BTU Leadership Conference: Last Chance to Register!

Please register for the 2017 BTU Leadership Conference for Building Reps and member leaders! Read details and register today! Join us as we work to build POWER for our students, our schools, and each other! This year’s conference will be focused on the tools we need to build a stronger union and presence in our community. We will offer a variety of workshops and skill-building opportunities to help us achieve this goal.

The conference is FREE but requires pre-registration by Monday, October 9. Please plan to join us at the Dedham Hilton, 25 Allied Drive in Dedham from Friday, October 13 beginning at 3 PM to Sunday, October 15 at noon.

Upcoming BTU Events & Committee Meetings

To learn more about BTU Organizing Committees or join online visit the BTU website or email Farah Assiraj, Director of Organizing. For the following meetings, please RSVP by emailing Jonathan Rodrigues:

  • SEL Committee Meeting: Today! Tuesday, October 3, 4:30-6:30 at the BTU
  • Unafraid Educators/Immigrant Rights: NOTE DATE CHANGE: Thursday, October 5 at the BTU, 4-5:30 PM
  • New Educators Social: Thursday, October 12, 4:30-7 PM at Blarney Stone.

Join the BTU and FairTest for the Deborah H. Meier “Hero in Education” Award

Celebrate John Jackson and Barbara Madeloni! Please plan to join us for a presentation and reception on Thursday, October 26 from 5:45-8:30 PM as part of the Deborah H. Meier Heroes in Education award. BTU President Jessica Tang will be among the night’s speakers. Register today.

Because of generous contributions, including from the BTU, AFT and other unions and foundations, FairTest has decided to open the presentation ceremony to the public for free. Please pre-register for the presentation.

Linda Darling-Hammond to Speak at Wellesley College on October 19

Author of the best-selling The Flat World and Education: How America’s Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future, Linda Darling-Hammond will discuss her 2014 book Beyond the Bubble Test and argue that less testing with more authentic assessments can support students’ critical-thinking and problem-solving skills and give teachers, schools, students, parents, and society helpful information they and we need. Free and open to the public. Read more. Save the date and tell your friends!

Additional Community Events of Interest

Leventhal Map Center
The Leventhal Map Center has many events and exhibitions coming up this fall. Check out their calendar.

Progressive Education Network Conference in Boston: October 5-7
Please plan to join the Progressive Education Network for their PEN 2017 National Conference which will take place from October 5-7 in Boston.

Right to Health MA Organizer Bootcamp: October 14
On Saturday, October 14 you are invited to the Organizer Bootcamp. The day will bring together 200 organizers, activists, and concerned citizens to kick off a drive to build a grassroots movement for single-payer healthcare in Massachusetts. This day-long event will train attendees in effective techniques for community organizing and legislative advocacy around single payer. The training is in preparation for a lobby day at the Statehouse on November 14. Read more and RSVP today.

Moving Beyond Chapter 222: A Vision for Progressive School Discipline
Please join advocates, students, policymakers, and educators on Thursday, October 19 from 10 AM to 2 PM at UMass Boston, Ryan Lounge. Highlights will include a presentation from Mass Budget on its exciting new research on the details and costs of exclusionary discipline and promising RJ practices, the latest statistics regarding suspension and expulsion in Massachusetts schools, and an opportunity to hear from grassroots experts and practitioners in the field about best practices. Register today.