Good morning.
We wish Superintendent McDonough well on his last day as superintendent, and we wish him good health and success. We thank home for his more than 42 years of service. We also welcome incoming superintendent Tommy Chang, and we look forward to working with Dr. Chang.
Tomorrow is the last day of the “regular” school year, though many will be working a longer school year in summer school, taking PD or classes throughout much of the summer. We do hope all take some time to relax, rejuvenate, and recharge before the next school year. The BTU office will be open all business days this summer except for July 3, and all staff will be available as always, via cell phone and email.
On June 16 the BTU filed a lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court designed to expedite the processing of the class size grievancesgoing back many years. More on this later.
Schedule Issues
The first day of school next year is Wednesday, September 2, the traditional day set aside for room clean up and preparation. The six hours owed on that day can be made up anytime from August 15 through September 3, with a note “attesting to the dates and hours worked.” Or staff, if anyone wishes, can report to school on Wednesday, September 2, during normal school time, and work hos or her six hours.
What if you cannot attend school on September 3?
Pursuant to the newly-negotiated agreement that changes the start date of the beginning of the upcoming school year only, 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.
On Thursday, September 3, the BTU gets a 30-minute block for union and orientation business; the school department gets the other 5 1/2 hours for engagement in PD activities.
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.
Unemployment