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Boston Teachers Union
e-Bulletin
#21
(2009-10),  01/18/10

 

Greetings!

Good Day. We have three items topping our report.

Haitian relief efforts continue. We are trying to do our small part in what is a terrible disaster. The BTU membership last week donated $2500 to the city's relief efforts, and we will be gathering more contributions to a fund the city has set up. The fund is called
"The Fund for Boston Neighborhoods' Haitian Family Relief." Obviously, it doesn't matter which fund you may choose to contribute to, though we suggest that you check out first a fund's legitimacy before contributing. The city has a web page with more information. Any funds sent to us will go to the city's fund. According to the city, the city's fund is a 501c3. We are also working with a teacher, Paula Sylvestre, who has helped set up the following donation program, and she writes:

   "We are all aware of the devastation and the despair in Haiti.  In order to bring a glimmer of "HOPE" in the months ahead, Ray of Hope Children Services, Inc., will organize a drive on 1/23 from 10 - 2 p.m.   We have two addresses for your convenience.  Many of you have asked how you can help.  Please be a volunteer to help pack the items we will be receiving.  Please advise on which of the two locations you would like to serve by calling 781 308-5564.  We look forward to start shipping by mid-February or beginning of March.  


                      Twelfth Baptist Church
                      160 Warren Street
                      Roxbury, MA 02119
                      617 442-7855

                      Boston Teachers Union
                      180 Mount Vernon Street
                      Boston, MA 02125

We appreciate your help."

The AFT, too, has a web page on this.

*******************************************************************

The final senate election is Tuesday, 1/19/2010. The state AFL-CIO , the AFT-Mass and the BTU membership have each endorsed Martha Coakley for Senate. We urge our members to vote for Martha Coakley. Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Her opponent, Scott Brown, voted FOR the Ed Reform legislation this past week.


*******************************************************************

Ed Reform Legislation passed the House and the Senate late last week. The AFT-Mass, our parent organization and lobbyist, has published a summary, and it is below. We have asked our own lawyers to examine the law as well.  A list of who (House and Senate) voted for or against the legislation will be posted shortly, as soon as certain information (who did not vote) can be verified. In the meantime, if you want a copy of a preliminary list of who voted which way, call the BTU office and we will send you a copy.

Other issues....


Swine Flu clinic at the BTU on Thursday, 1/21, from 1-5. ID is encouraged but not necessary to receive the vaccine. This is open to the general public, and there is no city residency requirement. You must be 36 months or older. Staff get two hours release time for the flu shot if time is needed. See here for more information.

New School Department Ethics memo --we are running this by our atty. We'll have more information out shortly.

Clarification. For months we have decried the possibility that legislature would create Horace Mann in-district Charter Schools. We have lobbied against the so-called 'new' version of Horace Manns--not the old version. The 'old' are currently in place, and everyone's happy with them. We currently have two terrific Horace Mann Charters (the Boston Day and Evening and the Edward Kennedy Academy for Health Careers) which are covered under the BTU contract. We negotiate for them, and their staff are full-fledged members of the BTU. It's the new version we oppose. The new version, as adopted by the legislature, is a few steps removed from the old version. These in-district Horace Mann charters can be run by non-profit businesses or corporate entities. And their members are "exempt from (the) local collective- bargaining agreement to the extent provided by the term of its charter." No one really knows yet what this means--but it isn't good.



Great Opportunity for BTU Members
      Boston Public Schools, in conjunction with Harvard Business School, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the Boston Teachers Union, seeks to recognize Outstanding Urban Educators in Math, ELA, ESL, and select other disciplines with the Sontag Prize in Urban Education. Sontag Prize recipients will receive a $3,000 honorarium and will participate in a week-long celebration that will include sharing best practices with colleagues, learning opportunities with Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Business School faculty, and leading BPS Acceleration Academy classes to demonstrate effective instruction with students. Please see here for details. Contact:  For more information, or to apply, visit here .

