PD Highlights - June 14, 2021
June 14, 2021
WTU PROFESSIONAL LEARNING - SUMMER 2021 COURSE OFFERINGS
Registration Closes SOON! Registration for The WTU's Summer Institute Closes on June 21, 2021. Space is limited!
WTU Professional Development Courses are developed and taught by educators, for educators. Click here for Summer 2021 course descriptions and registration links.
Creating a Plan to Thrive with the Kaiser Permanente (KP) Playbook (June 15 @ 5pm)
Join the WTU and KP to use valuable resources to create a robust and reinvigorating wellness plan.
Register HERE.
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Here's What's Brewing - June 14, 2021
Here's What's Brewing Today
June 14, 2021
Get Reading DC!
We need your help! Join the WTU Legislative Committee on Tuesday, June 15 at 4:30 PM to help us plan a campaign to close the District’s alarming reading gaps. Via Zoom: Meeting ID: 859 6155 0231; Passcode: 328360.
Achievement gaps across the District of Columbia continue to grow. In 2019, less than 30% of Black students were reading on grade level; we can expect gaps to have further increased due to COVID-19. Yet, DCPS school budgets continue to fall short of the need, forcing schools serving high percentages of students in need to cut staff and programs.
The band-aids that DCPS continue to propose - $14m for high-impact tutoring – will not close the gaps. We need more educators in our classrooms to serve those who are struggling to read. We need to implement co-teaching and collaborative teaching models to connect reading to the world our students live in. And, we need a School Librarian in every school to support educators as well as students.
Literacy is not just the ability to read and write—it is a right. We invite you to get involved and help us plan our campaign to help close the achievement gaps that are plaguing the District’s youngest readers.
DCPS Licensure Update
Given the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) has granted DCPS a final year of licensure flexibility for new hires for SY21-22. DCPS is under special conditions for federal title funding due to longstanding noncompliance with this requirement, and as such, school leaders will see heightened sanctions for employees who do not take steps to come into compliance.
Current Employees
Terminations for licensure non-compliance for SY 20-21 will not be rescinded. However, educators are eligible to apply for a position if they have submitted an OSSE application between June 1, 2020, and May 27, 2021. In addition to meeting this requirement, all other onboarding and clearance requirements must be met for candidates to be selected for rehire.
New Hires
In order to be hired for SY21-22, candidates must meet all onboarding and clearance requirements. All new hires must secure an OSSE license by March 1, 2022, or they will be terminated effective end of SY21-22. To ensure all staff who do not hold an active DC license make progress towards the March 1 deadline, we will implement a progressive discipline action plan that is supported by a comprehensive communication plan. School leaders will be asked to provide oversight and support to staff to ensure all deadlines are met.
Questions regarding this update can be directed to the Teacher Recruitment and Selection team ([email protected]) or the Licensure team ([email protected]).
Option 2 VEBA Guidance for Eligible Excessed WTU Members
VEBA Benefit application for SY 2020-2021 is available on the WTU website. The Benefit is available to excessed members of the WTU bargaining unit with 20 or more years of service who have not been able to find placement in another DCPS school. Click here to determine whether you are eligible. To be eligible for Option 2 Benefits, you must not have been awarded another Option available to Excessed Permanent Status Teachers as provided for in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (Option 1, Buy-Out or Option 3, A Year to Secure A New Placement) and you must meet all of the following requirements:
- You were in a unit of Teachers represented by the Washington Teachers’ Union and employed by DCPS in or after the spring semester of 2012 pursuant to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and
- You have 20 or more Years of Service as determined by the DCPS Teachers’ Retirement Plan, and
- You meet the qualification requirements of an Excessed Permanent Status Teacher, and
- In the final year of employment as a Teacher you had a final Evaluation Score of effective or higher, pursuant to the DCPS Effectiveness Assessment System for School-Based Personnel, and
- ·During the sixty (60) calendar days following the effective date of your excess, you are available for employment as a Teacher with DCPS and you made a “substantial effort” to secure a placement within DCPS as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. A “substantial effort” is defined as a good a good faith effort to interview at a minimum of five (5) Schools or a good faith effort to interview for all vacant positions for which you are qualified if the total number of such positions system-wide is fewer than five (5), and
- You agree to waive your right to reemployment as a Permanent Status Teacher with DCPS, and
- You have met all of the requirements for election of an Option for Excessed Permanent Status Teachers as set forth in the Collective Bargaining Agreement
AM Brew News and Notices will be archived at https://www.wtulocal6.net/AMBrew.
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AM Brew - June 7, 2021
Here's What's Brewing Today - Monday, June 7, 2021
Member Assembly - Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 4:30 PM (Via Zoom)
All WTU members are invited to participate in 2021 June Member Assembly.
Please click here to register.
