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Boston Teachers Union
e-Bulletin |
#14
(2007-08), 11/16/07 |
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Greetings!
A question arose yesterday at the membership meeting concerning the term Commonwealth Priority School (CPS). According to the state DOE, there are 14 CPS in Mass., and each school has previously been labeled as under performing or chronically under performing. Further, each has remained in that status for a good while. Three of the CPS are Boston Public Schools: The Stone, E. Greenwood, and the Perkins. At a certain point, these schools risk being taken over by the state and given to a third party vendor for charter status. Last year four other schools, English High among them, were forced to adopt Commonwealth Pilot Status , after being faced with a state takeover.
Of the 14 CPS, four have recently been removed from the list, leaving 10. Six have further been designated CPS Priority 1 schools, signaling that they are one step closer to state takeover. No Boston school is yet in that category according to the latest state memo from Acting Commissioner Nellhous. The three schools in Boston remain under close state oversight, and according to the state report, their MCAS scores, a mixed review.
None of this is good news, although the news could be a bit worse. We have dozens of schools, in addition to the above, that are moving in the NCLB-mandated abyss of so-called under performing status. A study commissioned by MassPartners (a Mass. coalition of teacher unions, school committees, and superintendents) predicts the following by 2014.
- 3 out of 4 Mass schools (1,286 out of 1,731 schools for which AYP reports are produced, or 74 percent) will fail to make AYP for two or more years.
- Of schools failing to make AYP, 8 out of 10 (79 percent) will fall short based on aggregate school scores, not just for subgroups.
Considering that the above applies to all Mass schools, the percentages will be even more stark in urban areas. Long story short, we all have an interest in avoiding the road that leads to state takeover. We hope that by working with the school department on superintendent's schools, we can avoid some of the NCLB-generated penalties that we are only a few steps ahead of.
In juxtaposition to the above, consider that earlier this week an international report concluded that in 8th grade mathematics proficiency, Mass Schools do quite well--actually very well, thank you. The report , from the American Institutes of Research, a nonprofit independent scientific research firm, shows that Massachusetts leads the US in 8th grade mathematics proficiency. US results were mixed, but on the high side, in comparison with the rest of the world. The US surpassed most foreign countries in math, but trailed Singapore and several other high performing Asian countries. See the chart below.
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| Help Our Members Purchase Lost Retirement Time; Join Our Lobbying Effort at the State House. |
We need your help...
We hope you will make a call or two for your fellow members--please call or email your State Rep. and ask that he or she call Speaker DiMasi to urge passage of H2719, a bill that would allow a small handful of our members to purchase retirement time lost in the early 1980's. A previous bill helped a large group of our members, but overlooked a much smaller group, who were actually on layoff for a longer time. This bill has been stalled in the House for almost three years. Please call your state rep. on behalf of perhaps 30 or so BTU members who were most impacted by these terrible layoffs.
While you are on the phone....A bill to allow our members to buy back service in non-public schools has reached the Senate. We'd like, too, to help out some other members by asking you to call your state senator. This bill is Senate Bill 1631, and has made some headway in the past but will need a push to move it forward this session. We need the bill to be reported favorably out of the Senate's Ways and Means Committee chaired by State Senator Steven Panagiotakos. Please call or email your state senator and ask him or her to speak with Senator Panagiotakos and urge that his committee report the bill favorably--and soon--to the full senate. Thank you to both the AFTMA and the MTA for their lobbying efforts, and for information used in this article.
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Celtics Raffle for New Email Addresses
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We have over 6900 subscribers and are looking for more. Why? This is the best way to keep our membership informed and up to date. Send in five new email addresses of members not currently receive the e-Bulletin, and we will enter your name in a raffle to win Celtics tickets. Send your entree here and type Celtics Raffle in the subject line .
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Contract Reminders
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The new orange contract booklets are available. It appeared that we ran out during the last membership meeting, but there were m,any boxes in a nearby room. Feel free to come back or wait, if you wish, until the next membership meeting.
All K0 and K1 classes MUST have a full time paraprofessional assigned full time. All K2 classes MUST have a one-half time paraprofessional assigned. All of the above includes SEI classes .
