Back to School Fair! September 23 – 25 Time Extended to 6PM!
Join us for the 8th annual BTU Back to School Fair, where we’ll be distributing over 40,000 free books for BPS families. Sign up to volunteer sorting books here! Book distribution dates are filled on a first come first serve registration: Register for the bookdistribution. All attendees must wear masks. The fair will be scaled down this year without the usual activities, food and resource fair due to COVID-19, but we were able to partner with the city and hospitals to organize vaccination clinics for families during the event!

NEW- National Board Certification Info Session: September 23, 5:00-6:00PM
Are you interested in becoming a National Board Certified Teacher next school year? Please join us for a virtual information session where you will learn about the range of supports in our BPS/BTU Community. Find the support that’s right for you. Join the session at this link. For more information, please email the BPS/BTU leadership team at nationalboard@bostonpublicschools.org.

UPCOMING DEADLINE- Educators Thriving – Concrete Strategies to Avoid Burnout and Care for Yourself
Our work is hard, and it is critical that we each attend to our own well being. Now in its fourth year, Educators Thriving helps you understand the five pitfalls that lead to burnout, and develop a plan using concrete strategies to address it. See the flyer and apply today! Deadline, September 27th.

UPCOMING DEADLINE- The BTU Inquiry Project – Graduate Credit Opportunity
Reflection. Equity. Awareness. Community. Healing. REACH the next level of your practice in this meaningful, personalized, teacher-led course. Be part of a healing community that supports your professional growth while earning graduate credit. Learn more about the course here, and apply today. Deadline September 26th.

UPCOMING DEADLINE- Education Policy Program – Stipended Fellowship Opportunity 
Same powerful learning but with a new more inclusive name! The Teacher Leader Program is now The Education Policy Program and it continues to be open to ALL BTU members. Take your activism to the next level in our year-long AFT/BTU policy fellowship program.  In this program, you meet policy makers, learn how to conduct research, and use it to take action on policies that matter to you, your students, our schools and our community. This fellowship has a $1500 stipend meets on 8 Saturdays across the year beginning in October with specific dates TBD. Apply now! Deadline 9/26.

$how Me the Money Series: September 27 – December 6
Join the Boston Education Justice Alliance community for a conversation about ways to advocate for better quality schools, from getting involved in your school site council to the basics of your school budget. Register here!

NEW- Facing the Housing Crisis: September 28 & October 6
Boston is experiencing a housing crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Come to the BTU Housing Justice Committee’s training to learn more about current housing justice campaigns and legislation in Boston, how to talk about housing insecurity with students and families, the do’s and don’ts on how to be sensitive about housing insecurity, supports for undocumented families, and how to connect our students and families to resources. Register here! 

NEW- Unafraid Educators Meeting: October 6, 4:30PM
Unafraid Educators will be having an outdoor gathering to kick off the school year at Fenway High School. We would love to see you there as we catch up in person, share some food and begin our visioning for this school year. RSVP to unafraideducators@gmail.com!

NEW- New Teacher Development Meetings: October 19 & 21
The NTD Program hopes that all teachers have had a successful first week of school! Thank you to all the veteran educators who have agreed to be NTDs in their schools. The first NTD Meeting will be held virtually on October 19 from 4 to 6 p.m., OR October 21 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Please review the job description before the meeting. Reach out to Kaitlin with any questions.

NEW- Para Pumpkin Paint Night: October 26, 5:00-7:00PM
Join your Para Council for a fun filled night of pumpkin painting at the Union Hall! Please register here by October 20.

NEW- Opening on the Academic Ladder Credit Review Committee
The BTU seeks members interested in serving on this committee which reviews and approves courses under consideration for awarding credits for salary lane advancement. If you are interested in serving on this committee which will meet no more than monthly, please email Paul for more information.

Apply to be a Member Organizer!
The BTU Member Organizer program develops our most valuable resource as a union—our members—to build union power and activism. The BTU seeks up to 24 Member Organizers to foster a culture of organizing, member engagement, and activism among a broad base of BTU members and allies. Member Organizers receive training and coaching on the basics of effective organizing and mobilizing. Learn more and apply at btu.org/member-organizers

Join the Housing Justice Organizing Committee!
Are you or your students worried about paying rent and being displaced? There is a housing crisis in Boston and many families are facing eviction. But we have the power to fight back! The BTU Housing Justice Committee organizes with community partners such as City Life/Vida Urbana to fight for safe and stable housing and to provide access to resources, training, and education. If you are interested in learning more about our work or joining our committee, you call fill out the form here.

