets.

Celtics vs San Antonio Spurs: January 10th at 8:00pm, balcony 308. Tickets are $160.00 each. Please fill out the interest form and you will be sent a PayPal invoice for the tickets. 

Volunteer to get Rent Control on the ballot!
Do you want to limit rent increases to 5% per year so that you and your students can afford to live in Boston? Sign up here to gather signatures for the rent control ballot initiative with fellow BTU members from the Housing Justice Committee! No experience needed, all are welcome! Be on the lookout for signature petitions at your school building.

NEW AFT MA Fall Conference: November 22nd, 8:30am-2pm

Join leaders, Building Reps and rank-and-file members from across AFT Massachusetts for the AFT Massachusetts Fall Conference! There will be workshop offerings on growing membership density, role of building reps, safe school communities for immigrants, how to create a rapid response and mobilization structure, and more! Register today: AFT Massachusetts Fall Conference · AFT

Petition for Bilingual Programming

Boston parents, educators, and community members are signing this petition to ask the Mayor to make a 10 year plan to ensure every student in Boston Public Schools has access to home language classroom support and high-quality bilingual programs in the city’s major languages. Please sign and share!

ABA Para Upcoming Trainings: First Date November 19th

This 4 hour training will equip paraprofessionals in ABA-based classrooms with basic skills necessary to be instructional partners in their classrooms and directly support students in accessing academic, social, and vocational opportunities. 4 dates available (20 spots per class). For more details, please check out the registration link.

Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 9 am – 1 pm

Monday, December 15, 2025, 9 am – 1 pm

Monday, January 19, 2026, 9 am – 1 pm

Monday, March 16, 2026, 9 am -1 pm

BPS – ABA Program Review Focus Group

In collaboration with SPED Strategies, Boston Public Schools (BPS) is launching a research-based assessment of ABA programming and services. An important aspect of this is hearing directly from general education teachers and ABA program staff members. Please register for the Focus Group which best applies to you:

General Education virtual Focus Group: Tuesday, November 18th at 10:00 am. General Education registration link.

ABA Program Staff virtual Focus Group: Tuesday, November 18th at 12:00 pm. ABA staff registration link.

Support a state ban on Facial Recognition Technology:
Facial recognition technology gives the government unprecedented power to track our every move. Massachusetts must pass S.1053 (An Act to implement the recommendations of the special commission on facial recognition technology) to protect residents from unchecked surveillance and potential federal overreach under the Trump administration. This legislation implements balanced reforms that safeguard civil liberties while maintaining public safety capabilities. Click Here to support the bill.

Save the Date: BTU Kwanzaa! Celebration on Dec. 12th from 5:30pm-8pm
The BTU will be continuing the tradition of hosting a Kwanzaa! celebration for members at our hall. Save the date and keep an eye out for more details soon!

ALC Course February 3, 2026 – April 26, 2026 6:30 – 8:00PM

Spanish for BPS Educators is an Introductory Spanish Course geared towards adult learners in BPS to learn enough Spanish to welcome Spanish-speaking families and students into the BPS Community. Curriculum is focused on Boston schools and community and 1 ALC will be provided at end of course for students who meet course requirements. Contact jcaldarone@bostonpublicschools.org for more information.

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.

• SY 2025-2026 Annual Notice for State Required Assessments
• ODA Back to School PD Calendar Fall 2025
• LAS Links Training Sessions – Fall SY25-26
• Math Working Group
• Language and Power summit 2: Nov 19th, 4-7 pm
• Implementing the Stations Model for SLIFE Classrooms
• SLIFE Learning Sites: Observe SLIFE in inclusion on November 17th or Observe SLIFE Math on November 18th from 9-2pm.
• Text/Image Circle: November 19, 5:00-7:00PM
• Addressing Knowledge Gaps in Secondary Math (Connect & Share)

Community Events

Friends of the Boston Schoolyard Newsletter

The Friends of the Boston Schoolyard is an organization that supports outdoor learning in the BPS. We publish a seasonal newsletter that highlights the work of outdoor learning that is happening in the BPS as well share information about other organizations that support outdoor learning. Link: https://conta.cc/3VnDyTL

TCU Holiday Loans Now Available!

Make the most of the season with a Holiday Loan from Tremont Credit Union! Whether you’re planning festive celebrations, traveling to see loved ones, or tackling end-of-year expenses, our Holiday Loan is here to help. With flexible use and a quick application process, it’s a simple and affordable way to bring a little extra joy—and peace of mind—to your holiday season. More information here

Thank You for Reading

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