•
Dates & Deadlines
•
Teachers
•
Provisional Teachers
•
Paraprofessionals
•
Substitutes
| Frequently Asked Questions | Officers & Committees | Directions | Contact Us | Links |
|
||||
| Go Pats for a 4th Super Bowl in 7 Years! |
 |
| Greetings! Good morning This week we added to this e-Bulletin list serve a number of email addresses that appeared in our membership data bank but did not appear in this e-Bulletin list serve. (We sent out an opt-out mailing two weeks ago to this subgroup of addressees. Some of you have responded; some have not.) We have done this procedure once or twice in the past. This email, too, has a convenient opt-out at the bottom of this page. In the event you receive a second email today using another address, feel free if you choose to eliminate the address you least prefer. The bulletin will continue to be sent to the address that remains. Our goal is to provide you with up-to-date information at the email address you most prefer. As has also been stated, all BTU email addresses on this list serve are confidential and will only be used for the purpose of sending the e-Bulletin, which is sent out generally once per week. This list-serve is fully protected and cannot and will not be be used for any other purpose other than for the delivery of this e-Bulletin. ************************************************************ The Joint-Labor Management Process has been completed, and each team has written a report for each of the five schools. No teacher or paraprofessional has been involuntarily excessed from any of the five schools chosen, as a result of the process. ************************************************************ This week we sent a letter to all K-8 and Middle school people, teachers, paraprofessionals, and anyone else listed in our records as assigned to one of the above-designated schools. The letter described how the loss of each student to a Boston-housed charter school drains $10,000 per year per student out of city funds. The letter further detailed what we can do to better understand and broadcast the offerings available in our own high schools, in the hope that we can do an improved job of spreading that information to our middle school students who may be look to attend a charter school somewhere down the road. The road back and forth to charter schools is a two-way street for some of our secondary students, as hundreds of our students leave and return each year both to and from charter schools. It has long been lamented that the BPS does a middling job of educating our own students as to the wealth of good programs available in our schools. Making matters worse, the charters-- given that they receive $10,000 in tuition per student per year--aggressively seek out and recruit our students. The long and the short if it is, we need to do a better job of promoting our own schools for two very different and good reasons. 1) It doesn't help our students to leave our schools, based on incomplete information, only to be returned quickly from a charter school that is ill-suited to meet their needs. (Charter schools, by the way, have an exceptionally high drop-out rate, which they term an 'attrition' rate.) And 2) Our own schools could well use the resources lost each year to charters. The amount lost each year to charters ($44 Million lost this year alone) in essence costs each of the 55,000 BPS students approximately $800 each in lost resources and programs. The letter sent out from the BTU and the joint BTU/BPS meeting held in a similar vein a few weeks ago are merely the first steps of what we expect will be an ongoing campaign to give our students full information prior to anyone's making a decision as to leaving the BPS for a charter. A good place to learn more about our varied high schools, their themes and locations is here . Some HR/Staffing Deadlines:
School-Based Deadlines:
|
| Class Size--Itinerants and Specialists Have to File, Too | |
 |
Please continue to report class size violations to the appr opriate field representative, Mike for elementary, and Caren for secondary. |
In elementary schools, please remember, specialists themselves need to file a class size grievance. The grievance is not assumed filed on behalf of all itinerants or specialists even if the regular (homeroom) teacher files.
|
|
| Tuition Reimbursement |
|
| MVA Convention to Be Held |
79th Annual MVA Convention will be held on March 26, 27 and 29, 2009 at the Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis, Hyannis, MA (Formally the Sheraton Four Points, Hyannis, MA).; 508-775-7775 Room rates: $112.99/night single or double includes taxes. For triple or quad add $15.00/person. As education continues to re-invent itself, Career & Technical Education needs to participate in the process more than ever. Start getting involved at the 79th Annual Massachusetts Vocational Association Convention. Visit our web site at: www.massvocassoc.org Applications for MVA membership are online or email Mike Viggiano at mviggiano@boston.k12.ma.us for further information. This year's MVA convention theme is "New Century Celebration" Technical Vocational Education is celebrating its centennial this year. This years topics for professional development are:
The competition for the MVA Convention Ad Book cover design is in process. The deadline for submission is January 25. All students are invited to participate. More to come. Mike Viggiano, by the way, is president-elect of the Massachusetts Vocational Association as well as a teacher at Madison Park. Congrats to Mike. |
| OIIT PD Update |
OIIT Professional Development Last call to register for Intel: Teaching Thinking with Technology @South Boston Educational Complex! This online course begins January 24th and is still available for registration via the OIIT Online Registration Tool: MyLearningPlan , Boston's new course management system, is now the place to register for OIIT sponsored courses and workshops. Below is an outline of new winter offerings. · TEC1002: Introduction to Excel to Support Data Analysis (begins January 16th, few seats left!) A beginner 15-hour face to face course that will introduce participants to the power of using spreadsheets to collect, organize, analyze, and display data. · TEC4802: IntelliTools I - Classroom Suite to Support the Curriculum (begins February 5th) This OIIT Access Technology Center course will focus on the use of IntelliTools Classroom Suite software to create standards-based activities for a variety of diverse learners. · TEC4801: Creating Tools to Support the Curriculum with BoardMaker Software (begins February 7th, few seats left!) OIIT's Access Technology Center course will provide training in a wide variety of visual strategies that support access to all curriculum areas using BoardMaker picture communication symbol software. · TEC4801: BoardMaker Upgrade to Version 6 (please note, 2 sections of this workshop have scheduled) Two workshops on the new BoardMaker Version 6 for Windows are now scheduled. Participants will receive an upgrade, but must submit the old version previously received. If you need assistance accessing MyLearningPlan, please contact your school's Technology Support Teacher. |
| MTEL Info. |
|
| GLSEN Educator Retreat | |
 |
Educator Retreat January 25th - 27th, Provincetown |
Each January, GLSEN Boston holds a weekend-long retreat to support educators who wish to be open and out in their school communities. To register or get more information, please visit , or contact our office. Please register early to ensure space! PDP's are available! Contact Us at 31 Heath St., Jamaica Plain, Mass., 02130; director@glsenboston.org; P: (617) 536-9669. |
|
| Nat'l Board for Professional Teaching |
CLD/BTU National Board Support Winter Thoughts? Think about Take One & 1 In-service credit National Board for Professional Teaching Standards option for entering NB teacher certification process 4 week Intro course to TOWARD NBCT status. Mondays
|
| BTU Fax Machine is Down |
|
| Learning During Retirement |
|
| Yancey Annual Book Fair |
|
 |
The annual Charles Yancey book fair will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2008, at the Prince Hall Grand Lodge, 24 Washington Street, Dorchester, from noon to 3 PM. |
Books and financial contributions can be made by calling Lynnette Frazier at 617-635-3131. To date, over 300,000 books have been distributed during this annual event, now in its 22nd year.
|
|
| Retirement Party |
|
Sincerely,
Richard Stutman
BTU President
richardstutman@comcast.net (home)rstutman@btu.org (work)
617-288-2000
 |
| Quick Links |