Good morning.
The American Arbitration Association (AAA) held an election recount yesterday at 8:00 AM at the request of two candidates, and the results were the same. See the final results here.
Schedule Issues: What if you cannot attend school on Sept. 3?
Pursuant to the newly-negotiated agreement that changes the start date of the beginning of the upcoming school year, please note that if you had made plans prior to May 13, 2015 (vacation, travel, and so on) and are NOT available for work on September 3, 2015, then you are able to make up that day’s work prior to October 30, 2015 without loss of compensation. Simply submit some evidence of your prior plans to your school administrator.
The last two days of the current school year are Friday, June 26 and Monday, June 29. As is customary in accordance with our collective bargaining agreement, the last two days are half days for students and full days for teachers and other staff. (On the issue of snow days, see a Globe report here.)
Severance Sheltering
Those who are retiring this year, in accordance with an IRS ruling, may shelter the first half of their severance pay. You may choose to shelter it with any approved vendor (403b or Mass Smart). See here for an explanation. For questions as to how to use the Mass Smart plan, email Lisa Cardinal. We do not recommended any particular vendor, but Mass Smart, which runs the Deferred Compensation Plan for all state and municipal workers, has proven reliable and responsive and does not operate on commission, unlike the vast majority of 403b vendors. What’s more, the Mass Smart plan is thoroughly vetted and approved by state regulators, while individual 403b plans are not. Read a more in-depth explanation.
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| 400 students, their teachers, and paras gathered at the BTU on Friday for their annual prom. Everyone had a blast! |
Building Rep End-of-Year Survey
Building Reps, please complete the end of the year survey if you haven’t already. This survey is extremely important because it aids us in distinguishing who the point person for each school is during the summer vacation. Without a completed survey from at least one rep at each school, it will be extremely difficult for BTU staff to get important information out to all schools during the break. Complete the survey now.