BPS Announces School Closures Effective June 2027

We felt the first real chill of winter this weekend and believe it or not Thanksgiving is next week. It’s a difficult time financially for many families in our city, but there is an upcoming opportunity to directly support our students and BPS families. This Saturday and Sunday, Boston Public Schools is partnering with the Red Cross Food Pantry in Dorchester to distribute Thanksgiving groceries to the families of more than 1100 Community Hub School students.

Organizers need volunteers to sort through donations as well deliver groceries by car to families across Boston. If you’re interested in volunteering, check out this form.

School Closure Announcements

Monday afternoon, the school department notified the Lee Academy Pilot School, the Community Academy of Science and Health (CASH), and Another Course to College (ACC) communities that a recommendation will be made to the School Committee to close the schools after the 2026-2027 school year. Recommendations will also be made to eliminate the high school grades at the Henderson School and grades 7 and 8 at the Tobin School.

BTU leadership visited each school yesterday and will be scheduling union meetings at each building slated for closure or reduction within the next few weeks. The BTU will work throughout this process to amplify the voice of our members, their students and families in responding to these devastating announcements.

Whenever a school closes, it’s a deep loss for the community. Educators’ job security is threatened, students are separated from friends and mentors, and families are forced to restructure their daily schedules. BTU members at the Lee Academy shared this message after receiving the closure news:

The BTU agrees that students and educators should not be forced to work and learn in an outdated facility, but as one member at Lee Academy said, “If the students deserve a better building, how is closing us down and dispersing the students providing that?” There is no clear plan for how students in these closed schools will have better facilities and programs. Over the past 25 years, BPS has opened 8 new school buildings while closing down more than 30. If Boston does not invest in school facilities, then families will continue to look elsewhere.

As of now, the district plans to formally introduce its closure proposal to the School Committee on November 19. The School Committee is slated to vote on the proposal on December 17th, less than a month later. The BTU has made it clear that this approach does not give families enough time to process and discuss this development and will continue to advocate for the vote to be delayed until after the holidays.

By chance, one of our partner organizations the Build BPS/Green New Deal Stakeholders Coalition is holding a community forum on zoom this Thursday, November 20th, focusing on what communities can do when facing a school closure. If you’re interested in attending the forum, here is a registration link for the zoom meeting.

Last week, BTU members testified before the legislature in support of proposed bills that would end the threat of harmful and unfair state receivership, support quality libraries in every school, and promote the implementation of the Hub School model across Massachusetts.

BTU organizers shared testimony from members in support of the Thrive Act 2.0, which would finally remove the state’s ability to force school districts into a provenly harmful receivership agreement. BTU Vice President Lea Serena testified in support of a bill that would establish a state commission to study how the proven model of Hub schools can be implemented across the state. Fenway High School Librarian Bonnie McBride testified alongside her student Misa in support of a bill that would establish statewide standards for school libraries.

Continued support for Federal Workers

On Sunday, November 16th, BTU Vice President Lea Serena joined federal worker unions, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and Senator Ed Markey to condemn the Trump Administration’s continued assault on working families and the union rights of federal workers.

The rally was organized in support of Ellen Mei, who was fired by the federal government for raising concerns about the Trump Administration’s destabilization of the SNAP food assistance program. Serena applauded federal workers who oversee the SNAP food assistance program for ensuring students receive free healthy meals.

Immigration Rights Leafletting in JP

All BTU members are welcomed to meet at the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain this Saturday at 10am to help hand out leaflets which provide important information about immigration rights and access to food support. If you’re interested in volunteering, please register beforehand.

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

NEW! Haitian Educators Committee Meeting: November 24, 5:00-7:00 pm

This month, the Haitian educators’ committee will have a Meet and Greet event at a Boston restaurant instead of the regular monthly Zoom meeting. The Meet and Greet will be on Monday November 24th at 5:00 pm. This event is to bring more Haitian educators together to create a stronger committee in the BTU to advance issues of our community. If you are interested in attending, please reach out to Bianca Pierre for the location at bpierre74@gmail.com.

NEW! School Closures and Mergers: Is Your School At Risk? Thursday, November 20, 7:00–8:30 PM, On Zoom

Boston Public Schools is making big decisions that could impact your child’s school. But who’s deciding — and who’s being left out? Join parents, educators, and neighbors for a powerful forum to: 1) Look at new BPS data to see which schools may be at risk of merger or closure 2) Prepare to take action to protect our schools before decisions are made. Register here for the zoom link: bit.ly/3JPH1bq

AFT MA Fall Conference- November 22nd

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

BTU Night at the Celtics (All Bruins tickets have been claimed)

The BTU is purchasing a block of tickets for members to attend the Celtics vs San Antonio Spurs game January 10th at 8:00pm, in balcony 308. Tickets are $160.00 each. Please fill out the interest form and you will be sent a PayPal invoice for the tickets. 

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

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 check out the flyer here!

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.

• 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)
• Early Childhood Inclusive Practices Learning Cohort Sessions 3: Math

Community Events

Thanksgiving Meal Distribution for Hub Community School Families

BPS is partnering with the Red Cross Food Pantry on Mass Ave. in Dorchester to distribute Thanksgiving meals to more than 1150 BPS Hub Community School families. Organizers are looking for volunteers for this Saturday and Sunday to sort through donations as well as deliver food packages across Boston. If you’re interested in volunteering, please sign up here.

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

#BPSCoders Contest 2025

Celebrate Computer Science Education Week with the annual #BPSCoders Student Contest! Please visit bit.ly/bpscoders for more information. The contest is open to all BPS students, grades K0-12, from December 8, 2025 to January 9, 2026. Contact hhosokawa@bostonpublicschools.org for more information.

Brandeis Teacher Leadership Graduate Program

The Brandeis Teacher Leadership Program is a graduate program

that prepares experienced and talented K-12 teachers to work with administrators and colleagues to improve instruction and strengthen school culture. This innovative hybrid program combines two 2.5 week summer sessions on the Brandeis campus in Waltham with online learning and 1:1 coaching during the school year. Two options are available for this affordable program: a 13-month Advanced Graduate Study credential (24 credits) or a two-year Ed.M. in Teacher Leadership (36 credits). Generous financial aid is available! For more information see go.brandeis.edu/TeacherLeadership or email msokolof@brandeis.edu

BTU in the News

BTU President Erik Berg and BTU member Robert Comeau were featured in a Boston Globe article on how educators are reacting to the growing use of A.I. among students in the absence of clear guidelines from governments. Check out the article 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.