TONIGHT- Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)Member Meeting: May 4, 7:30-8:30PM
APALA Massachusetts chapter members are invited to a general membership meeting to elect representatives to the APALA National Executive Board. See flyer here.  If you are interested in attending this year’s APALA National Convention, please email your interest to Matt at mbouvier@btu.org.

NEW- Teacher Leader Policy Showcase: Connecting Policy to Classroom Reality: May 5, 5:00PM
Join us as this year’s AFT-BTU Teacher Policy Fellows present their research and recommendations for improving education policy. Presentations focus on issues of racial justice in special education, teacher licensure, and more. After a brief series of presentations, guests can dive deep into the issues that interest them most. See the flyerfor a full list of presentations, and the Zoom link to join.

NEW- Web Conference: Hate Crimes Against AAPI in MA: May 6, 2:00PM
The Massachusetts Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights is hosting a web conference to discuss hate incidents and hate crimes against individuals of Asian American Pacific Island descent. The Committee will have a public comment period to hear public testimony at end of the meeting. See the event flyers in English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese

Retirement+/TARP Action Meeting: May 6, 5:00-6:00PM
The goal of this meeting is to update non-TARP contributing educators on the current status of our Home Rule Petition. A calendar invite was sent to all who voluntarily submitted their non-BPS email to the R+ Committee. If you did not receive the calendar invite for one reason or another for the meeting, email your non-BPS email to rplus@btu.org. Please distribute this widely to all staff in your building. Contact Michael McLaughlin with questions. 

Mayoral Candidate Forum Series: Thursdays from May 6 to June 10
The BTU, as part of a coalition of social justice organizations that represent tens of thousands of members throughout Boston, is hosting a series of mayoral candidate forums to discuss the candidates’ vision and plans to address racial, gender and economic justice.

BTU Contract Community Forum: May 11, 7:00PM
We want to welcome community groups and coalitions fighting for justice in our communities to join us for our BTU Community Forum. More information and registration form at btu.org/engage.

Caregiver/Educator Support Group: May 11, 8:00PM
Join the Caregiver/ Educator support group as we unwind for a final time with a mini Yoga Session! Register here.

Student Debt Workshop for AFT Members: May 12, 4:30PM
Do you or a family member have student loan debt? AFT members are welcome to attend one of AFT’s Student Debt Clinics! Click here and select “MASSACHUSETTS: AFT Massachusetts *WEBINAR* 4:30 pm 05/12/2021″ to register for the workshop.

NEW- Community of Interest Training for Trainers: May 13 & 19
Join the Drawing Democracy Coalition to learn about redistricting and how you can help ensure your community has the power to elect representatives of choice for the next decade. These workshops will empower you to communicate about this issue, learn to map communities of interest, and support the Drawing Democracy Coalition’s goals of empowering immigrants, people of color, and low-income voters. The trainings are Thursday, May 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. and Wednesday, May 19, from 6 to 8 p.m.

NEW- Virtual City Council Candidate Forums: May 18 and May 25
Join us for a series or virtual forums to hear from your city council candidates. This series includes a District 4 forum and at-large forum. Contact rjimenez@btu.org with any questions.

NEW- Mental Health Lunch & Learn Series: May 19, 12:00 – 1:00PM
Co-sponsored by Brookview House, The Massachusetts Women of Color Network and Community Labor United, the topic of this lunch and learn is “Enhancing & Promoting Resiliency in Black & Brown Youth During A Pandemic.” Use this link to join.

NEW- Paraprofessional Coffee Hour: May 19, 4:30 – 5:30PM
Join Early Childhood Staff and your colleagues to share thoughts and hopes for your classrooms as we start to wind down. Use this link to join.

Paraprofessional Virtual Break Room: May 19, 5:30-6:30PM
Come in to say hello, play some games and have a casual social conversation… just remember, no work/union talk allowed! Please register HERE if you are interested. A link will be sent to you in the days prior.

NEW- Paraprofessional International Meeting: May 20, 4:30PM
Please  join us on Thursday, May 20th at 4:30PM for the Paraprofessional Informational Meeting. Some of the topics being discussed will include: Para PD; Para Contract; Updates on evaluations; and Para JD. Please click HERE to register. A link will be sent to you in the days prior to the event. We hope to see you there!

Ethnic Studies Week of Action: May 24 – 28
Interested in getting involved in the movement for Ethnic Studies in Boston? The BTU Ethnic Studies Now committee is organizing a Week of Action. Save the date and complete this short interest form to join in at any level!

NEW- BTU Open Space Meeting: May 25, 5:00-6:30PM
This is a space for BTU members only, all are invited and encouraged to join this open space to talk to each other, to debate issues, to share challenges and to struggle with each other as we process and think together. The intention is to give members the opportunity to engage in deeper, longer and more robust discussion about topics they identify. This space does not replace any formal BTU decision making spaces and is not where campaign or contract decisions will be made. You must complete this form by 3:30pm the day of the meeting to receive a zoom link to participate. If you have any questions, contact Khalida Smalls.

Return of Telescope Trivia: Through June 1
Join Tuesday nights from 8:00 to 9:15 for a virtual team trivia game. Drop in on your own or bring a team for some fun collaboration and light competition! New players RSVP here.

End of the Year Light Social: June 5, 10:00-11:30AM
AFT Black Caucus Boston Chapter (BTU) invites you to an End of the Year Light Social. All BTU members are welcome to attend!

Hiring for an Internal/External Organizer
The BTU is seeking applicants for an Internal/External Organizer. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@btu.org; position open until filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply ASAP.

EL Summer Job Postings
Summer EL job postings are live. Please see each posting for more information.

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.

Help Grow Food for BPS Students and Families in Need
Growing Resilience school gardens project was formed last Spring as the pandemic ramped up, and eventually involved 70 volunteers, primarily BTU members. This spring, with students and staff back in the buildings and needing to get outside more than ever, we hope that we can support teachers in using the gardens with students, so that next year the gardens are kept up by the school communities. If you’d like to garden, please fill out this 2-minute survey. You can also contact David Weinstein.

Accelerated Community to Teacher (ACTT) Program: Due May 10
This program is a part of an overarching strategy to increase the diversity of exemplary educators in the district’s teacher pipeline. ACTT is an intensive 12-month program designed to prepare racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse Boston residents OR BPS paraprofessionals, and substitutes who hold a Bachelor’s degree. Apply now!

NEW-
 Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) Convention: August 5 – 8

The sixteenth biennial APALA Convention, Rooted in Legacy: Reimagining a New World Beyond Borders & Across Ocreans, will be hosted vitually from August 5-8, 2021. The APALA convention brings workers and allies together for powerful plenaries, APALA business, and an opportunity for attendees to take collective action. If you are interested in attending the APALA Convention and/or becoming an APALA member, please contact Matt Bouvier, mbouvier@btu.org.

Change in Para Pay Frequency
Open enrollment for Para Pay Frequency changes began on April 1, 2020 and goes until June 1, 2021. Please see here for the form for any Paras/CFCs who wish to change their current pay frequency. Please distribute this form to any para wishing to change their current pay frequency for SY 21/22. The deadline for submission is June 1, 2021 – all forms received via fax by 11:59 p.m. on June 1 will be accepted.

April 2021 Needs Assessment Report
Hear what educators across BPS are saying about professional development needs: What do we need to learn now? What do we want to learn next?