Published On: November 22, 2022
We hope you all are well and getting ready to enjoy the well-deserved time off this week. As is the case every year, we are thankful for the incredible work you all do on a daily basis. Know that we see your hard work and appreciate your contributions, both big and small, to making our schools a safe, inclusive learning environment for our students. We wish you and your families a safe and restful Thanksgiving holiday.

We also want to take a moment to honor those who gather each year at Plymouth Rock for the annual Day of Mourning. As we reconnect with family during the holiday, we hope that all are able to take some time and learn more about the historical and present perspectives of BTU members and others in our community with indigenous ancestry. Friday is Native American Heritage Day and as we come to the end Native American Heritage Month, want to reshare teaching resources from Share My Lesson  as well.  

Over the last week, we have started to have more productive discussions with both Boston Public Schools and the City of Boston regarding our advocacy efforts to expedite the implementation of our new contract. We now believe that base pay salary adjustments should be reflected in the December 9 paycheck instead of January,as previously shared. We were glad to hear of this new update late last week.  Efforts are also being made to expedite the retroactive pay as well, and we hope to have more specifics soon.

We have also gotten many questions about the new parental leave policy.  Here is the latest information from OHC about what to expect and how to apply for the new parental leave policy: 

  • Applications for parental leave should be submitted formally using the same link and process that was used previously.
  • Any qualifying eligible BTU member whose parental leave was a result of a qualifying event from 6/28/22 – 11/4/22 will have the benefit applied retroactively. The district will make a good faith effort to process the benefit by the middle of January. This will apply to any qualifying event that occurs 6/28/22 onward.
  • Starting on 11/4, any qualifying eligible BTU member who applies for parental leave will receive Paid Parental Leave automatically per the new BTU/BPS MOA.
  • Employees do not have to submit any additional application to access the Paid Parental leave benefit.  
In regards to the pay adjustments for Family Liaisons, Hub Schools Coordinators, members with a JD, and members with inside service credits, the district is aiming to get these issues all resolved by February. We believe it should be completed sooner and are continuing to advocate for that, but this is the current timeline that has been shared with us.

We will also be launching a new page on our website where we will be linking important documents regarding the Inclusion Planning Team process and Inclusion provisions. We will share the link when it is live.

Building Reps: Please remember to help us identify which Building Rep or BTU member will be the point person for your school to be able to view facilities updates. We are still missing information a few dozen schools! 

The Boston School Committee is accepting applications for two members, serving two-year terms (running January 2023 to December 2024). Completed applications are due online by TONIGHT at 11:59 pm. You can find the application and related information here. Applicants must be Boston residents.

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