BOSTON TEACHERS UNION, LOCAL 66, AFT Non-Profit Org. The Blame Game in 180 Mount Vernon Street U.S. Postage Boston, Massachusetts 02125 PAID Our Public Schools Boston, MA 2 Permit No. 52088 MathRocks City-Wide Competition A Tremendous Success 2 BTU Honors Building Reps of the Year 12 BostonUnion Teacher The Award-Winning Newspaper of the Boston Teachers Union AFT Local 66, AFL-CIO • Democracy in Education • Volume XLV, Number 10 • June, 2013 BTU Election Results June 5, 2013 # of Votes Received PRESIDENT Richard Stutman ............................................1,136 EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Patrick J. Connolly ........................................1,088 SECRETARY TREASURER Charles R. Johnson .......................................1,066 SECONDARY FIELD REPRESENTATIVE Caren Carew .........................................................443 ELEMENTARY FIELD REPRESENTATIVE Michael McLaughlin ........................................438 PARAPROFESSIONAL/SUBSTITUTE FIELD REPRESENTATIVE Debra Brown ..........................................................130 Joseina Lascano................................................135 POLITICAL DIRECTOR Angela Cristiani ..............................................1,056 EXECUTIVE BOARD Michael J. Maguire, Boston Latin Academy .................................770 Robert P. Carroll, Sumner Elementary School .......................499 Ann O’Keefe, Mildred Avenue K-8 .......................................278 Sherry Pedone, Mildred Avenue K-8 .......................................467 Garret Virchick, Brighton High School ...................................567 John Allocca, Alternative High School ...............................327 The 2013 BPS Educators of the Year Award Winners pose for a picture at the recent celebration. Top row, L to R: Cynthia Hairston, Renee Borrero, Erik Berg, Seamus Foy, Erik Berg, Amy Piacitelli, Cynthia Soo Hoo, Seth Peterson, Carmen O’Hara, Janira Arocha, and Linda Cruz. Bottom row, L to R: Esther Philbrick Elementary School ......................531 Louis Jeudi, Carmen Davis, Neema Avashia, and Marlayna McDuie. See President Stutman’s address to the Educators of the Year on page 8. Jessica Tang, Young Achievers K-8 ...............538 Christine Choukas, McKay K-8 .......................235 Alice M. Yong, Mildred Ave. K-8 .....................619 Laura Lee Johnson, Reflections on the Year Past Occupational Therapist ................................430 Cheryl L. Kelly, R.N. ...............................................564 Brenda Chaney, and the Year Upcoming O’Bryant High School....................................657 Allison Doherty, By Richard Stutman, unresolved and are being of us, and the department Urban Science Academy .............................485 ought to be taking action. James (Timo) Philip, Retired ...........................622 BTU President litigated. s the school year comes to an end, it One area of deep con- Frankly, the department Mary Ann Urban, Retired .................................616 ought to be as concerned PARAPROFESSIONAL COUNCIL Amight be helpful to take a look back cern is the implementation Donna Adame, as well as a look forward to see where we of the performance evalua- about these flaws in pro- West Roxbury Academy ................................ 68 are going. tion process. The process cess as it would expect any Debra Brown, We settled the contract after 2 1/2 long is not technically a ‘Boston’ of us to be concerned about Sumner Elementary School .......................116 all disparate treatment and Christine Buttiglieri, years, and many – not all – of the remaining, issue as we are using the Umana Academy K-8 ...................................... 39 outstanding issues have been resolved, we same tool as are as many discriminatory practices Connie Concetta Campea, are glad to report. A few lingering issues as 60 other districts in Mas- based on race, gender, and Charlestown High School ............................. 37 (offering paraprofessionals four interviews sachusetts. That number age--whether the victim is Arleta Faulkner, Curley K-8 ................................. 26 for teaching positions and allowing staff to will grow as more and more an employee, student, or Cynthia Ferris, Excel High School ................... 37 administrator. Shauntell Foster, enroll their children in the school where districts adopt the state Umana Academy K-8 ...................................... 48 they work) have now had formal proce- model contract language. The results from both Irma Ortega Hernandez, dures developed and are in operation. Both But there is an issue here years’ data ought to be a Condon Elementary School ......................... 