TODAY! — Improving High School PD Through Teacher Voice: Kickoff Event!
Find your learning community! Network with other high school educators who share your learning interest, and consider professional learning leadership opportunities. A BTU and BPS collaboration has been awarded a Nellie Mae Education Foundation grant to empower high school educators (and those in 6/7-12 schools) to drive their own interest-based professional learning. Join us this afternoon at 3:30 PM for an introduction to these two exciting projects and to learn how you can get involved. This event is open to all educators and school leaders. RSVP today! (If you are interested in learning more about the project, but can’t make it today, please use the RSVP form to show your interest.)
NEW — Join the Movement to Rethink Assessment in BPS and in Mass.
We are seeking up to 15 additional schools to join the performance assessment component of the Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment. As your school refines its instructional focus and creates a professional learning plan for next year, consider using this opportunity to center your work on designing engaging curriculum embedded performance tasks and project based learning. See last week’s communication to school leaders and ILTs for more details on this opportunity, and email Paul at ptritter@btu.org for more info.
Build Your Own Learning Experience for PDPs
Teachers deserve choice as learners too! BPS Innovation is collaborating with MIT, the MFA, Autodesk, and more to offer over 30 local learning opportunities and events as an experience. Follow your curiosity and receive PDPs or 1 ALC for showing how the experience transforms learning in your classroom. Learn more, and contact Cam Scott at cscott2@bostonpublicschools.org with questions.
Teacher Policy Talks: May 31
Get a view of education policy as it really impacts students and schools. Join our 2017-18 AFT/BTU Policy Fellows as they share their research and recommendations on the issues that matter most in their classrooms and schools. This event is open to all. See our flyer for details and RSVP today.
Pilot Student Feedback in Performance Evaluation
BPS is seeking interested schools to pilot a student feedback survey in June 2018 ahead of a district-wide roll-out in SY18-19. Data collected from the survey can inform the refinement of a school’s IF as well as teachers’ individual goals. Implementation training and support will be provided. Please submit your interest using this form and reach out to Nicole Ireland at nireland@bostonpublicschools.org with any questions.
Suffolk University Course Scholarships
Take advantage of a program for BPS educators to earn graduate credit at Suffolk University for FREE. Join Suffolk Admissions for a live informational webinar outlining courses offered on May 16 at 4 PM, or watch the recording. See the flyer for more details.Enter the scholarship lottery by May 31. Winners will be notified via email. Contact Shakera Ford Walker with questions.
Deadline for Paraprofessional Teacher Training Grant Program
The deadline to apply this year for the Paraprofessional Teacher Preparation Grant Program is June 1. Please help us spread the word, particularly to Paraprofessionals without a bachelors degree! This is a message from the Office of Student Financial Assistance and the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.
NEW — Reggio Emilia Approach for Middle and High School Teachers and Administrators: May 19
Come learn how to implement the world-famous Reggio Emilia approach at the middle and high school levels. This workshop is led by BTU member George Papayannis, george@papayannis.com. Register for free.
NEW — BPS Seeks SEL Design Coach, Stipended Position
BPS seeks qualified individuals to provide instructional, curriculum and professional development expertise. The SEL Design Coach will create resource guides for teachers in grades K-12 that align the BPS SEL Standards with ELA, Math and content level curriculum. This will include creating developmental strands for the SEL Standards and mapping the standards to existing SEL curricula. Read more.