The Peer Assistance program is up, running, and helping people. Any teacher who has received an unsatisfactory rating is eligible for assistance from a BTU peer. Three peer assistants have been hired, and a fourth is about to be. The program is voluntary and very helpful to those who choose to participate. We urge those eligible to find out more about the program. Any questions, please email Mike McLaughlin .
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Building Rep. Information/Upcoming Dates
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Building Surveys are coming in steadily. We will be giving away three pairs of Celtics tickets to those schools that participate in the survey. A drawing for those tickets will be held shortly. Please spend a few minutes to complete the building survey document. If you need another copy of the survey, please call the BTU office The contest ends on 11/30 |
To Purchase Tickets
To Purchase Tickets for the Celtics game: BTU night at the Celtics is on Friday, March 14, at 7:30, against the Utah Jazz. 200 BTU, $35-tickets are on sale currently to BTU members, first come first served. Bring your check or Money Order or cash to Pat O'Donnell at the BTU office to reserve tickets. The tickets are in section 320, 327, and 328. Note: These tickets are not discounted as in years' past. The buyers' market has turned into a sellers' market, as the team has become a hot commodity.
In the meantime, we'd like your survey. Who knows, your school may win two Celtics tickets!
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There will be a BTU Rep training Monday, November 26 th , from 4-6 at the Union primarily for those BTU Reps who missed it during the recent Building Reps Conference. However, all new reps are welcome. Please RSVP by November 19 to Caren Carew or call 288-2000. |
December 21--BTU Adult Holiday Party after school.
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December 27, 12-2 BTU Kids, Grandkids, Foster Kids party. More details, later. Save the date.
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Flexible Spending Plan--Put Money in Your Pocket
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Through this negotiated agreement Boston school employees can use pre-tax income to pay certain personal expenses under what is called a Flexible Spending Plan. Expenses allowed under this benefit include most out of pocket medical (up to $5,000 per year), dependent care ($5,000/year), parking ($220/month) and mass transportation ($115/month). Using pre-tax dollars to pay for certain personal expenses, as listed, in effect grants the teacher (paras, too) a discount of as much as 35% on the cost of the expense.
See the vendor's website, see the BPS website website or email me for more detailed information. You may also call CPA Inc. at 1-800-544-2340. The application for enrollment has begun and ends on November 23rd. This is a money-saving opportunity for our members.
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Retirees Information: Pension COLA and Social Security
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Last week the Retired Teachers Chapter held a wonderful event at the BTU, and more than 700 retirees attended for an afternoon filled with food, friends, and memories. The BTU and the Retired Teachers Chapter were glad to co-sponsor this event. Not an awful lot of business was conducted amidst the raffles and the fun, but it was mentioned that our retirees will be going back to Beacon Hill this year for another day of lobbying to win a fair and just Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for retirees. For those of you who don't know, a Mass retiree's pension is eligible for a yearly COLA, but the COLA by statute cannot exceed $360 per year. The AFTMA is supporting a host of COLA and minimum pension bills. If you have some time to help out, we'd appreciate a call or email to other your state representative or state senator in support of bills H2439 and H2599.
On the federal level affecting retirees, The Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset are two federal laws that restrict Social Security eligibility and in most cases, benefits, for many of our retired members. There are ongoing national campaigns to change both laws. To participate in this campaign, one can use the AFT website to urge your congressman and senators to repeal both laws.
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| lNew Professional Development Announcement--OIIT |
N ew OIIT Professional Development
OIIT has additional Fall 2007 Professional Development courses now available for registration. Look for multiple Intel Teach to the Future courses, Teaching to Standards with New Technologies (WIDE), Introduction to Support Data Analysis, and a new Computer Teacher Institute for Computer Instructors. Spread the word and keep your eye on the link for more information and the application to all OIIT sponsored courses which are also posted on the MyBPS>Professional Development tab: < http://boston.k12.ma.us/teach/technology/pd/index.asp >.
