UPDATED- BTU Election Reminders
Validation of candidates in the upcoming BTU election has been completed.  Based on the number of candidates no primary is needed for this election. Thanks to all who chose to participate in this process and congratulations to all candidates. You can see the list of validated candidates here. You can find the full update on the election process here.

Last Chance to Apply: Return, Recover, Reimagine Task Force: Member Voices Needed
Building from our successful collaborative efforts from last summer, this Taskforce will be an opportunity to engage BPS stakeholders in the design, improvement, and implementation of planning for our return to school in fall 2020. The Task Force will be composed of 7-10 subcommittees each with key stakeholder representation including educators, caregivers, and students. Subcommittees will meet regularly through the spring and summer. Read each subcommittee’s tentative guiding question, and apply here. 

TONIGHT- Telescope Trivia Anniversary: March 30, 8:00-9:15PM
Join for a special one-year anniversary Telescope Trivia Night! Join solo or bring a team. All are welcome for some fun collaboration and light competition. Quiz topics will be food, pop culture, geography, and music.

BTU Racial Justice Town Hall: Wednesday, March 31, 5:00-7:00PM
Join us for our next BTU racial justice town hall, The Last Black Unicorn: A Discussion with Black Male Educators in BPS. Contact Khalida Smalls for more information. This is a virtual event for BTU members only. Please RSVP for the Zoom link.

NEW- THRIVE Act Nationwide Day of Action: March 31
AFT President Randi Weingarten will join Senator Ed Markey, Rep. Debbie Dingell and other leaders to unveil the THRIVE Act as a federal piece of legislation. See the Day of Action Toolkit to get involved!

Reimagine Multilingual Learning Conversations: Through March 31
Please join us to learn and share input on the Roadmap for Quality Education for multilingual learning. These meetings are part of a series of meetings in which are are beginning to reimagine the Office of English Learners. Additional meetings will be coming soon! Please register here.

Simultaneous Teaching Virtual EdCamp: March 31, 4:00-6:00PM
Teaching students at home and in person is hard, but so many of us are doing our best to make it work. Let’s join together as a BPS community, ask questions, share ideas, and learn from each other. EdCamps are a unique “unconference” form of PD where those in attendance lead learning for one another. The Telescope Network is co-hosting an Edcamp around the theme of simultaneous teaching. Registering in advance enters you into a raffle. Prizes will be awarded throughout the event (attendance required to win).

Connect & Share Math Spotlight: April 7, 4:30-6:00PM
Join us for panel discussions on how to bring joy and deep understanding to hybrid math instruction in the hybrid learning classroom. Hear from your colleagues about what’s working in their own classrooms and schools. Connect with peers from across BPS, get new ideas, and earn PD hours as well.

NEW- Virtual Artifact Lounge: April 8 & 12, 4:30-6:30PM
The Educator Supports Program Consulting Teachers are hosting a Virtual Artifact Lounge. Put your best foot forward with powerful artifacts for your formative and summative evaluations! Drop by to receive support in choosing artifacts that showcase your work and in writing powerful rationales. Please fill out this form to choose your preferred session and you will be sent a Zoom link.

Annual Paraprofessional Conference: April 10, 9:00AM-12:30PM
This year’s VIRTUAL conference will include a plenary emphasizing the important role you play in both your union and community, as well as a series of workshops to support both you and your students during the COVID pandemic. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity for professional development and to build connections with other fellow paraprofessionals throughout the Commonwealth. Click here to register.

NEW- AFT Town Hall on Climate Justice: April 13, 6:30PM
You’re invited to join a AFT members, climate activists, our union sisters and brothers, and elected officials from across the country to discuss what all of us can do to win bold investments that transform our schools and workplaces, expand pathways to high quality green union jobs and save our planet. AFT hopes to announce some exciting speakers for this event soon. Please share widely! RSVP here.

Paraprofressional Virtual Break Room: April 13, 5:30-6:30PM
Join your colleagues in a Virtual Break Room, SPRING EDITION! Come in to say hello and play a game with your fellow Paras…and feel free to bring your own games as well! Just remember: no work/union talk allowed. Click HERE to register.

Immigrant Pride Week of Action: May 3 – 7
The Week of Action seeks to celebrate the strength, joy, and resilience of our immigrant and undocumented students and families, while also fighting for equitable policies in the city of Boston and beyond. All members of the BPS community are encouraged to participate! If you are interested in participating, sign up here.

Apply to the JET Program: Deadline Extended to April 2
The JET Application Deadline has been extended to Friday, April 2, 2021.  Please share this information with Paras/IAs who are interested in the JET Program. You can find application information process here.

