Good morning

Last Thursday, the BTU and the BSD engaged in an all-day arbitration/conciliation mandated under the new state Ed Reform Law. (We use the word 'reform' very loosely.) The panel begins deliberations today for a few days, and a decision on a host of items will presumably come out this week. This is the first time this process has occurred in Massachusetts.

The school department took the position that our members in underperforming schools ought to work an additional 230 plus hours per year without compensation. We currently have dozens of schools that work as many as 360 hours per year with compensation. Is the school department saying that working an extended day/year without pay will somehow close the achievement gap in a more expeditious manner than working with pay? we asked at the proceeding.

Under this arbitration/conciliation process the school department is  obligated to show that each of its proposals will promote 'rapid student achievement.' You may remember that we asked a few weeks ago how increasing SEI/Bilingual Class size would somehow promote achievement. We raised that again, and are awaiting the answer. We persist in this line of questioning because the school department's positions are, well, puzzling.

In one other curious display, the school department suggested that elementary teachers do not always walk their children to the bus upon dismissal. The department implied that this was a minor problem at the Agassiz Elementary School. Teachers' walking children to the bus after school is not a problem at the Agassiz, never has been, and never will be. We are responsible for our children's safety and don't need anyone to tell us. This issue is a red herring. The school department is looking for the state conciliation process to give them contractual changes (e.g., bus duty, reduction of P & Ds, elimination of SEIMS periods, elimination of Building Rep. administrative period) that have nothing to do with teaching and learning, good educational practice, and 'promoting rapid achievement.' We will keep you posted.

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Tonight there is a forum on school improvement and the upcoming negotiations. The event will be held at 6 PM at RCC. Present on the panel will be the superintendent of schools, the president of the student advisory coalition, and the BTU president. There is free parking and dinner. The event is sponsored by the Boston Leaders for the Future of Education. See announcement that follows directly below.

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As you have undoubtedly heard , a Fitchburg teacher, Douglas Vaughn Lloyd, died shortly after breaking up a fight at Fitchburg High School. The BTU sends its condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

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Wednesday is our monthly membership meeting at 4:00.

Improving Our Schools Forum with BTU President, Superintendent and BSAC leader

The Boston Leaders for the Future of Education invites you to attend: A Forum with BPS Superintendent Carol Johnson and BTU President Richard Stutman on Improving the Boston Public Schools. The head of the Boston Student Advisory Council, Adam Fischer, will also be present on the panel.

• Date:  Monday, June 07, 2010 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
• Location:  RCC. Roxbury Community College's Media Arts Center, please visit the following link:
• To register for this free event and/or for more details, please visit
  

Panel Moderator:

    * Charles Kravetz, Co-Founder & Former President of New England Cable News  

The Forum will take place at Roxbury Community College's Media Arts Center.  For directions to the Roxbury Community College's Media Arts Center. There will be free parking in the Roxbury Community College's parking lot on Cedar Street. Doors for the forum will open at 5:30pm for registration and a networking session. The panel will begin at 6:30pm and it will end by 8:00 pm.

Summer Paycheck Schedule for Teachers.
 Para 26-Check Schedule is Unaffected

Reminder on the summer paychecks . For those who receive 26 paychecks--the 26th and final paycheck for this school year will be transmitted on August 20th. That paycheck will complete the full salary due for the current school year. The next paycheck, the first of 2010-2011, will be received on September 17th. This means that all will have to go 4 weeks without a paycheck . Why? The next paycheck would normally come on September 3rd--but that is BEFORE the school year begins. So that pay cycle needs to be skipped. Because of the way the school year is laid out, starting after Labor Day, the issue of skipping a pay day happens every once in a while. This does not mean that we get less pay that what we are entitled to. It merely changes the pay dates so they coincide more appropriately with the start and end times of the school year.

Paras do not miss have any interruption as their first paycheck this year came on 9/18/09, two weeks after the first teacher paycheck. Consequently, the pay schedules for teachers and paras this current school year are not aligned.

Subject to the above issue of timing, all teachers and paras will receive their FULL salary for 2009/2010 in 26 full paychecks.

BEAM Scholarship Event--Jammin on the Waves

JAMMIN ON THE WAVES; Presented by the Black Educators' Alliance of Massachusetts:

• ABOARD THE MAJESTY, 1 Long Wharf Boston, MA
• Saturday, June 26, 2010
• Boat Boards at 8:30 p.m., Sails 9:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
• Advance tickets:  $55.00, At the door :  $60.00
• Hors' d'oeuvres, Cash Bar, Dancing
• For ticket information please call (617)510-2281 or (617)445-2088
• Proceeds benefit the Scholarship Fund

Para Excess Pools

Para Assignments

    * June 8--Paras' excess pool to be held
 
Any questions on the above, call Jenna Fitzgerald at 617-288-2000.

Pathways in SPED and ESL

 
Applications for the summer Pathway Program for Moderate Disabilities are now available in the July catalogue of MyLearningPlan. The application deadline is Wednesday, June 16.  For questions/add'l details, please contact .

The deadline for applications to the summer ESL Pathway Program has been extended to June 14. If interested, please access July activities in MyLearningPlan for the application. For questions/add'l details, please contact.

MTEL Prep Workshops for July and September Workshops: The catalogue of MTEL Prep workshops is posted online at MyBPS-->Central Admin-->HR - Licensure section.  In addition to workshops coordinated with area colleges, the BPS Office of Human Resources is offering workshops in CLST - Writing Subarea, ESL, and Foundations of Reading.
For questions/add'l details, please contact . 

