Attend the staff union meeting and take the bargaining survey!

Work officially begins tomorrow, September 2 for most BTU members, but we know that many of you have been working to prepare for the upcoming school year for a while. We hope you enjoy being back in the building with your colleagues, preparing for the return of students next Tuesday!

But before you get back to school, please be sure to vote in the primary election TODAY, Tuesday, September 1. The BTU has endorsed U.S. Sen. Ed Markey for re-election, and in the 8th Congressional District has endorsed challenger Patrick Roath. We have also endorsed a number of candidates in state legislative and state senate races.

You can find your polling place here, and you can view all of the BTU’s endorsed candidates on our website or at the top of this bulletin. Please be sure to get out and vote today, if you haven’t already!

When you get to school this week, you will have a union meeting with all staff. This 30-minute meeting is the one time all year that all BTU members are in a meeting on the same topic. And because we will be starting contract negotiations this year, we are asking ALL BTU members to complete the bargaining survey at their 30-minute union meeting at their school. Everyone who completes the survey will receive a new BTU T-shirt! It is critical that we hear from all members so our negotiating team knows what to prioritize at the bargaining table. Please be sure to attend this important meeting and complete the survey.

Reminder: Labor Day Parade September 7!

The BTU is again participating in the Boston Labor Day Parade! We had a great turnout last year, and hope you can join your colleagues on Monday, September 7 in Copley Square for a day of union solidarity and joy. We’ll meet up on Saint James Ave. between 9 and 9:30am, and the march will start at 10am.

Too many of our union siblings are under attack right now: federal workers have been stripped of their collective bargaining rights and automatic dues deductions, we’ve see mass layoffs, the NLRB has been gutted, and more. But if unions know one thing, it’s this: we are strongest together. Please join us to celebrate the wins of the labor movement so far and recommit to the work we still have left to do.

To RSVP for the parade, sign up here!

BTU Events and Announcements

30-minute meeting for substitutes: Thursday, September 17

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

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!

Eligible members of the Boston Retirement System (active and retired) should have received their ballots in the mail. Please review election information carefully and participate in the election by mail or electronically before the September 25 5pm deadline.

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.

Sunday, October 4th (full day)

Saturday and Sunday October 24th and 25th (full days)

Sunday, November 8th (full day)

Additional asynchronous work

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.

Paraprofessional Professional Development Opportunities Sept 2nd or Sept 3rd at the BTU Hall @1pm

This course is designed for paraprofessionals and second teachers working with early years students from Pre-K through Grade 2. Participants will explore the six pillars of foundational literacy through the components of the Focus curriculum, gaining practical strategies to support young learners’ language and literacy development. Register for either session here.

Paraprofessional Professional Development Opportunities on Safety Care: Initial Course & Recertification Course September 2nd-3rd

The Initial Course is for those who have never taken Safety Care or whose certification has expired. This is a two-day training and is competency based. You must attend the entirety of both days to be certified. While the end times are listed, we cannot conclude the class until all class members have completed the course.

Recertifications are for those who have taken Safety Care within the last 15 months. It is a one-day training and you must attend the entirety of it. While the end time is listed, we cannot conclude the class until all class members have completed the course.

Date: Thursday 9/3/2026 from 8 am – 4 pm

Here is the link to register.

When students face housing insecurity, schools can be a critical source of stability and support. Join us on 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

Day of Learning: Supporting Multilingual Learners in ELA

October 9, 2026 9:30AM – 3:30PM

Are you a secondary ELA teacher looking to build on your practice of embedding ESL 4 into your content? Join the Office of Multilingual & Multicultural Education, BPS ELA Department, and The Telescope Network for a Day of Learning designed for ELA educators of multilingual learners. Together, we’ll explore how to embed ESL instruction in ways that support language development and meaningful access to rigorous ELA content.

Connect with colleagues, learn from effective practices across BPS, share challenges and successes, and collaborate on approaches you can bring back to your classroom. Continue the learning through an optional Planning Cohort focused on embedding ESL into StudySync unit planning.

Participation in the Planning Cohort fulfills the BPS 12-hour Inclusive Education Course requirement. See this flyer for more details and RSVP at this link to register now.

Community Events

Back to School discount for teachers at JustBook-ish

Through September 6, JustBook-ish in Dorchester will be offering a 10% discount on books to all teachers.

And please save the date: on Thursday, September 3rd, JustBook-ish will host a Back to School Kick-Back — an evening gathering for teachers! You can learn more and RSVP HERE.

Thank You for Reading

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