We saw a lot of smiles at the Freedom Book Giveaway organized by the NAACP, AFT,
First Book and BTU at our union hall last week. Thank you to AFT Pres. Randi Weingarten
for coming by to talk to youth organizers and our members, and congratulations to the NAACP for a wonderful and historic convention! #ReadingOpensTheWorld #ThrivingTogether
We hope you all are having a wonderful summer! As we begin to turn our attention to the start of the school year, we wanted to keep you updated on the work our BTU members have been doing and share a number of important events and updates with everyone. We will likely have one more summer bulletin later this month, and regular weekly bulletins will resume on September 6.
In July, we sent a delegation of 45 BTU members to the bi-annual AFT TEACH Conference who were chosen to attend through an application process. It is the largest conference for AFT members outside of convention. Several of our members presented and facilitated workshops, and AFT President Randi Weingarten shared “Real Solutions for Kids and Communities,” which outlines a path forward for public education focused on addressing loneliness, learning loss and literacy. Be sure to check it out!
In July, the BTU had the honor of hosting two events for the NAACP at our headquarters as part of the NAACP Convention here in Boston: the Political Bootcamp and a Freedom Book giveaway. The Bootcamp brought together activists from all over the country to share tools, skill build and plan for upcoming political campaigns. The Freedom Book giveaway was part of a partnership campaign to establish Freedom Libraries across the country, which began in response to laws passed in Florida that caused school libraries to remove books that teach about the history of racial relations or feature LGBTQ characters. We were able to offer more than 1,500 free books to children, parents and teachers. We’ll be hosting our own annual book giveaway in the third week of September. Check out the website for more information and translated flyers!
Our current contract with the city is set to expire at the end of next year. We’re already hard at work preparing for the next round of collective bargaining! At the beginning of this month, a group of BTU members sifted through more than 150 interviews with fellow members to identify and collate key concerns. We’re using your responses to shape the survey that each member will fill out the first week of school during their 30-minute union meeting. If we all fill out these surveys, we’ll be able to come to the table with a proposal that best serves our students and all members. Building Reps – please be on the lookout for BR Toolkits arriving in your mailboxes soon to assist you with your start of school meetings.
The Collective Bargaining Committee read through more than 150 interviews from our membership meeting to identify major concerns and ideas our members want to see addressed in the next contract!
Brendan Deady
comes to us by way of GBH News where he was a producer for Morning Edition and Boston Public Radio for six years. He is a BPS graduate, born and raised in Jamaica Plain. His sister is also a BTU member! We are thrilled to have him join the team.We’re happy to share the members of our BTU appointed committees, which are appointed by the President each new term. Here’s a list of the full membership:
- BTU Legal Fund: Charles R. Johnson, Crystal Haynes, Karen Cross, Paul Christian and Danielle West
- BTU Newspaper: Co-Editors Cecil Carey and Anne Slater; Editorial Board Members Caren Carew, Tim Maher, Johnny McInnis,Tracy Romain, CasSandra Samuel, Lea Serena and Richard Stutman
- Negotiating Team: Amrita Dani is joining returning members Bernadette Thornton-Giles, CasSandra Samuel, Nicole Mullen and Anne Brochu
- Health & Welfare Fund (Paraprofessionals): Colleen Hart, CasSandra Samuel, Christine Buttiglieri, Adrianne Jordan, Sharon Butler-O’Dwyer, Josefina Lascano and Debra Brown
- Health & Welfare Fund (Teachers): James Phillip, Sylvaine Lestrade, Betsy Drinan, Erik Berg and Lea Serena
- Educator Supports Program Panel: Darlene Prado and Molly Buckley
Job Postings
We are hiring an Executive Assistant to join the BTU team. The EA will provide executive-level support to the President and Vice President, anticipate needs, ensure efficient operation of the President’s office and be self directed in an environment that can be fast paced and deadline driven. Please send a resume and cover letter directly to Michelle Frank.
Paraprofessional Professional Development Opportunities
- Embedding SEL Practices in the Classroom: A Paraprofessional Focus
During this session, participants will engage in an overview of Transformative Social Emotional Learning (SEL). They will learn ways to implement Transformative SEL practices that support learning and foster community building for students.
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept 5 remote offering from 1:00-2:30PM
Register here: https://shorturl.at/bsD02 - Movement Break
The Movement Break Training is a fun-filled hour where staff have an opportunity to experience first hand the value and joy of incorporating movement into the school day. Staff will leave the training feeling more empowered to implement their own movement breaks to enhance student relationships and overall academic success.
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept 5, 1:00-2:00PM
WHERE: BTU
Register here: https://shorturl.at/flnpT - Early Childhood Best Practices Through the Lens of NAEYC Accreditation (K0-K2)
The Early Childhood Department is offering a professional development session for paraprofessionals working in schools who are involved in the process of NAEYC Accreditation, Renewal, or Maintenance. This training will help prepare educators with an overview of best practices for Early Childhood classrooms based on NAEYC standard and criteria. Guided discussions and hands-on experiences will offer participants an opportunity to share and reflect on their teaching practices.
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept 5, 2:00-3:00PM
WHERE: BTU
Register here.
Educators Thriving: Make Your Well-being a Priority This Year
In this free course for BTU members, earn Academic Ladder Credits toward lane advancement while learning and practicing concrete strategies to prevent burnout and support your own well-being so you can be your best for yourself and your students. Join our free preview session on Monday, September 18 at 4:30 p.m., check out our flyer to learn more or register now! Application due September 25.
Fall Conference: Register today!
Join us for the BTU Fall Conference from Friday, October 20 through Sunday, October 22 at the Omni Providence Hotel. Our theme is BTU Building Blocks: Together and United as One. Open and free to all building reps and member leaders! Deadline to register is October 2. Register today at btu.org/fallconference.
BPS educators – new and seasoned – are invited to join colleagues and union siblings for food, drink, and celebration to kick off the school year at BTU Hall on Thursday, August 24. New Educators will receive BTU swag and school supplies, and everyone can join in some lawn games and fun with fellow educators. There’ll be a chance to meet BTU leadership, learn about existing committees, and connect with fellow union members. Use this link to let us know you can join, and this one if you’d like to volunteer to help either at the social or on August 22 at the New Educator Institute.
Community Events and Announcements
Beth Peters, an inclusion-based drama teacher for Boston Public Schools, is looking for a kidney donor. Read her story here, where you can also learn about the screening process for becoming a kidney donor.
In Memoriam
We are also saddened to inform you all that Adeline (Addie) Eve Ansell, ninth grade ELA and special education teacher at the Mary Lyon Upper School and BPS graduate themself, passed away on August 11. We are keeping Addie’s loved ones and the entire Mary Lyon community in our thoughts.