44 Richard Stutman changes should help different segments regarding the implementa- BTU President call for action from the de- Jeanne Hogan, partment. Ask yourself this Condon Elementary School ......................... 48 of our membership in substantial and tion of the instrument as Debra Irby, meaningful ways. (Note: Paras who are early indications are that there is potential question: Would a teacher be disciplined Mather Elementary School .......................... 31 licensed and who are looking for teaching race, gender, and age bias in the outcomes if it were found that he or she exhibited Adrianne Jordan, interviews should call the union office, and of who is getting evaluated negatively for the same biases based on age, gender, Chittick Elementary School .......................... 70 staff who wish to enroll their children in the current school year. The department and race in interactions with students? We Carol Kirkland-Small, have heard very little from the department Ellison/Parks EES ................................................ 33 their school ought to look for a descrip- has also recently released results showing Joseina Lascano, Edison K-8 ..........................113 tion of the new process for enrolling their that there was bias in evaluations in both and intend to hold them to their promise to Donna Lashus, children in order to take advantage.) On race and gender from 2011-2012 as well. investigate what they admit is bias. Mattahunt Elementary School ................... 58 (Age data for 2011-2012 was not released.) Shifting now into a discussion as to Sharon Butler O’Dwyer, the not-so-good news front, a few issues Condon Elementary School ......................... 36 from the recent contract settlement remain These ought to be major concerns for all (continued on page 8) CasSandra Samuel, Young Achievers K-8 ........................................ 80 Sheila Yetman, BTU Rallies at State House for Charter School Fairness pages 5-7 Condon Elementary School ......................... 40 More BTU Election Commentary: Garret Virchick Results The Blame Game in Our Public Schools June 5, 2013 hen I entered teaching I had high labeling of schools as “failing”, Teachers need to feel they can RETIRED TEACHERS Waspirations. I wanted to expose and attacks on teacher unions talk about their challenges Dave Donovan, Chairperson ..........................406 my students to the wonders of biology. has created an atmosphere without being labeled a failure. Lenny Miraglia, Vice-Chair ...............................393 I wanted them to learn to approach the of fear and loathing among Boston has consistently Anne Broder, Treasurer ......................................386 teachers that only retards any been rated one of the top urban Marilyn Marion, Secretary ................................408 world scientifically and hoped that all could use these skills to solve the problems they efforts to improve educational school systems in the country. DELEGATES TO ALL AFFILIATED BODIES face every day. practices in our schools. What We know it is not enough to 43. Alice M. Yong, Mildred Avenue K-8..............507 These, I believe, are loftier goals than is happening is akin to the rant simply rest on our laurels. All 44. Colum Whyte, Lee Elementary School ......135 the one demanded of me by my evalua- of a military officer – “The beat- inner-city teachers know there 45. David Weinstein, BTU Pilot School...............141 tor: increase scores on the state’s biology ings will continue until morale are tremendous problems in 46. Brenda Webster, Retired ...................................233 47. Garret Virchick, Brighton High School .......418 MCAS test. improves.” our schools that will require 48. Mary Ann Urban, Retired .................................433 I have degrees from Rensselaer Poly- I know of many examples creative solutions. But creativ- 49. Paul R. Tritter, Snowden High School ........... 75 technic Institute, UMassBoston, and the of exemplary teachers being Garret Virchick ity is stifled when teachers are 50. Paul Tenney, Retired ............................................242 Harvard Graduate School of Education. disciplined for taking steps to forced to work with the sword 51. Jessica Tang, Young Achievers K-8 ...............392 I know more than most about teaching improve our schools. One teacher leader, of Damocles constantly swinging over 52. Richard Stutman, O’Bryant High School ..800 science. Yet I am in constant fear of los- seeking to help teachers in a middle school their heads. 53. Linda O. Simonetti, Retired .............................270 54. John Simonetti, Retired ....................................244 ing my job if my students do not pass a struggling with student discipline, invites The job of teaching in urban America 55. Ivelisse Santos-Rodriguez, test written by a testing