Read In to Save DCPS Librarians; Council Budget Hearing
Many thanks to the librarians that attended last week’s "Read-In to Save School Libraries." As we gained our first detailed look at the Mayor’s 2021-2022 budget proposal, we continue to see an erosion of resources reaching our students; librarian positions are at the forefront of our work to ensure all students receive a rich, well-rounded education and for our city to close the stark and growing achievement gaps that plague our city. We hope you'll all join us in our work to #SaveDCPSLibrarians.
As we look ahead to the fall and plan to reopen our schools for the 2021-2022 school year, President Lyons testified that DC needs to make three key investments to close long-standing achievement gaps. Reduced Class Size. Implement Co-Teaching Models. And a Librarian in Every School.
Read President Lyons statement to the DC Council on the FY2022 budget here: FY22 Budget Testimony - WTU Local 6.
We encourage you to join us at tomorrow’s Member Assembly to learn more about our work and join the upcoming Legislative Committee and Communications Committee meetings to GET INVOLVED and help us build campaigns to invest in teachers and close the literacy gap.
ESY 2021 Student Snapshot and Academic Work Portfolio
Given the amount of queries the WTU received from members, we met with the Division of Specialized Instruction regarding the ESY 2021 Student Snapshot and Academic Work Portfolio. As a result of that meeting, Special Education teachers should have received updated communications from the ESY Team notifying teachers that the portfolio submissions do not need to be new work that is created or lesson plans, rather, it is a compilation of work that has already been created, completed, and used with the student this SY. You do NOT need to create or develop new materials. That is, you are compiling the relevant work samples that a student has been working on and/or completed during the current SY to address the academic goals where they have met the eligibility criteria for ESY.
If you have been requested to create lesson plans, and/or create and provide new assignments/work for the goal(s) that you have selected for ESY, please contact Field Services Specialist Janice Brown Parker at [email protected] immediately.
AM Brew News and Notices will be archived at https://www.wtulocal6.net/AMBrew. Please bookmark the site and check back for regular news and notices as well as to find items from past editions of the AM Brew.
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PD Highlights - June 1, 2021
Summer Professional Learning!!!
Register TODAY for these exciting, engaging and informative summer professional development courses and workshops HERE.
Decolonizing the Curriculum
Join Washington Teachers’ Union and Teaching for Change as we host a Decolonizing the Curriculum summer series beginning July 27th. This six-session series will feature presentations disrupting the master narrative in classroom curriculum, by providing hands-on strategies with lessons to be used in-person and virtually.
Each session is standalone (2 PLU's per session) so attend one or all six Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. EST via Zoom.
Tuesday July 27th at 5:00 p.m. EST Decolonizing the Curriculum with Teaching for Change
Thursday July 29th at 5:00 p.m. EST Tackling Controversial Topics in Early Childhood Education with Laleña Garcia
Tuesday, August 3rd at 5:00 p.m. EST COVID Tribunal with Caneisha Mills
Thursday, August 5th at 5:00 p.m. EST Politics of Hair with Dr. Cierra Kaler-Jones
Tuesday, August 10th at 5:00 p.m. EST Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Role Play with Jessica Rucker and Judy Richardson
Thursday, August 12th at 5:00 p.m. EST Teaching about Voting Rights with Ursula Wolfe-Rocca
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AM Brew - June 1, 2021
Here's What's Brewing Today
June 1, 2021
Last week, Mayor Bowser released her Fiscal Year 2022 (school year 2021-2022) budget. Join the WTU on June 2 on the steps of the Wilson Building to #FundOurFuture and support DCPS Librarians and call for small class sizes and the adoption of co-teaching and collaborative teaching models to help our students recover from the pandemic.
Read more about the Mayor’s budget proposal here.
Enrollment for the Sick Leave and Maternity Leave Banks is OPEN.
Open enrollment will occur from June 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021 and from August 1, 2021 through August 31, 2021.
Click here to submit your information or contact Charmaine Wilks at 202 517-1475 or [email protected] with any questions. If you miss the Open Enrollment dates, you will not be able to enroll in "the Banks" until the next Open Seasons in June 2022 and August 2022. This is strictly for the use of the Sick Leave and Maternity Banks and not the Dental/Vision enrollment.
June DCPS and OSSE Licensure Webinar
Please join DCPS on Tuesday, June 15 at 4:30 PM EDT for a session with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to discuss teacher credentialing requirements, required tests, the application process, licensure renewal pathways, and more with OSSE licensure experts. There will also be brief Q&A to answer general credentialing questions. Register below to receive details to join closer to the event.Please email us at [email protected] with any questions.
Technology Problems?
FY2022 budget release
Yesterday, Mayor Bowser released her Fiscal Year 2022 (school year 2021-2022) budget. Join the WTU on June 2 on the steps of the Wilson Building to #FundOurFuture and support DCPS Librarians and call for small class sizes and the adoption of co-teaching and collaborative teaching models to help our students recover from the pandemic.
