#5(2007-08), September 16, 2007

Good Afternoon,

We wish the Red Sox and the Patriots good luck this evening.

There's been a release of partial 2007 MCAS data from the state. See here for the Mass DOE's 9/14 press release on 2007 scores. Read Superintendent Carol R. Johnson's press release here. And in case you missed it, the Globe ran a story on Saturday.

New Contract booklets will be given out through BTU Building Rep.'s on Wednesday 10/10. Meanwhile you can access the new contract on our web page.

A few new dates to be aware of:

1)New teacher/paraprofessional substitute teacher reception with dinner will be held on Thursday, 10/25, at the BTU. A mailed invitation will be shortly forthcoming. 

2)And there will also be an afternoon party at the Milky Way Lounge in Jamaica Plain on Friday, 9/28, with pizza, liquid refreshments, and bowling for new members . Again, a personal, mailed invitation from the BTU will be forthcoming. 

Both of these events are sponsored by the BTU membership as a welcome to all new members. Welcome aboard. If you know of a new member, please pass this email along. Shortly all new members will receive an invitation to sign up for our email bulletin.

Reminder: Welcome Back Party for all on 10/12/07 at the BTU, with food, music, and cash bar.

Opening of School Events, Paycheck Information

At the monthly membership meeting, a member spoke about the condition of her classroom upon arriving in September. It was not as clean or as orderly in September as it was in June when she left, she said."Why can't we do something about it?" she said. The answer is we can and we will. New contract language says that "all students and staff shall be provided with safe/clean learning spaces and classrooms." The member was told to file a grievance at the school level and the union would prosecute this case. The same message goes out to all: If you found your classroom in a less than a safe/clean condition in September, please alert either Mike McLaughlin, Caren Carew, or Jenna Fitzgerald. This new contract language was bargained and we intend to enforce it.

On a lighter note, Expo Markers is sponsoring a classroom makeover contest! with the winning classrooms eligible for a $25,000 classroom makeover. Usually we wouldn't publicize this type of commercial enterprise but we received this alert through official AFT channels. We actually do not urge you to participate, but feel free to do so if you wish. Instead, in an unrelated development, the BTU membership last Wednesday passed a motion calling for a building survey seeking renovations in all schools. You may recall in the summer the BPS submitted an application to the state to fix and renovate seven schools it had chosen that were in need of repair. The application process was part of the state's first renovation project ($500 million) in years. We wondered why the Boston School Department had chosen only seven schools, while other districts (e.g. Springfield , Brookline ) submitted applications for all schools in their respective districts. We thought we'd help out the school department, even though the application deadline has long passed by submitting a wish list of building renovations to the state. Instructions will be forthcoming, and we will urge all members to participate instead of the Expo contest.

Para and substitute paychecks are due 9/21, with the 3% salary increase built in. For paras, another $300 is due 2/1/08. For substitute teachers, a 3% differential (effective 9/1/07) on base pay is awarded to those who hold an active state teaching certification.

Teachers who work in superintendent's schools should have received a 15.4% increase in their base salary on the 9/7 paycheck. As far as we know, this adjustment worked smoothly. The coding for the this increase is labeled "SST." For paras, there will be an appropriate adjustment of hours listed on the 9/21 paycheck, For all paras working in superintendent's schools, the paid hours will increase from 6/17 to 7/17. Substitute teachers, too, will receive a proportional increase for working the extended time

Retired teachers who are back substituting: Make sure that HR and payroll know to pay you the additional 3% for your work. By the way retired teachers do not have to take the substitute teacher test to enroll as a sub, Call HR if you are having trouble registering.

Pilot School Teaching Staff did not get the appropriate salary adjustment on the first check. We are working to correct this ASAP. The reason for the payroll snafu: A request from the school department's payroll office last spring to pilot school administrators for necessary information (hours to be worked, etc.) was not answered in a timely fashion. This lead to a delay in payroll calculations. The information has now been received by the Payroll Department, and we expect the matter (with retroactive pay) will be resolved soon. This has now happened for the 2 nd year in a row, with the same reason for the delay.

Note to all: Save your pay stubs and call the union office if you think you are not getting the correct pay.

Class size UPDATE

NEW Feature BTU members can now file a class size grievance on-line. The form is easy and efficient. Grievances at both superintendent's schools and traditional schools can be grieved electronically. File any violations here . And check out the class size limits here.  Remember: Class size in all regular education classes at superintendents' schools have decreased by two students in every grade level . All class size enforcement powers are intact in superintendent's schools.

You may still complete the traditional form, though we would appreciate that you do this on-line, and submit it to Pat Connolly, BTU Vice President by mail or fax(617) 288-0024.