DEADLINE:  Friday, January 29, 2010

This program has worked well in the past at the Edwards, and now has been expanded to other schools.
Key Teacher and Para Assignment Dates

 

  • 1/27 deadline for voluntary excessing for paras and teachers Form is found here.  Scroll down to HRS-HS07-1(This is a new date this year only)
  • 1/18-2/10--probable org. meetings btwn. HR and principals
  • 2/11--deadline for notification in pilot schools for excessing--both for schools to do the excessing and for those in pilot schools who wish to voluntarily excess themselves--new date this year only
  • 3/2 transfer posting is announced. Also date for notice of excessing
  • 3/2 to 3/16 transfer posting window period
  • 4/15 para excess pool scheduled
  • 4/27-4/29--teacher's excess pools are scheduled. (Those excessed on 3/2 shall receive seniority lists and vacancy lists in late April, prior to running of particular excess pool.)
An Irony to be Noted

Collective Bargaining Doesn't Work...Or Does it?

             Last week the governor and the mayor chose the Edwards Middle School in Charlestown to publicly lobby the legislature to support the ED reform bill. Without these legislative changes--and the elimination of certain collective bargaining rights--their spiel went, there would be no closing of the achievement gap. So, they chose the Edwards, which has had a great turnaround over the last few years, a turnaround attributed in great part to the extended learning time (ELT) program at the school. But there's a hitch: The Edwards's ELT program came about as a result of collective bargaining--the type the governor and the mayor say doesn't work. Well, then, if it doesn't work, how did it happen at the Edwards? Go figure. The Globe noted the irony as well; see here for the Globe piece and scroll down.

Pathway Program for ESL and Mod SPED  Licensure and Professional Practice

Human Resources will be conducting the winter/spring cohort of the ESL Pathway Program beginning in February.  This program prepares participants for ESL licensure and teaching. Interested BPS staff are encouraged to participate in one of the following informational sessions for complete details.

Tuesday - January 19                   2:30-3:30  or  4:00-5:00
Thursday -January 28                   2:30-3:30  or  4:00-5:00
Wednesday-February 3                 2:30-3:30  or  4:00-5:00

All sessions will be held at the Center for Leadership Development on the Madison Park Campus. Applications will be distributed at informational sessions. The program brochure is posted online at MyBPS->Central Admin->HR - Licensure

Reservations for the informational sessions are required and can be made by email . Please specify date and time of preferred session.

Human Resources will be conducting the winter/spring cohort of the Moderate Disabilities Pathway Program beginning in February.  This program prepares participants for Moderate Disabilities licensure and teaching. Interested BPS staff are encouraged to participate in one of the following informational sessions for complete details.

Thursday - January 21                 2:30-3:30  or   4:00-5:00
Tuesday -  January 26                 2:30-3:30  or   4:00-5:00
Tuesday -  February 2                  2:30-3:30  or  4:00-5:00

The program particularly invites the participation of teachers in inclusion schools seeking to become dually licensed; teachers who plan to transition into Special Education; and accomplished teachers who want to expand their repertoire of professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions relative to students with special needs.

All sessions will be held at the Center for Leadership Development on the Madison Park Campus. Applications will be distributed at informational sessions. The program brochure is posted online at MyBPS->Central Admin->HR - Licensure. Reservations for the informational sessions are required and can be made by email. Please specify date and time of preferred.
MTEL PREP

 

The catalogue of upcoming preparation workshops for the upcoming MTELs is available on MyBPS (Central AdminàHR-Licensure ---Catalogue of Preparation Workshops for MTEL. The catalogue also includes helpful information about the MTELs including online resources for self preparation. Applications for workshops need to be made online using the zoomerang link included in the catalogue.

All staff are welcome to participate in the MTEL support and workshops organized by the Human Resources. Workshops often fill quickly so please apply as soon as possible. For more information concerning MTEL, please contact Nick Balasalle. Please note:  The regular registration deadline for the March MTELs is January 22.

SSC Training

SSC Shared Decision Making (how to facilitate true consensus) Jan. 25 and Jan. 28.

Please RSVP to Caren Carew . Comprehensive SSC manuals will be distributed to participants. Each workshop is run twice.  Refreshments available.
U. S. Census Bureau Offers Help and Asks for Help

 

BPS has been working with the Della Scott, from the US Census Bureau to teach students about the importance of the 2010 Census--so that they can encourage their families to participate in the census.  Some of our BPS families may not know that the allocation of federal funds for Title I, school budgets, breakfast and school lunch programs are based, in part, on the census count.  

