BTU Membership Meeting TOMORROW!

Happy belated World Teachers’ Day, which is celebrated each year on October 5th by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Teachers’ Day was designated by UNESCO in the 1960s to celebrate teachers as well as to highlight the support educators need in order to best serve our students.

October 5th-11th is also this year’s National Banned Book Week, which was established by a coalition of educators and librarians, free speech activists and publishers in the 1980s. This year’s theme is “Censorship is so 1984- Read for your Rights”, and the coalition is calling for supporters to highlight the importance of free access to literature on October 11th for a “Let Freedom Read Day” by taking these suggested actions.

Federal Government Shutdown Resources

At the time of this bulletin’s release, the federal government is still stuck in a shutdown. This is a fast-moving situation surrounded by strategic messaging primarily driven by politics and the broader fight over power in Washington despite the fact that everyday Americans are the ones suffering the consequences.

Russell Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and a chief architect of Project 2025, has previously said a shutdown is an opportunity to continue his mission of firing federal workers and weakening agencies which provide essential services. This strategy supports President Trump’s documented attempt to completely dismantle union rights for federal workers.

Democrats are taking a stand to try to reverse some impending cuts to healthcare services which will remove coverage for more than 4 million Americans and increase premiums for an estimated 25 million. Negotiators are also hesitant to agree to a deal considering that the Republican controlled Congress has relinquished its Constitutional duty and allowed the Trump Administration to withhold more than $400 billion in approved spending.

Our national union AFT has put together this resource page to add insight to the situation as well as provide information on how you can take action. Our individual stories hold power, so we encourage you to use your voice and speak out for your students!

Reminder: our monthly membership meeting is TOMORROW, Wednesday, Oct. 8th.  We hope that many of you attend to learn updates on our Listen and Learn school visits, the proposed new graduation requirements, and more.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Every year the BTU Women’s Rights Committee organizes a team of BTU Walkers to participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer fundraiser. Dozens of BTU members gathered at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade this past Saturday to turn in donations to support breast cancer research, to celebrate survivors and to walk in honor of the loved ones we’ve lost to this disease.

Thank you to the Women’s Rights Committee, the BTU Walkers and BTU Parent and Community Liaison Brenda Chaney for your work and support for a cure.

Check out our Facebook and Instagram to see some pictures from a beautiful day.

Here is the link to begin the donation process, the deadline to donate is October 31st!!

Last Thursday, the BTU distributed a text message to active members which contained a link that was no longer in service. We apologize for the confusion. You should have received another text message with the correct link by now. We appreciate your patience as we perfect our new database.

Joining the sick bank is of critical importance to our union. By donating just one of your accrued sick days, you are contributing to a safety net for yourself and your colleagues who have exhausted their leave because of significant life challenges.

BTU Internal Incident Report Form

We would like to remind you that the BTU is taking on the initiative of maintaining our own record of safety incidents in our schools this year. School safety continues to be a significant challenge in this district and having accurate data only strengthens the advocacy of our elected union officials. We have created this submission form for BTU members which will confidentially document every school-based safety incident that is submitted. You can also find the form on our website.

BTU Events and Announcements

NEW! ABA Program Survey: DEADLINE OCT. 9TH

The district is launching an external research-based assessment of ABA programming in partnership with SPED Strategies. The results of this will provide insight and recommendations to ensure continuous improvement of ABA programming. An important aspect of this is hearing directly from ABA program staff. If your school has ABA programming, please take 10-15 minutes to complete this survey by October 9, 2025 and share with appropriate team members. This survey is completely anonymous and will be used to provide quantitative and anecdotal data for our final report.

NEW! 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!

BTU Writing and Research Fellowship

In partnership with UMASS Boston and the Boston Writing Project, this year-long classroom-based research fellowship is open to all BTU members. The BTU Writing and Research Fellowships creates a collaborative intellectual community in which Research Fellows support one another to engage in professional identity work, conduct rigorous practitioner research, advance professional practice and promote student learning and well-being, and pursue social justice. Earn graduate credit from UMASS Boston (for a fee) and a $600 honorarium. Learn more here & Apply Today. Contact ptritter@btu.org with questions.

Introducing The POP: BTU Policy & Organizing Program

A new offering combining the former Education Policy and Member Organizing programs, the POP helps members gain knowledge and skills while contributing to the BTU’s core organizing campaigns. Fellows learn about education policy, build foundational organizing skills, and conduct action research. Then they apply their learning to support a priority BTU campaign.