Donate to & Share Unafraid Scholarship Fundraiser
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. Since its inception in 2017, the Unafraid Scholarship has awarded $230,000 to 80 deserving BPS graduates. Help us support this year’s 49 applicants by donating and sharing the fundraisers on social media!

Connect & Share Panel Discussion – Balancing SEL & Content: September 23, 4:30-6:00PM
Join us for an educator-led panel discussion. Hear from your colleagues about what’s working in their own classrooms and schools. This month’s topic came from the Telescope Network’s June survey where educators are thinking about how to balance social-emotional supports for students while continuing on with grade-level content. Connect with peers from across BPS, get new ideas, and earn PD hours as well. Register here!

NEW- $200 Per Teacher Supplies in Schedule A ELT Schools
Reminder: As part of our 2016 agreement to extend the school day, each teacher in Schedule A schools is allocated $200 per year for supplies. Educators are encouraged to pool money in teams if appropriate, but this is not required. These supply funds are in your school budget and your school leader should have instructions for how to place your orders.  Please contact your field rep or Paul Tritter with questions.

Join BTU Speakers Bureau
Interested in helping with our media efforts for our contract campaign? Join our Speakers Bureau, where our Communications staff will help you learn to be a spokesperson, write an op-ed, or share your story. Sign up here.

Join Contract Organizing Committee
Want to help come up with our overall campaign strategy? Our new Contract Organizing Committee will be making a plan to link bargaining to organizing our members, community outreach, communications, and more! Sign up here.

Become a Silent Representative
Excited to learn what really happens at Negotiations? Become a Silent Representative: commit to attending negotiating sessions to silently observe, attend caucus meetings, and help to create summary reports to keep all of our members informed about the process and developments. Sign up here.

Important Scheduling Information (P&D, CPT and Teaching Minutes)
As the new school year begins please take a moment to review the contractual rules around teacher and para schedules to ensure yours meets the provisions updated in our most recent collective bargaining agreement. Elementary teachers in schedule A schools should have 75 minutes of P&D time weekly above the four 48-minute periods. For many, this may mean a daily P&D. Please reach out to your field rep with questions or concerns.

Join or Support BTU Against Breast Cancer
The BTU just joined the American Cancer Society “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” event happening this October! Join the team or support the BTU Walkers with a donation here.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: BTU Sick Leave Donation Program: September 7 – October 1
If you currently meet the eligibility requirements to become a member of the BTU sick leave donation program and would like to join, please Navigate to ess.boston.gov > select the “BPS Sick Bank Donation” tile  > read and acknowledge the terms and conditions > click submit. You will receive a confirmation notice if you are enrolled, and 1 sick day will be deducted from your accrued balance. You are not elible to use the sick bank days later in the year unless you donate a day and join and cannot join later!

PD Opportunities for Paras
The following postings for paraprofessionals are great opportunities to support your fellow paras with PD and mentoring. Please see postings for Teacher/Coach Stipend, BPS/BTU Paraprofessional Stipend, and Para Mentor.

BPS Support Resources
For staff members in need of support regarding any recent events, from the earthquake in Haiti to the turmoil in Afghanistan, The Office of Recruitment, Cultivation & Diversity Programs is available to host sessions for colleagues who desire a space to process. You can contact them at diversityprograms@bostonpublicschools.org.

Join BTU Electoral Action Team
If you would like to be a point person for our BEAT (BTU Electoral Action Team), please email Political Director Johnny McInnis or call 617-433-0488.

First Book Promotion
For a limited time, First Book members working in Boston and the surrounding areas can use promo code BTUBOOKTRUCK2021 to order $25 worth of brand new books and resources from the First Book Marketplace for free.  You must first be registered with www.firstbook.org/AFT to use the promo code!

Telescope Network Monthly Connect and Share
At our monthly educator-led Telescope Network “Connect & Share” panels.  Our colleagues, BPS educators, will share what they’re working on and engage attendees in discussion around challenges identified by educators themselves. Get more informationon the full series and RSVP today.