NEW- Paid Opportunity: Academic Mentoring and Tutoring
The Division of Academics and the Division of Equity, Strategy & Opportunity Gaps, as part of its MBK-Transformative Mentoring initiative, invite BPS staff to apply to become an Academic Mentor/Tutor. Please see the application for more details. Contact Bethany Allen for more information.

Apply for Racial Justice Standing Committee
The BTU seeks members to join a Racial Justice Standing Committee focused on guiding and implementing BTU’s racial justice vision and the priority work connected to that vision. We welcome all members passionate about this work and able to meet the commitments outlined here. We also strongly encourage members currently engaged in aspects of anti-oppression work within the BTU to apply. Learn more and apply here. Email Khalida Smalls with questions.

BTU Virtual Retirement Seminars
Due to high demand, we have been extended capacity for each of the remaining 4 dates by an additional 25 spots. Be sure to register here.

NEW- Equitable Foundational Literacy Course
The BPS Early Childhood Department is creating a course in equitable foundational literacy practices to hep educators understand: What are equitable and culturally sustaining ways to teach young children how to read? What is the role of phonics instruction in equitable early literacy? The course will be offered in late spring.  We would love to hear from you as we begin to plan for it! Please complete this survey so we can design this course with your input.

NEW- AFT-Massachusetts Events and Workshops
Our statewide affiliate AFT-MA is holding a variety of exciting events over the next several weeks, including an MFA workshop highlighting the programming and digital resources available to educators, a member benefits workshop on AFT’s Share My Lesson and e-learning resources for school employees and librarians, and more! Visit their page for information and registration.

Caregiver-Educator Support Group
We started as a caregiver-educator support group, but we’ve noticed as the year has progressed that we are all in need of a little extra support, self-care or reflection time. We’d like to invite you to spend an hour, every other week, starting at the end of March with us processing the stressors of our jobs this year! Please fill out this 1-minute surveyto indicate what day and what time would work best for you!

Seeking New Member of the Educator Supports Program (ESP) Panel
There is an opening for a new BTU appointee on the ESP Panel, which governs the Educator Supports Program (Formerly PAR and Peer Assistance). For more information about this paid opportunity which entails significant additional work, please see the ESP Website.  For questions about the role or to apply, please send a letter of interest and resume to Erik Berg.

NEW- Open Enrollment for Para Sick Bank: April 1 – April 30
BPS has worked with City Hall and will be holding an open enrollment for the Paraprofessional Sick Bank. The open enrollment period will start on 4/1/21 and conclude on 4/30/21. On 4/1/21, we will send an email to all eligible employees letting them know they may donate a day to enroll into the bank. To make your donation: Navigate to ess.boston.gov > select the “BPS Sick Bank Donation” tile > read and acknowledge the terms and conditions > click submit. Submission of a donation to the Sick Bank program does not guarantee enrollment. You will be sent a confirmation notice when you have been accepted into the program. The sick leave donation program is not mandatory and this donation cannot be rescinded. If you have any questions, please complete this inquiry form.

Seeking Support from Personnel Subcommittees and Hiring Committees
We are seeking the support of members who serve on school based personnel subcommittees and other hiring committees to ensure that experienced Boston Public Schools educators, our fellow BTU members, are considered for all open positions in your school. Please read this letter for more information.

2021 Scholarship Information: Due April 23
The BTU Dependent Scholarships and the RTC Scholarships are now open for applications! See our scholarship page for more information on how to apply. Both are due by April 23.

Tech Goes Home Distance Learning: May 5 – 20
TGH Distance Learning Program is a FREE program that delivers 18 hours of instruction focused on fundamental digital skills. Beginner and intermediate courses are open to adults and seniors. Register here for beginners and here for intermediate!

NEW- Option D Beneficiary Selection Form
The Option D Beneficiary Selection Form allows members to select a beneficiary if they pass away before they are able to retire. It is null and void upon retirement. If members do not fill out this form, their retirement will disappear and no one will receive it.

Student Support/Success Teams (SSTs) Survey
The Division of Accountability is looking for input from teachers about their perceptions of Student Support/Success Teams (SSTs). We hope to learn more about practices that are happening throughout BPS in order to provide support/resources consistently across the District. If you have any questions, please reach out to Geoff Rose, Division of Accountability. The survey will take about five minutes to complete and can be found here.

TalentEd Postings for the Summer
Please see a list of links for job postings in OEL Programming and Programming for Students with ESY in IEP.