To help raise awareness among students about the census, teachers can download our free lesson plans and other resources here. Students in K-8 can sharpen their skills in math, data and map analysis, history, and critical thinking.  High school students will have an opportunity to learn about the history of the census, apportionment, and redistricting, and more. BPS will soon be making Census in Schools initiative and 2010 Census awareness campaign more visible within BPS.  We will soon be providing posters and other promotional materials to teachers, librarians, administrators, and staff members. For more information, email Della Scott.

AFT President Weingarten Draws Attention in Speech on Teacher Evaluation

AFT President Randi Weingarten has given a speech on teacher evaluation that made national headlines. See here for a transcript.
Letter Sent by School Unions to House Members on Ed Reform
The below letter was sent a few weeks ago from leaders of eight school department unions.

Dear Honorable State Representative,

     We represent close to 10,000  members who work day in and day out in the Boston Schools. Most of us live in the city. We are proud of our schools, we are proud of our success, and we are proud of the work we do. We represent  teachers, administrators, secretaries, bus monitors, custodians, school police, school plant administrators, clerical workers, and more. We are writing because the legislation being proposed on Beacon Hill will harm, not help, our daily efforts.

     We know our schools are not perfect.  But at the same time, we know that our schools will improve only if we have a voice in the efforts needed to improve them. The legislation proposed takes away our voice and takes away our collective bargaining. This is a recipe for school failure, not school improvement.

     We ask that, in considering this legislation, you vote to restore all collective-bargaining rights. Restoring our rights means restoring 'just cause' instead of the weaker 'good cause.' Restoring our rights means eliminating the implementation of Horace Mann Schools, which would be allowed to operate without any collective-bargaining provisions. Neither of these two changes, incidentally, will help the state's application for RTTP funds. Neither will improve the quality of education in our schools. They are no more than an attempt to destroy certain collective bargaining provisions and the ongoing collaborative efforts that have been established  and in effect for more than 40 years.

     Thank you very much. As always, we appreciate your support of and interest in our schools.
Orange Book Typo on Contractual Hourly Rate

The contractual hourly rate for this year is actually $40.92, not $40.82.
Summary of Ed Reform Legislation, Prepared by the AFT-MASS

AN ACT TO REDUCE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

(prepared by the AFT-Mass)

THE EDUCATION LEGISLATION, KNOWN AS AN ACT TO REDUCE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, HAS PASSED BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE. WHILE THE LEGISLATION DOES NOT CONTAIN ALL THE ODIOUS PROVISIONS PUT FORWARD AT VARIOUS TIMES, IT CONTAINS A GOOD NUMBER OF THEM AND IS CERTAINLY INFERIOR TO WHAT THE PREVIOUS LAW WAS. THIS LEGISLATION IS IRKSOME AND SHOULD VEX EVERY UNION MEMBER. SINCE THE LAW REQUIRES ALL KINDS OF PROCESSES FOR IMPLEMENTATION, IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO PUT THE LAW INTO OPERATION. AFT- MA WILL CLOSELY MONITOR ITS COURSE AND WILL GIVE LOCALS ALL THE ASSISTANCE WE CAN. THE ITEMS BELOW ARE MAJOR FEATURES OF THE LEGISLATION, BUT THE BILL DOES CONTAINS OTHER ITEMS. SOME ITEMS MAY ACTUALLY BE IN CONFLICT

UNDERPERFORMING SCHOOLS

Based on MCAS scores, up to seventy-two schools can be designated as underperforming or chronically underperforming schools at any given time. The superintendent must create a turnaround plan lasting up to three years.The superintendent can require all staff in the school, not just teachers, to reapply for their positions in the school. If the superintendent does not accept the reapplication or the employee does not reapply, the employee shall retain such rights as may be provided under law or any applicable collective bargaining agreement to fill another position in the district, provided that the employee shall not have the right to displace any teacher with professional teacher status in any other school during the school year. A teacher can be dismissed for good cause, a lower standard than just cause in the previous law. The superintendent can request the school committee to reopen the contract. If the contract is reopened, negotiations occur. If no agreement is reached, the dispute goes to a joint resolution committee of three persons who decide.