Health Ins. Battle Brewing. AFTMA Launches Email Campaign

From the AFTMA:

Here's a new proposal from the legislature, all of it bad:

• Cities and towns by a majority vote of the governing body, e.g. city council and board of selectmen, and approval of the mayor/manager without collective bargaining can choose to move all employees to the group insurance commission.
• Cities and towns by a majority vote of the governing body, e.g. city council and board of selectmen, and approval of the mayor/manager without collective bargaining can implement its own plan provided that its plan is of no less value than the plan with the greatest number of subscribers in the group insurance commission.

Go here to register your dissatisfaction with the above.

Higginson/Lewis Has First Musical Production--the Wiz!

The first musical production of "The Wiz" will be held this  Thursday and Friday, June 10th and June 11th,  from 6:00 - 7:30 P.M, at the Lewis/Higginson. If you have any questions, contact Miss Nguyen at 617-635-8137 or knguyen2@boston.k12.ma.us.

RTC Golf Tournament--A Few Openings Left

3rd Annual RTC Golf Tournament

June 17
Brookline
Registration
Net proceeds to benefit the Jimmy Fund
Lots of Fun
Lots of Friends
Lots of Laughs
Questions, call Dave or Michael McLaughlin at the BTU office.

BTU H&W Fun Run- -June 18, 4:00 PM

30th annual fun run.. choose either a 5.8mile course or a 2.8 mile course. Open to all teachers and paraprofessionals covered by the fund.

• ENTRY FEE:    $3.00
• T-shirts to all official runners and walkers who complete the course in each race.
• Drop in or call the Fund Office (617-288-0500) Monday through Friday before 4:00 P.M. and request an entry application.  Complete the application and submit it with your entry fee.

1st Annual School Supplies Collection Drive for Haiti.

Ray of Hope Children Services sponsored by the Boston Teachers Union will be holding its First Annual School Supplies Collection Drive for Haiti.

• When: June 19, 2010
• Where: Boston Teachers Union
• Time:  9:00 A M - 3:00 P M
• Items needed: (backpacks, pencils, pens, notebooks, 1" binders, loose leaf paper, pocket folders, rulers, pencil sharpeners, erasers, colored pencils, crayons, markers, construction paper, protractors, compass, glue, math manipulative, alphabet/phonics/math flashcards etc.)

No BOOKS please unless the book is in French or Haitian Creole.

Your donation is tax deductible.

You will be able to see pictures of our work in Haiti during April vacation.

ICE CREAM will be served.

Thank you.

Paula Sylvestre

No Cost PD Offered by Belmont Hill School

Faculty from Boston to join attend a collaborative professional development event at Belmont Day School.  The summer
educators' institute is a highlight of the Peers Forum for Excellence in Teaching, which is aimed at building connections within the educational community and is offered at no cost and takes place on 6/28 and 6/29.

The 2010 summer program,"Relationships at the Heart of Collaboration," will address issues of collegiality, mentoring, and team-building, as well as teachers' connections with students. Diana Chigas, Professor of Practice of Conflict Resolution at the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, will be the keynote speaker. Our Peers Forum for Excellence in Teaching includes a series of school-year seminars, teacher residencies and school visits, ongoing partnerships with teachers from peer schools, and a comprehensive website . Register by calling Laura at 617-484-3078 x233 or at the Peers Forum .

Retirement Dinners--Some New Announcements

• Yolanda Pokaski & Raynel Shepard from OELL
  Celebration at Mexico Lindo Restaurant & Cantina (Melrose)
  Wednesday, June 16, 6:00PM
  $40 includes buffet dinner & mariachi band
  RSVP to Yeon-Jeong Son   by Thursday, June 10th.

• Retirees:  Jane Appleman and Susan White
  School:  John F. Kennedy
  Date:  Monday, June 28, 2010
  Venue:  Venezia's
  Time:  6-10 PM
  Contact:  Patrick Donovan  
  Cost:  $50.00
  Due date:  June 18, 2010

• Celeste Janey & Margaret Mills- Chittick School
  Contact person: Claire McCarrick, 617-635-8652
  Doyle's Cafe
  Cost $45 (dinner & gift)
  Date: June 11, 2010; 4-7 PM

• Craig Lankhorst, Principal, Fifield Elementary Friday, June 11th 6pm
  Venezia, $65 per person (includes dinner & gift)
  Make checks payable to Fifield sunshine fund, 25 Dunbar ave, Dorchester, MA 02124
  RSVP Jessica at 617-756-3270

• Janice Kenneally, Haley School
  Wednesday, June 23, 2010
  West on Centre, 5:00 -8:00 pm
  Haley Sunshine Fund  $45, includes gift
  RSVP to Mary Turner 617-635-8169

• Ann Grassa - Todd, Barbara Mingle, and Mable Benton-Morris of Dorchester Academy
  June 16, 2010 @ 2:30 at Venezia in Dorchester. Cocktails 2:30-3:00 PM,  Luncheon 3:00 PM, $50.00 per person (includes gift) please contact Mary Connor or Maribel Pomales-Bunch
  9 Peacevale Rd, Dorchester MA 02124

• O'Bryant's John Buckley and Mitch Debose
  June 22 at the Common Market in Quincy, 6PM-10PM $50.00 includes dinner buffet and gift Email Susan Bell for more informatin or call 857 526-1614.