The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly T
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BOSTON TEACHERS UNION, LOCAL 66, AFT Non-Profit Org. Unsung Heroes of the 180 Mount Vernon Street U.S. Postage Boston, Massachusetts 02125 PAID Boston Public Schools 2 Boston, MA Permit No. 52088 First Annual Professional Learning Conference 5 BTU Honors the 2014 Building Reps of the Year 12 Volume XLVI, Number 11 • July-August, 2014 Great Students Start With Great Teachers! Bost BT Un Union Teacher The Award-Winning Newspaper of the Boston Teachers Union, AFT Local 66, AFL-CIO President’s Corner by Richard Stutman BT U The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly appy Summer. teachers with ‘better fit’ new hires. Consider developed by the BTU-BPS head of Profes- H At the end of a school year, it is this: The teachers who have not been placed sional Learning, Paul Tritter. Thank you, appropriate to take a look back at where we to date are each experienced Boston educa- Paul. The union that helped provide this effort stand on a few key issues, where we’re going tors, trained and vetted by BPS administra- is the same union that is trying to help the 196 on others, what we’ve accomplished, and tors. Many have been recently recruited by teachers in the preceding paragraph. The role what we hope to improve. sophisticated by BPS specialists over the last of the union is multi-fold, and we want to be The school year ended with much in lim- decade. All have been given BPS-approved successful in both types of activities. Richard Stutman bo, and as we write this in early July, limbo PD, and each has undergone a strenuous and Another event also was held under the is a defining word for the following: PTPP, robust performance evaluation process. They radar at the end of the school year in coor- BTU President Madison Park, Mildred Ave., Commonwealth are the recipient of the best that the BPS can dination with the AFTMA’s Dan Murphy: charter expansion, and the Ed Reform legisla- theoretically offer... yet they find themselves, The BTU welcomed educators from vari- where we will work in September, another tion. By the time you will have read this piece, well, unwanted. And unplaced after a 4+ ous AFT local unions from Connecticut and large group of folks at Madison Park enter we may long for the days of ‘limbo.’ Or we month process. Rhode Island to our office to partake in the summer without knowing much at all about may not. So we ask ourselves, how can a system AFT’s Educational Research and Develop- the direction the recently-intervened-with As the school year ended, we had 196 that recruited, hired, trained, guided, and ment program. The event took place over Madison Park will head in. The BTU wants permanent teachers without an assignment evaluated people put the same people in three days and was a wonderful opportunity this school very much to succeed. With the for September. While the number of unplaced limbo while so-called better replacements are for BTU teacher/leaders to participate in the recent changes of school structure (Tradi- teachers is sure to drop prior to the PTPP recruited so they can be then trained, guided best of what the AFT has to offer. (The AFT, tional school to Innovation to Intervention) (what was formerly the excess pool process), and evaluated? Moving on… the American Federation of Teachers, is our there is much unknown about the direction we will surely enter the PTPP process, now national organization, and we are represented the school will be heading in. The work that scheduled for July 21 through July 24, with a n the Good News Department, the school statewide by the AFT-Mass or AFTMA. BTU needs to be done at Madison is matched by good 150 or so unplaced teachers. Iyear ended with a terrific Day of Profes- members belong to both ‘parent’ organiza- the strong desire of the people there for the One key point needs to be made: The high sional Learning at the BTU with more than tions as a result of their membership in the school to reach its potential. At Mildred Ave., number of unplaced staff is unacceptable. 130 educators in attendance. We are quite BTU.) an Intervention begun last winter has not yet What’s galling is that this is a purposeful proud of the activity held with the effort of Meanwhile as most of us, excluding the been completed, and BTU staff are left with attempt of the district to replace experienced many of our members, and organized and 196 above, head off to summer knowing uncertainty as well as a strong will to help turn the school around. ow, on the legislative front… One of the BTU Joins the Boycott of Staples at AFT Convention Nlarger unknowns is the degree, if any, to which Commonwealth charters will expand in the legislative season. Slowly, without an end in sight, Commonwealth charters are becoming their own mini-school system. Charter operators MATCH, EXCEL, City on a Hill and Edward Brooke have extended their franchise operations to multiple sites. MATCH has three sites (two in JP, one near BU), EXCEL has three sites (two in EB, one in Chelsea), City on a Hill has two sites ( both in Roxbury) and The Edward Brooke has three sites (Roslindale, EB, and Mattapan). Add to that nine other single Commonwealth Charter campuses and we have a burgeoning network of mini-charter school systems. While charters have developed a sophisti- cated and persistent ad campaign touting their willingness to enroll, educate and retain a less selective student enrollment, the fact remains that their schools, on average, educate one third the percentage of English Language learners as Boston and three-fourths the percentage of children with special needs as our own BPS do. What’s more, to the extent Commonwealth charters enroll students with Special Needs, charters enroll those students who are on the less challenging, least expen- sive end of the spectrum. See more photos and story of AFT Convention in Los Angeles on pages 6-9. continued on page 2 Commentary by Michael J. Maguire BT U Unsung Heroes of the BPS his year there were no Educator of the Bus Drivers the custodians step in like surrogate parents TYear awards. In its place I offer my own literally to clean up the mess. list of unsung heroes. SY 13-14 was a very tough year to be This year, I salute all custodians who a BPS school bus driver. Veolia certainly maintain our schools so that we can spend our Cafeteria Workers will not win any “management of the year” time on educational matters. awards. The drivers, however, should be This past school year, the BPS proudly praised for their long-suffering patience with Michael J. Maguire announced that all BPS students would receive a company that evidently ignores their con- Secretaries Boston Union Teacher free breakfast and lunch at school. A grant tract provisions and protections. I learned long ago that the secretaries are Co-Editor from the US Department of Agriculture paid Despite horrendous working conditions the ones who run the schools. Truly, these for the program. Many students were pleased and in spite of political pressure and bad press, individuals sit on the front line of parent inter- form without complaint in the sweltering and the program was lauded in the local media. many a dedicated worker reports to the yard actions. Whether by answering the phones or conditions that envelop our schools from May From my first-hand observations at Boston before dawn each day so that our students can greeting visitors as they walk in, our secretar- to September. Latin Academy, many more students received be transported safely to their schools. ies diplomatically handle all types of situ- This year, I salute the dedicated men and school lunch in SY 13-14 than in SY 12-13. This year, I salute all bus drivers who ations. When parents have a good personal women whose jobs it is to make every school My estimate is a 40% increase. I could be handle traffic, weather, and controversy with interaction at our schools, it helps all of us a safe place to learn. wrong, but undeniably the lines were longer grace and little recognition. both politically and professionally. and the cafeteria workers hustled each and This year, I salute all secretaries and Parents every day. Custodians administrative assistance who run, guide and/ What did not increase were the number or manage the daily operations of our schools. Last, but not least, I’d like to thank all of workers assigned to BPS cafeterias. Per- In my years of teaching, I have seen great the parents who work hard to ensure their haps in the entire system there were actually reductions in the staffing levels in our schools. children’s success. From bake-sales to parent- more employees this year than last. But to my Those who are left must do much more work. School Police teacher conferences, our jobs as educators knowledge, the USDA’s grant did not cover the In my opinion, the mark of a good custodial Most workers take for granted that their would much more difficult and isolated were hiring of extra workers. BLA could have used staff is spritely magic. worksite is safe and secure. Thanks to our it not for the time, energy and commitment a 40% increase in workers just to hand out the Often we take for granted that overflow- own police officers, the students and staff parents spend in buildings and for our stu- food to the students, let alone to prepare it.