A great start to the new school year!

We hope everyone had a great first week back at school! Thank you to our educators and staff whose hard work, dedication, and care made students feel welcome and set the stage for a great year ahead.

The BTU is proud to observe Hispanic Heritage Month and celebrate the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of our Hispanic and Latino communities. We honor our Hispanic and Latino members, students, and families, and the generations of educators and workers who have strengthened our schools, our union, and our city.

Solidarity with striking Encore workers

The BTU stands in solidarity with the workers at Encore Boston Harbor who are striking for a fair contract. We’re proud to stand with our union siblings as they fight for the wages, benefits, and working conditions they deserve. An injury to one is an injury to all!

Important guidance for BPS educators encountering federal agents

With unjust and sometimes violent immigration enforcement on the rise across the country, we must continue to protect our students from harm. Please review the BPS guidance on encountering federal agents on school grounds. Over the summer, the state legislature passed, and the governor signed into law the Protect Act which provides additional protections for schools and other sensitive sites. We await further guidance and training for BPS schools in compliance with this new law.

New Grievance Resources for BTU members

Have questions about the grievance process or your rights at work? BTU’s new Grievance Resources page brings the information members need together in one place.

Learn what a grievance is, what to do if you believe your rights under your contract have been violated, and what to expect from mediation and arbitration. You’ll also find guidance and resources for common issues including class size grievances and pay and wage concerns.

Breakfast in the Classroom

We understand there are schools participating in Breakfast in the Classroom this year. If educators are having issues with the program, please contact your field rep with your concerns and we’ll work through them together.

Sick Bank update

Many members have reached out to us to let us know that the sick bank tile isn’t working. The BTU has reached out to the City about this, but it hasn’t been fixed yet. We’re continuing to advocate for a solution and an extension to the sick bank donation deadline, which is currently October 30th.

BTU Events and Announcements

30-minute meeting for substitutes: Thursday, September 17 at 5pm

Substitutes are invited to attend the 30-minute meeting via Zoom on Thursday, September 17 at 5pm. You will learn more about upcoming contract negotiations and have the opportunity to fill out the contract survey so your voice is heard!

Please complete this form if you plan to attend — the Zoom link will be sent prior to the meeting.

13th Annual Back to School Book Fair: Sunday, September 20 from 10am – 2pm

Block off some space on your calendar now for one of our favorite events of each year: the BTU Back to School Book Fair! For the past 12 years, the BTU has welcomed students, parents, and educators to our union hall to pick up free books, connect with local community organizations, and enjoy a day full of free games, food and inflatable entertainment. Over the past 12 years, the BTU in partnership with AFT national and AFT MA has donated more than 400,000 books to local students, families, and schools.

This is one of our biggest public events each year and we rely on the generous support of volunteers to make it happen. If you’d like to help prepare for the event or assist day-of, check out our landing page for this year’s fair!

If you live or teach in Hyde Park, Roslindale, Mattapan, Readville, or anywhere else in Boston City Council District 5, join us for a Town Hall on Thursday, September 24 with Enrique José Pepén! We’ll talk everything education and how we can make sure Boston Public Schools serve their students, families, and educators! You can RSVP for the event here.

This Zoom presentation on Monday, September 28 from 3:30-5pm covers basic Know Your Rights information and reviews existing guidance to K-12 schools issued by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, the protections offered under the PROTECT Act, and reviews best practices with regard to data sharing, responding to ICE presence or requests for information, and navigating conversations with immigrant students and their families. Register here to attend.

The BTU is seeking members (active and retired) to serve as mediators in our upcoming Racial Harm Response Program. This program has been designed by our Racial Justice Standing Committee in order to establish a clear, fair, and humane process for responding to incidents of racial harm occurring between or among members within the workplace, in BTU spaces, or in connection with BTU-related activities. In order to serve as a mediator members must participate in and successfully complete up to 40 hours of training provided by The Mediation Group.

For full details of the role, training requirements, and compensation, see the full posting and apply here if interested. Applicants will be accepted into the training on a rolling basis, and we strongly encourage you to apply ASAP. Contact Lea Serena and/or Paul Tritter with questions or for more information.

We have a limited amount of seats to a great preseason game: Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers. This is an 8pm game, and the seats are located at the Bud Light Deck (or newly named Top Shelf Bar) for $110.00 each. If you have never been up here before, it’s a great chance to give it a try!

All ages permitted. Please fill out this form and you will be sent a PayPal invoice for payment. Seats are not guaranteed until payment is made.

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.

When students face housing insecurity, schools can be a critical source of stability and support. Join us TOMORROW, Tuesday, September 15 from 4:00–5:00 PM ET for a free webinar featuring SchoolHouse Connection to learn about immigrant students’ educational rights under the McKinney-Vento Act, practical strategies for reducing barriers to school success and how to collaborate with school district homeless liaisons to connect students and families with resources. Register here.