The course meets on 7 Saturdays this year. Stipend: $1500. Flyer, FAQ, Apply today at: bit.ly/BTUepp

Join a BPS Focus Group to Provide Feedback on Instruction and Services for Multilingual Learners

The Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) is conducting a comprehensive review of the district’s support for multilingual learners. BPS OMME is seeking BPS educators to volunteer to share your perspective during the CGCS Strategic Support Team’s focus group. Your voice is essential in shaping how BPS supports multilingual learners and their families. More information available here!

NEW! BTU ABA Working Group

The next ABA educators BTU group meeting is on Monday, October 6th from 5:00-6:00pm on Zoom, and then every other Monday at the same time. Please email Madison Kronheim (madisonkronheim@gmail.com) for the Zoom link.

NEW! BTU Pre-K Working Group: Oct. 14th

Calling all Pre-K educators! The working group is back with our first meeting on Tuesday, October 14th, from 5:30-6:30 on zoom. This is a space for educators to gather, share ideas, learn from one another’s expertise, and proactively problem solve together. If you are new to the group, please register here. Email Caitlin Gaffny cgaffny@btu.org with any questions.

NEW! BTU Multilingual Educators Group: Oct. 16th

The next meeting for the BTU multilingual educators group is on Thursday, October 16th, from 4:30-5:30 then will continue on the first Thursday of each month. Please email Katie DeLaRosa (kdelarosa@btu.org) for the Zoom link.

NEW! BTU Educators for Reading Group: Oct. 16th

The next BTU Educators for Reading Group meeting is on Thursday, October 16th from 7:30-8:30pm on Zoom, and then will continue on the third Thursday of each month. Please email Steven Benjamin (steven.benjamin188@gmail.com) for the Zoom link.

NEW! BTU Extended Learning Time (ELT) Working Group: Oct. 16th

The ELT Working Group starts back up on October 16th from 5:30-6:30 on zoom. Join us as we continue our conversation around Extended Learning Time. If you are new to the group, fill out this form. Contact Caitlin Gaffny (cgaffny@btu.org) with questions.

BTU Paraprofessional Informational & Resource Fair: Oct. 23rd

The BTU is hosting another resource fair designed specifically for Paraprofessionals on October 23rd at the BTU Hall starting at 5pm! Representatives from multiple local colleges such as UMass Boston, Simmons University, Boston College, and Merrimack College will be attending to share information on career advancement programs. The City of Boston will have resource tables and there will also be information on free financial coaching and tax programs.

NEW! People’s Forum on Graduation Readiness: Oct. 27th

Citizens for Public Schools and the BTU are hosting a series of public forums across the state where parents, teachers, students, can come together to discuss 3 fundamental questions: What should students know/be able to do by the time they graduate from high school? How should students demonstrate their readiness to graduate? What should high school look like to prepare students for your recommended graduation requirements? Please join us from 5:00–6:30 PM, at the BTU Hall. RSVP here.

BTU Boston Desegregation Tour
We are proud to be planning a Desegregation Tour through Boston to visit significant landmarks and locations related to the federally mandated bussing policy in the 1970s. If you’re interested in learning more about BPS history and meeting some members who lived through this period, please fill out this google form! If you are a teacher and would like to bring students please reach out to Lea at 6172976260.

Ready to retire or just starting to plan? Join us at the BTU for a Retirement Planning Seminar for on October 30th and take the first step toward a secure and confident future. There will be a Pre-seminar Question and Answer session regarding retirement and health benefits from 3:30-4:30pm. AFT is also planning on having a financial wellness workshop, “Building Your Financial Power” from 6-7pm.

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. Sign up 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.

• Early Childhood Co-Planning Drop-In
• District Assessment Plan SY25-26
• SY 2025-2026 Annual Notice for State Required Assessments
• ODA Back to School PD Calendar Fall 2025
• LAS Links Training Sessions – Fall SY25-26
• Online Mentoring for Professional Licensure (Virtual Introductory Session 10/23/25 –5:30-7:00)
• MTSS Learning Cohort Session 1: “Dyslexia Working Group Resources” October 15, 5:30-7:00PM

Call For Submissions

Call for Submissions: BTU Members teaching at their former schools

If you are a BTU member who currently teaches at a school you once attended as a BPS student, we’d love to hear from you. There are more than 8,000 active BTU educators spread across Boston’s schools and we want to share the stories of our members. Our first goal is to interview BTU members on this topic, take a photo, and learn about your journey back to a familiar school. The interview could be published in the BUT newspaper and/or on our social media channels. If you or a colleague fits this profile, please reach out to Brendan Deady at bdeady@btu.org!

Thank You for Reading

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