Greetings and have a Happy Thanksgiving:
Last week was a full week.
On Friday, thousands of BTU members picketed at their schools and sites demanding that the school district ‘Talk to Teachers’
| Entire staff from CASH HS picket in Fields Corner photo by James Kelly |
. Why Talk to Teachers? Because our members have gone 15 months without a contract, and there are many issues flapping in the wind as a result: SPED reorganization; adequate and effective English Language Learner training; the question of if, how, and at what compensation will there be an extended day; the adequacy of professional growth opportunities for our members; and so on. On these and other matters of collective bargaining we need a response. And we need the Superintendent to come to the negotiation table. Finally. This has gone on long enough.
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| BTU Plane over West Roxbury, photo, courtesy PATCH.com |
We received photos from all over the city–from Charlestown to Roxbury, Brighton to South Boston, West Roxbury to East Boston, Readville to Dorchester, and everyplace in between. See the outstanding video professionally done here. See photos here. The BTU also rented a plane that flew over the city all day.
Here’s a non-YouTube site to see the same video.
On Thursday, the Superintendent caused a brouhaha by accusing the BTU of postponing a negotiating session. Here’s the takeaway. On the 17th, five days ago, our attorney sent the BPS’s outside counsel this letter requesting negotiations. We have yet to hear back from either outside counsel or the Superintendent. That’s why we call upon the BPS to Talk to Teachers
Boston School Committe Meets on School Relocation Plan
On Tuesday, the appointed Boston School Committee relocated a number of schools, a move that proved unpopular at at least two of the schools, Mission Elementary and the Fenway. The vote was 6-1, with committee member Mary Tamer voting in dissent. The appointed school board members promised the Mission Elementary Parents that the district would insure that the Agassiz school would finally be cleaned up and brought up to code, even though the same promise has been made off and on for the last 25+ years. The near-unanimity of the vote belied the tone of the meeting, at which city councilor Michael Ross and members of the Mission Elem and Fenway communities voiced strong and vociferous opposition. See the meeting’s video recording here.
On Monday, the Superintendent and the union president met at Freedom House to debate the state of contract negotiations . The ‘ask’ at the end of the meeting was whether both sides could settle the contract before the holiday break. The union president said that the union was willing to meet 24/7 in order to wrap this up and move forward. The Superintendent said she could only wrap up negotiations by that date if the BTU agreed to all of her proposals. The audience, to the delight of 20 or so BTU members in attendance, both chuckled and were perplexed at that answer.