CHRONICALLY UNDERPERFORMING SCHOOLS

Based on MCAS scores, up to seventy-two schools can be designated as underperforming or chronically underperforming schools at any given time. The Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education must create a turnaround plan lasting up to three years. The superintendent can require all staff in the school, not just teachers, to reapply for their positions in the school. If the superintendent does not accept the reapplication or the employee does not reapply, the employee shall retain such rights as may be provided under law or any applicable collective-bargaining agreement to fill another position in the district, provided that the employee shall not have the right to displace any teacher with professional teacher status in any other school during the school year. A teacher can be dismissed for good cause, a lower standard than just cause in the previous law. The Commissioner can void any or all provisions collective-bargaining agreements. No negotiations are required.


UNDERPERFORMING DISTRICTS

Up to 2.5 percent of school districts at any given time, approximately nine, can be declared chronically underperforming districts. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will designate a receiver who will have all the powers of the school committee and the superintendent. The Commissioner and the receiver will develop a turnaround plan. The commissioner can require all staff in the school, not just teachers, to reapply for their positions in the district. If the commissioner does not accept the reapplication or the employee does not reapply, the employee shall retain such rights as may be provided under law or any applicable collective-bargaining agreement to fill another position in the district, provided that the employee shall not have the right to displace any teacher with professional teacher status in any other school during the school year. The commissioner can request the school committee to reopen the contract. If the contract is reopened, negotiations occur. If no agreement is reached, the dispute goes to a joint resolution committee of three persons who must issue a unanimous decision. Otherwise, the commissioner resolves all outstanding issues.


(NEW) HORACE MANN CHARTER SCHOOLS

(ed. note: the 'new' Horace Manns are a different entity from the current version, of which Boston has two.)

A (new) Horace Mann Charter School shall be a public school or part of a public school operated under a charter approved by the school committee and the local collective- bargaining agreement. However, a number of exceptions exist. A (new) Horace Mann Charter School established as a conversion of an existing school shall not require the approval of the local collective-bargaining agent but shall require a memorandum of agreement regarding any waivers to collective-bargaining agreements which needs the approval of a majority of the teachers in the school. Fourteen new schools can be created without union approval. A minimum of four will be in Boston. After approval, the schools need to develop a memorandum of agreement with the school committee and the union regarding any requested waivers to the collective-bargaining agreement, but a school can open under the terms of the charter until a memorandum of agreement is reached.


Innovation Schools

The bill establishes these schools, formerly called readiness schools. It states that these schools are established "for the purpose of improving school performance and student achievement through increased performance and autonomy." A planning committee will develop the innovation plan. In existing schools where a conversion is proposed the collective bargaining agreements are in effect except in those areas where the planning committee recommends waivers.  Conversion of an existing school to an innovation school requires a two-thirds vote of the faculty. In the case of a new innovation school requested waivers are to be negotiated, but if no agreement is reached, then final and binding arbitration occurs.


Commonwealth Charter Schools

Over a period of seven years, the cap on charter school spending can rise from 9 percent of net school spending to 18 percent in the lowest scoring ten percent of districts.

 

 

Sincerely,

Richard Stutman
BTU President

richardstutman@comcast.net (home)
rstutman@btu.org (work)
617-288-2000

TOP

 
In This Issue
Great Opportunity for BTU Members
 
Key Teacher and Para Assignment Dates.
 
Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows
 
Pathway Program for ESL and Mod SPED.
 
MTEL PREP
 
School Site Council training workshops
 
U. S. Census Bureau Offers Help and Asks for Help
 
Randi Weingarten Speaks
 
Letter Sent by School Unions
 
Orange Book Typo on Contractual Hourly Rate
 
Summary of Ed Reform Legislation, Prepared by the AFT-MASS.
 
Q ks

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2009 -10 School Year
#01 08/31/09
#02 09/08/09
#03 09/14/09
#04 09/21/09
#05 09/28/09
#06 10/05/09
#07 10/13/09
#08 10/18/09
#09 10/26/09
#10 11/02/09
#11 11/09/09
#11A 11/11/09
#12 11/16/09
#13 11/18/09
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#15 11/30/09
#16 12/05/09
#17 12/14/09
#18 12/21/09
#18A 12/21/09
#19 01/04/10
#20 01/11/10
#20A 01/12/10

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