Educators Thriving: Apply by September 18

In this free course for BTU members, learn and practice concrete strategies to prevent burnout and support your own well-being. See our flyer to learn more. Applications due Friday, September 18. Earn 3 ALCs for completing all course requirements. Space is limited.

“Thank you for creating this course. It helped me have a better year and thinking through the things that are important to me and really did help me change my mental state while at work. Things are still stressful and there’s always too much work, but it helped me prioritize, and keep my life in order.” -BTU Member

BTU Writing and Research Fellowship

In partnership with UMASS Boston and the Boston Writing Project, the Boston Teachers Union is proud to offer a year-long school and classroom-based research fellowship to all BTU members. In the Boston Teachers Union Writing and Research Fellowship, we create a collaborative intellectual community in which BPS educators support one another to: develop their research and writing skills, including working toward publication in professional journals and at conferences. Earn graduate credit from UMASS Boston and a $600 honorarium. Learn more here or APPLY TODAY. Contact [email protected] to show interest.

Educator stipends are still available for teachers to participate in The Examined Life’s graduate and professional development program. Created for teachers, three graduate credits can be earned through Fitchburg State University. The Examined Life is a DESE approved professional development program, and 75 PDP’s will be awarded for your participation and completion of requirements. Check out the program at www.teachgreece.org or reach out to [email protected] for more information.

Advanced Learning Site: Embedding ESL in StudySync

This learning site explores a central question: How can ELA educators embed ESL instruction in ways that support language development and meaningful access to rigorous ELA content?

Telescope Network Advancing Learning Sites center on collaborative peer observation, coaching, and improvement cycles. Participants observe a live classroom and debrief with the host teacher to unpack the “how” and “why” behind instructional choices. Participants then identify and implement a change idea in their own classroom, using student work and peer feedback to examine its impact on instructional practice and student learning.

In this learning site, we will explore language demands and high-leverage practices in reading, writing, and discourse that support MLLs, with a focus on embedding ESL within rigorous ELA instruction. Using StudySync as a curriculum context, participants will apply these practices to their own classrooms. Ongoing support includes virtual follow-up coaching sessions on Zoom, where participants reflect on implementation, track progress, and learn from one another. The course culminates in a final reflection and artifact documenting professional growth and impact on student learning.

This course includes an in-person peer observation and virtual Zoom sessions and fulfills the BPS 12-hour Inclusive Education course requirement. The link to register is HERE.

Support the Sam Adams Union! Tuesday, Sep 15, 5:00pm – 10:00pm

Join the crew at Sam Adams Brewery at 5pm TOMORROW, September 15 for a community solidarity event at 30 Germania St. in Jamaica Plain.

The S.A.B.B (Sam Adams Boston Brewery) FOH workers have announced their intent to unionize. They’ve teamed up with the UFCW Local 328, and are preparing for an election on September 22nd.

Boston is a union town, and JP is a community-oriented neighborhood. Come support your neighbors working towards improved employment conditions, safety, equality, fair wages, and more. The link to RSVP for the event is HERE.

Follow the founders of Black Voters Matter as they empower African American voters to turn out in record-breaking numbers, flipping Georgia blue in 2020 despite dangerous threats. In the face of today’s powerful attempts at voter suppression, their vital, brave story sheds keen light on the work that still remains to be done for America to make good on its promise of democracy for all.

Three screenings in Boston this month (September 20, 21, and 23) followed by community conversation. Admission is free, and registration is recommended at the link HERE.

Boston Teachers Union is a proud Community Sponsor along with: Activist Evenings-An Indivisible Group, AfroLatin.net, Black History in Action, Boston Public Library-Shaw-Roxbury Branch, Dunamis Boston, JP Progressives, JustBook-ish, MassArt, MASSCreative, Meraki Productions, and Scope Apparel.

BPS Cabo Verdean educators meet-up: Friday, September 25 at 3pm

Join fellow Cabo Verdean Educators on Friday, September 25 at Cesaria’s Restaurant for an opportunity to connect and expand your professional network. You can RSVP for the event HERE.

Please consider walking this year under the umbrella of the BTU, you may sign your team up on the BTU Walkers Team page.

When you support with a donation or join the BTU Walkers team, the American Cancer Society will be able to help more people in more communities touched by breast cancer by funding groundbreaking breast cancer research, providing free comprehensive information and support, and helping people take steps to reduce their breast cancer risk or find it early when it is most treatable.

Every step taken and every dollar raised will help finish the fight against breast cancer, so please consider either walking with the BTU or making a donation.

You can donate or sign up to participate in the walk here. Thank you so much for your support!

The BTU offers condolences to the family of Maria Tereza Dos Santos Madrona, a retired BTU member and paraprofessional at Madison Park High School in Roxbury, who passed away on September 7, 2026. You can read Maria’s full obituary here.

Thank You for Reading

Please send your comments and questions to us at [email protected], or call the BTU at 617-288-2000.