As you may have heard, Mayor Wu and the Superintendent announced yesterday the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius, effective June 2022. The Boston Teachers Union wishes to thank Dr. Cassellius for her contributions to our public schools during what have been incredibly trying and unprecedented times. Dr. Cassellius has made important contributions to the Boston Public Schools, particularly around issues of equity and social-emotional wellness, and through her efforts to begin addressing decades of deferred maintenance on facilities. Her leadership will leave a long-standing and positive impact on our schools and communities, and we wish her the very best in her future endeavors. We look forward to doing our part in working with Mayor Wu and the School Committee to ensure that students, families, and educators have a voice in the upcoming superintendent selection process.
Our impact bargaining continues as we await the court stay decision on the city’s December vaccine policy.
We met with the mayor on Thursday, along with a few of the public safety unions, and negotiated for nine hours on Friday. We have continued to be in active discussions with all parties and continue to consult our health and safety advisors as well. We are meeting again this afternoon and will share any updates at our next membership meeting tomorrow.Register for the monthly BTU Membership Meeting TOMORROW, Wednesday, February 9 at 4:30 p.m. It will be virtual on Zoom. As always, registration in advance is needed to verify BTU membership and to receive the link.
This month, learn more about how we are turning up the heat on our master contract campaign and find out why BPS rejected all of our latest proposals for racially and linguistically diverse staff and ethnic studies. We’re asking all schools to take action the week of Valentine’s Day with “Show Our Students Some Love” posters to highlight the contract proposals our students deserve right now. See the tentative agenda.
Quick reminders for registering:
- Please remember that you must register at least one hour in advance, or you will not receive a link.
- Each link is unique and cannot be shared.
- Links are sent after your registration and membership status are verified – please do not register multiple times if you do not immediately receive a link.
- Remember to include your exact BPS ID# in order to expedite approvals. If you are retired or don’t have an ID# for another reason, please enter “000000″.
- If you still have technical difficulties after registering, you can email zoom@btu.org.
There was severe flooding at the Otis this weekend, pictured above. A work order was placed for a leaky pipe on January 17. Our schools shouldn’t have to wait for severe damage to occur before the district sends someone to fix a major problem like this. Our community deserves clean, green, safe, and welcoming school buildings with updated HVAC systems, working fans and/or AC, and a reliable schedule for repairs and upgrades. Learn more about what we’re fighting for in our next labor agreement and get involved at btu.org/contract.
The BTU Winter Conference will take place on Saturday, February 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.! The theme will be “Cozy Up With The Contract” and the conference will focus on fighting burnout, prioritizing educator well-being, and ramping up the contract campaign. Register at https://btu.org/winter and check out the agenda here!