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| MTEL Writing Worshop Scheduled |
Preparation Workshop/Tutoring for the January Communication and Literacy Skills MTEL
The BPS Office of Human Resources is sponsoring a workshop for teachers interested in preparing for the January Writing Sub-Area of the Communication and Literacy Skills MTEL. Beginning with a diagnostic test, the workshop presenters systematically review areas identified in need of improvement, including grammar and usage, punctuation, and capitalization. Most helpfully, participants are coached individually on the writing of summary and persuasive essays both of which are required components of this test.
Given the upcoming holidays, individuals planning to take the Writing Sub-Area of the CLST MTEL on January 12, 2008, are urged to start preparation early. The workshop is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, November 28 . To register and for additional details, please contact nbalasalle@boston.k12.ma.us . |
| Upcoming Events |
The SPED Faculty Senate will have its next meeting on 1.17.08 at 4:00 at the BTU. ( The SPED FS meets every third Thursday but not in December or February.) Please come! A couple of items: There are schools that are without a building based Evaluation Team Facilitator (ETF). This impacts directly on getting students those services necessary to support them in all facets of their education. Although some may have compliance ETFs in place, the time to get to know student cases, streamline day to day issues that occur or facilitate Student Support teams, does not happen. If your school does not have a building based ETF,please email spedfacultysenate@btu.org and write ETF in the subject box. Please include any issues that are happening since an ETF in not in place.THANKS!
Also, at the AFT conference on 11.3, Janey Frank presented on the new regulations in place for IDEA 2004. It was very informative and packed with news. The AFT is interested in hearing about stories or complaints of special education related to IDEA. If there is something you'd like to share, please visit: http://www.aft.org/teachers/index.html and click on AFT Special Education Complaint Form.
- The Black Caucus will meet at 4:30 pm on the following dates:
- The BTU has formed an interest group for school environmental issues. The interest group's mission will be to help school based environmental committees and to create a safe forum for all BTU members to discuss school environmental issues. We know that some schools have environmental committees and would like to help you in your efforts to make schools healthier for students and staff. The interest group is also a forum for confidential discussion about school environmental issues that have become concerns. The meetings will be held here at the BTU on December 10th, February 12th, April 8th and June 9th. If you would like to be a part of the school environment interest group or have questions about this issue, email Michael McLaughlin at mmclaughlin@btu.org.
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| Community Forums: Graduation for ALL. |
COMMUNITY FORUM SERIES: "GRADUATION FOR ALL"
Superintendent Carol R. Johnson and the Boston School Committee will host a community forum series to engage students, families, educators and the community in discussions about how to eliminate the dropout problem and ensure 100% graduation. The schedule of forums is as follows:
Thursday, November 29
3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
CITYWIDE YOUTH FORUM
Madison Park Technical-Vocational High School, 75 Malcolm X Boulevard, Roxbury
Tuesday, December 4
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
The English High School, 144 McBride Street, Jamaica Plain
Thursday, December 6
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, 270 Columbia Road, Dorchester
Thursday, December 13
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
East Boston High School, 86 White Street, East Boston
Dinner, child care and translation will be available at the forums. For more information, as well as publicity fliers in multiple languages, please visit www.bostonpublicschools.org/community . Please post these fliers in your schools and offices and include this information in newsletters and other materials distributed to families and staff. Thank you.
Questions: Frank Barnes, 635-9054 or fbarnes@bostonpublicschools.org .
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| Article Headline |
BTU-endorsed candidate Jim Marzilli (D.-Arlington) won his senatorial seat on Tuesday. The seat had been vacated by Senator Havern. We congratulate Senator Marzilli and wish him well. |
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Back to current
BTU e-Bulletin
Black-White Income Gap Widens
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Policy makers concerned with eradicating the academic achievement gap ought to take special note of a report released this week from the Brookings Institute that ought to give all of us pause: The economic achievement gap is widening. The Brookings report tracks median incomes for both white and black families over the last 40 years and concludes that while median incomes for both black and white families have risen, black family income has risen less quickly than white family income. Policy makers take heed. The two gaps are related. Policy makers take heed once more. Educators want to do all they can to eradicate the achievement gap. But the achievement gap cannot be solved in isolation. It is a mistake to believe otherwise.
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