BTU Building Rep. Information

BTU Building reps are asked to submit their rep election results ASAP. If you need another election form, you can obtain one here by scrolling down. Reminder, Building Rep weekend is 10/19 to 10/21. We need your reservations ASAP. Call Jeannie Turner at 617-288-2000 for information. The annual BTU conference this year will follow a different format: less of a plenary session-type format with three interactive workshops. We hope to see as many people as possible

Professional Leadership Projects The Boston School Committee and the BTU would like to  announce the second year of the Professional Leadership Projects , which creates opportunities for professional growth and leadership responsibilities while advancing school achievement goals. Project Leaders earn a 5% stipend for 2.5 hours/week service for the 07-08  school year. Funding for all projects will come out of a negotiated funding source of $325,000. The Joint BPS/BTU Committee invites all BTU members (not substitutes) to apply for the Professional Leadership Project..... read more . Application download can be found here by scrolling down to the bottom of the page.

Email List Serve - If you have received this email but have friends and colleagues who have not, could you please pass this email along to them and let them know they can sign up here at http://www.btu.org/topnavbar/esubscribe.html ? Thank you. Approximately 6500 members now belong to our list serve. It is the quickest, most effective way to inform the membership and these bulletins come out weekly.

Professional Development Opportunities

NEW - The AFTMA will be holding an Education conference at the BTU this year on Saturday, November 3rd, for all statewide members. Present will be the newly-appointed Chairman of the Mass Board of Education, Paul Reveille, as well as Toni Cortese, Executive Vice President of the American Federation of Teachers, Topics include: NCLB, Extended Learning Time, Early Childhood Education, SPED and more. Breakfast at 8:15. Email Patricia Armstrong, parmstro@btu.org to learn more.

"The 8th Annual Pilot/Horace Mann Schools Staff Sharing Conference  will take place on Tuesday, 10/23 from 5-8 pm. at Orchard Gardens Pilot School and Wednesday, 10/24 from 12-3 at Boston Community Leadership Academy.  This year's conference theme is Focused on Literacy.  Teachers and staff are encouraged to submit workshop proposals and attend.  For the Call for Proposals and more information please contact Mary Doyle at mdoyle@ccebos.org ." 

NEW - The Center for Leadership Development and the Boston Teachers Union, in partnership with Northeastern University (NU), are offering four undergraduate-level courses for paraprofessionals this fall. The courses will be taught by NU faculty on the NU campus. Each course is 30 hours and will provide 2 In-service credits and 60 Para Training Points (PTPs). There is no tuition charge for paras taking the courses for In-service Credits/PTPs. All paras enrolled in the courses will be required to fully participate in classes, to complete required assignments, and to pay for any textbooks required for the courses.

A para who wants undergraduate course credit for any of the four courses can buy 3 credits per course from Northeastern University. The cost for 3 credits for the fall courses is $270.00. The course instructor will explain the procedures for buying course credit. If you do not want undergraduate credit, you do not have to pay for the courses. The deadline for applications is Sep. 28, 2007. If you have questions about the new courses, please contact George Cox 635-8886.

NEW - Attention secondary English and humanities teachers, 6-12: The Boston Writing Project and Calderwood Writing Initiative are sponsoring a three graduate-credit UMass course, "Teacher as Writer/Reviser," facilitated by Dave Russell and Steve Gordon.  Participants will experience and examine revision practices and instruction for themselves as writers and teachers; and they will plan, implement and assess revision practices for their students. The class will meet every 2-3 weeks, Saturday mornings, 9-12 at UMass starting September 29 and ending April 5.  Limited enrollment. $195. Contact Steve Gordon at swingordon@rcn.com (781) 643-7617) for flyer and application .

NEW - Boston Children's Museum invites you to a special Open House for Educators; Celebrate the New Museum and Waterfront Park on Saturday, September 29, 11am to 4pm

Early Childhood, K-12, After School, Home School Educators Are Welcome!

As always, educators are admitted FREE!

Boston Children's Museum, 300 Congress Street , Boston MA 02210

http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/educators/about.html

Charitable Event

Mayor Thomas M. Menino's Hub On Wheels Citywide Bike Ride & Festival on Sunday, September 23, 2007

This is a chance to explore the greenways and the shoreline, the neighborhoods and the communities of Boston like never before. Imagine being able to ride down Storrow Drive with no cars to get in your way. Proceeds from Hub on Wheels will enable a parent and child in the Boston Public Schools to receive the technology and the skills they need to succeed in today's world through Technology Goes Home. Sign up to ride with Team Boston Public Schools now. Use the coupon code: TGH to waive the fee.

Obituaries

We extend our deepest condolences to Lee School teacher Mary Stoddard, whose husband,   Stephen J. Stoddard, died suddenly on September 10 th. Stephen Stoddard was a Boston School custodian. Stephen also leaves two children Sean J. and Thomas E. Stoddard and many siblings. Stephen was the night senior custodian at the Lewis Middle School in Roxbury, and was a very good, decent man, in the words of Michael Lafferty, Business Representative of the Local 1952, Boston School Custodians Union. Stephen will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and colleagues.

Contributions to the Firefighters fund to help out the families of deceased Warren J. Payne and Paul J. Cahill can be sent to:

West Roxbury Fire Fund
c/o Boston Firefighters Credit Union
60 Hallet Street
Dorchester , MA 02124
617-288-2420

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

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