Published On: January 11, 2021
Dear BTU Family,
Great news. Due to your continued advocacy and efforts, we are happy to share that yesterday we were able to reach a new agreement with BPS and the City. We are writing to share with you the details of that new agreement, codified between the Boston Teachers Union and the Boston Public Schools, and the City of Boston. This important agreement will extend key health, safety, and staffing protocols to the future reopening of all school buildings for the remainder of the school year. Please see our joint press release with BPS here.

These protocols and standards, which will now be implemented system-wide for all schools, are an extension of those originally implemented through prior MOAs at the four schools within the system that reopened in November 2020. These provisions are being applied to all 32 schools currently open. As we open further, these safety measures already in place will be extended to any school reopening in the future as necessary.

BPS, in consultation with the BPHC, also announced a new timeline for returning students to in-person learning, starting in February. The hybrid learning model remains an opt-in for parents and caregivers. The tentative timeline for returning students whose families have selected hybrid learning is as follows and is subject to further changes based on COVID-19 rates:

  • Monday, February 1: All students who have qualified for high in-person priority*
  • Monday, March 1 & Thursday, March 4: Students in K0 – Grade 3 (Cohort A & B)
  • Monday, March 15 & Thursday, March 18: Students in Grades 4 – 8 (Cohort A & B
  • Monday, March 29 & Thursday, April 1: Students in Grades 9 – 12 (Cohort A & B)

Through the system-wide agreement, BPS, BTU, and the Boston Public Health Commission will be working collaboratively to take key building preparedness steps in order to further cultivate trust and codify our commitment to implementing the same health and safety protocols currently in place at the 32 schools currently open across school buildings, including:
  • limiting the number of students and staff in a building at one time to ensure social distancing,
  • instituting creative scheduling and staffing, among other approaches on hybrid instruction,
  • providing air purifiers into classrooms, offices, and common areas or highest grade HVAC filters in schools with HVAC systems,
  • increasing air quality testing and reporting,
  • installing data loggers that provide daily air quality measures in our schools,
  • delivering additional personal protective equipment to schools for students and staff, 
  • offering access to free COVD-19 testing for teachers on-site or nearby their school,
  • expanding a pilot program for student COVID-19 testing, and 
  • continuing to report all positive confirmed cases in schools to the school community and the public.

The Memorandum of Agreement outlines the shared expectations for school building readiness, health and safety protocols, and approach to staffing buildings. The agreement is built on the foundation of the two Memorandum of Understandings signed on September 9th, 2020, and September 29th, 2020, and further developed in the November 15th, 2020 agreement. 

The MOA is effective through the duration of the school year, ending in June 2021.

*Students recognized as high in-person priority include:

  • High needs/Level 4 students with disabilities
  • English Learners who are EL levels 1 and 2 and SLIFE
  • Students who are in the care of of the Department of Children and Families
  • Students who are experiencing homelessness
  • Students identified by their school’s Student Support Team (SST) as requiring additional in-person schooling

For more information on BPS reopening, you can visit bostonpublicschools.org/reopening.
We will be discussing the new agreement, explaining the next steps, and sharing many more updates at our membership meeting Wednesday. Please be sure to register in advance for the meeting. 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.
  • You only need to sign up once per meeting.
  • 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.”
  • Please make sure that you have updated your Zoom account with the latest update before the meeting in order to avoid complications with your link. 
Thank you to all of our hardworking educators and the members of the negotiating team for their relentless efforts to ensure the safest possible reopening process for students, educators, families, and our community. This new agreement is a tremendous step forward and would not have been possible without your advocacy.

We continue to be #InThisTogether, 
BTU Officers and Staff 

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