TONIGHT- Our City Our Schools Coalition Meeting: May 10, 6:30-8:00PM
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is threatening to put BPS under State control. Learn what this means for your school and how we fight back.Share what your school community needs instead. Register here!

TONIGHT- Telescope Trivia: May 10, 8:00-9:15PM
Join us for our Telescope Trivia season finale game tonight! Come on your own or bring a team. It’s the last one of the year, so we hope you’ll come join the fun. Register now!

BTU Community Forum: May 17, 6:00-7:30PM
It’s time for another update on our Contract negotiations. BPS finally shared their proposals with us, and we want to share them with families, students, community partners, and educators. (Sneak preview: it’s not good. They want to turn class size limits into unenforceable “targets,” and their idea of “Inclusion Done Right” is to get rid of paraprofessionals in inclusion classrooms). Spread the word and join us to fight for the schools our students deserve. Register now.

SEL Social: May 19, 5:00-7:00PM
Join us for our first SEL Social, we know it has been a challenging year and have put together a mini restorative social event to destress you in the final days of the school year. Food, music, dance, and a whole lot of fun will be provided! Link forthcoming.

NEW- May New Teacher Development PD 
May NTD PD will take place 5/10 (4-6) and 5/12 (5-7). NTDs should choose which session they attend. Zoom link on May newsletter and NTD Google Calendar invite.

Important Info for Retiring Boston School Teachers
The Retirement Board will be present on May 13, 2022, between 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Boston Teachers Union hall to file your intent to retire package. It is only intended for those who wish to retire between May 13, 2022, and Sept. 13, 2022. Full info can be found here. In order to schedule your date/time, please fill out the Google Form HERE.

Red Sox Tickets for BTU Members! May 31, 7:10PM
Please join us for Teacher Appreciation Night with the Boston Red Sox! The game will be on Tuesday 5/31 at 7:10 PM. Each attendee will receive a complimentary tumbler as a thank you to our educators! Click here to view the flyer with purchasing details and pricing! Click here to view how many tickets are remaining! Go Sox!

NEW- BPS Moves Together: Spring into Action
This Spring, join your BPS Community in movement, learning, and joy. Build a culture of physical activity at your school. Practice incorporating movement into your everyday life. Learn about the value of PE, recess, and physical activity, and win prizes for your school.

Volunteers Needed for the AFT Convention! July 14 – 17
Volunteers are needed for the AFT 2022 Convention to staff the Boston Hosts booth. The convention will take place from July 14th through the 17th from 8 a.m. tot 4 p.m. at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Sign up here!

AFT MA Delegate and Volunteer Reception: July 16, 6:00PM-10:00PM
Save the date for the reception at the Westin COPLEY. Round Trip will be provided from the Westin Seaport, to the Westin Copley.

NEW- New Teacher Institute 2022: August 15-17
This event is for all new teachers to BPS/ first year teachers. Event details coming soon! Register by completing the new teacher welcome survey. Contact Kaitlin Torossian with questions.

NEW- Apply to be a Summer Organizing Union Leader!
The BTU seeks 15 paid Summer Organizing Union Leaders (SOULs) to engage members in taking action for a strong contract and the resources our students deserve. SOULs receive training and coaching in effective organizing practices, including how to build community, share stories, and escalate a campaign. Throughout the summer SOULs will engage in conversations with BTU members and community members around the BTU’s contract campaign, education funding, and local elections to lay the foundation for successful education justice campaigns. They will also participate in weekly training sessions to develop a deeper understanding of what it takes to build power and win the schools our students deserve given the current political and economic landscape. Read the full job description and apply now!

NEW- Double Deductions for Health Insurance (Paras)
Below are are the dates of when double deductions will come from your check if you are on a 22 paycheck plan to carry health insurance through the summer months.
Pay Period end date (PPE) and check date for the double deductions:
PPE– 4/22/22 / Check Date– 4/29/2022
PPE– 5/6/22 / Check Date– 5/13/2022
PPE– 5/20/22 / Check Date– 5/27/2022
PPE– 6/3/22 / Check Date– 6/10/2022
PPE– 6/17/22 / Check Date 6/24/2022

BTU Building Reps Reimbursement
BTU Building Representatives can earn their stipend by attending at least 7 membership meetings (70% of the meetings) or by doing a combination of activities and meeting the 1000 point requirement by the end of the school year. If you were unable to attend 7 meetings, but acquired the necessary points to receive this years stipend, please complete and submit this Building Rep TALLY SHEET to Nichole.

NEW- First Book Registration
The Boston Teachers Union is once again sponsoring a Welcome Back to School Book Fair September 24. We will be giving away 40,000 books to our members and the Boston community. In order to get the books, we need members who haven’t registered for First Books yet to do so as soon as possible.

Para Pay Frequency Form SY 21-22
Open enrollment for Para Pay Frequency changes begins on April 1 until June 1, 2022. Attached is the form for any Paras/CFCs who wish to their current pay frequency. If no change to the pay frequency is being requested, there is no need to submit a form. Email completed forms to ohcpayroll@bostonpublicschools.org. Fax completed forms to 617-635-9003.

Join the BTU Latino Caucus
We are building a Latino Caucus for BTU members. Interested in joining or learning more? Fill out this form. 

BTU Health & Welfare Fund Softball League
It’s that time of year again – time to dig out your cleats and dusty old mitt and join your colleagues on the softball field! League action starts in April. All interested players should contact the League Commissioner, Bruce Collotta, at 617-710-8486 for details.

Alray Scholars Program
The Alray Scholars Program provides 1:1 mentoring, scholarships, and career counseling to graduates of Boston Public Schools who have started higher education but were faced with setbacks on their first try. The program supports scholars who have returned or are returning to school to earn their first college degree. There are two application rounds for scholars each year, and the next due date is June 1.

Teacher Leadership Fund Applications Open
As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Teacher Leadership Fund empowers educators to lead the way toward the learning environments and experiences our students and communities need. Applications for the ’22-23 grant program are now open. Teams of educators within and across schools can apply for up to $15,000 to address a challenge facing students who have been marginalized. Applications due: May 6th.

BE/ACTT Cohort 2023
Apply to the only grow-your-own teacher preparation and licensure program in Massachusetts that centers racial literacy and social justice. This program is for those who aspire to become anti-racist, critically conscious teachers with the tools to interrogate anti-Black racism and to create culturally affirming classrooms so their students experience unprecedented social and academic achievement. Application due June 1.

DESE Flex Information
DESE recently introduced a new MTEL testing policy called MTEL Flex. MTEL Flex allows licensure candidates who took certain subject-area MTELs on or after October 20, 2020 and did not earn a passing score to submit a written assessment instead of re-taking the test. Please review eligibility requirements for MTEL Flex and complete the MTEL Flex interest form to be notified about upcoming information sessions. For more information, contact Justin Norton.

Union Dues
In 2021, teachers paid $1,451.06; paraprofessionals paid $760.10; substitutes paid $760.10; and ABAs paid $943.02 in union dues. Please direct any questions about dues to Secretary-Treasurer Michael McLaughlin.

2022 Unafraid Scholarship
Hundreds of immigrants from all over the world graduate from the Boston Public Schools each year, but many face a huge obstacle: if they’re undocumented, they don’t qualify for federal financial aid. The 2022 Unafraid Scholarship is now open to BPS undocumented seniors. Please share the application with your communities! Since its inception in 2017, the Unafraid Scholarship has awarded more than $280,000 to 105 deserving BPS graduates.

Tremont Credit Union Open
The Bayside Tremont Credit Union Branch is open and fully functional.