For education, the Mayor’s budget proposal includes a 3.6% increase in the base amount of the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula, plus increased weights for English Language Learners and At-Risk Students. The Mayor’s budget also establishes new microtransit routes to provide students at 20+ elementary, middle, and high schools Safe Passage areas in Wards 7 & 8 and an $8 million increase for school-based mental health services. We also applaud the Mayor’s investments in affordable housing and direct economic supports to residents who have been hit hardest by the pandemic.
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June 2021
June 2 – Save DCPS Librarians READ-IN at the John A. Wilson Building, 4-5pm.
June 3 – DC Council, Committee of the Whole - FY2022 Budget Hearing
June 3 – Building Representative Call with President Pouge Lyons
June 5 – WTU Executive Committee meeting
June 7 - C.O.P.E.
June 8 – General Membership Meeting
June 15 – Legislative Committee Meeting
June 17 – WTU Training on the Grievance Procedures, 4:30pm
June 22 – Communications Committee Meeting
June 24 - Last Day of School for Students
June 25 - Records Day / PD Day for Educators
*Check the Weekly AM Brew for log-in information for all events and the AM Brew Blog for additional events.
PD Highlights - May 24
Summer Professional Learning!!!
Register TODAY for these exciting, engaging and informative summer professional development courses and workshops HERE.
Decolonizing the Curriculum
Join Washington Teachers’ Union and Teaching for Change as we host a Decolonizing the Curriculum summer series beginning July 27th. This six-session series will feature presentations disrupting the master narrative in classroom curriculum, by providing hands-on strategies with lessons to be used in-person and virtually.
Each session is standalone (2 PLU's per session) so attend one or all six Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. EST via Zoom.
Tuesday July 27th at 5:00 p.m. EST Decolonizing the Curriculum with Teaching for Change
Thursday July 29th at 5:00 p.m. EST Tackling Controversial Topics in Early Childhood Education with Laleña Garcia
Tuesday, August 3rd at 5:00 p.m. EST COVID Tribunal with Caneisha Mills
Thursday, August 5th at 5:00 p.m. EST Politics of Hair with Dr. Cierra Kaler-Jones
Tuesday, August 10th at 5:00 p.m. EST Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Role Play with Jessica Rucker and Judy Richardson
Thursday, August 12th at 5:00 p.m. EST Teaching about Voting Rights with Ursula Wolfe-Rocca
Read moreHere's What's Brewing - May 24, 2021
Here's What's Brewing Today
May 24, 2021
ICYMI: DC Educator Wellness Center
In partnership with EVERFI, a social impact educational technology company, the WTU is pleased to share with you the DC Educator Wellness Center. The funding for the DC Educator Wellness Center is provided by Johnson & Johnson. In the DC Educator Wellness Center you will find access to a prevention-forward, self-guided, digital microlearning experience designed to provide you with on-demand content related to mental health. The growing list of topics includes Mental Health Basics, Managing Mental Health Challenges, Developing Resilience, Supporting Loved Ones With Mental Health Challenges, and Mindful Living. You can read more here.
Budget Advocacy! Support our Students!
‘Read-In’ to Save School Libraries, June 2, 4-5pm
Join DC Public School Librarians, Family and Friends to Save School Libraries and Librarians
Join us as we kick off School Budget Week, prioritizing literacy and working to prevent staff cuts across our schools. Receive free books, prizes, treats and learn how you can support our students. Watch your email for more information on how you can get involved!
Sign-up to Testify on the FY2022 School Budgets
The Committee of the Whole will be holding an Oversight Hearing on the School Year 2021-2022 budgets on June 3, 2021 at 9am. Sign-up to testify: www.ChairmanMendelson.com/testify
Council’s Special Committee on COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery will hold a hearing on May 26 focused on what the District’s public education system should look like coming out of the PHE. Email Malcolm Cameron at [email protected] before 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 24, 2021 to sign-up to speak.
We Need Your Input
School Year 2021-22 Budgets. Let us know if your School Year 2021-2022 Budget has been cut and what positions are being eliminated. Click here to take our short survey.
Educators - Report your Certification and Recertification Concerns. Click here to let us know about your troubles obtaining your teaching credentials.
Class Coverage Survey. Are you being pulled from your regular duties? Click here to take our quick survey.
SICK LEAVE & MATERNITY LEAVE BANKS.
The WTU is adding a new OPEN SEASON for enrollment in the Sick Leave Bank or Maternity Leave Banks. Teachers who wish to enroll in "the Banks" for the first time must do so during the new Open Season of June 1st through 30th, 2021 and August 1st through 31st, 2021. If you miss the above dates you will not be able to enroll in "the Banks" until the next Open Season during June 2022 and August 2022. If you are already enrolled in the SL and the ML banks you do not need to re-enroll to take advantage of the WTU benefit. Contact Charmaine Wilks at 202 517-1475 with any questions. This is strictly for the use of the Sick Leave and Maternity Banks and not the Dental/Vision enrollment.
Click below to read more news and updates.
Read moreStudent Internet Access
Which Internet Program is Right for your Students?
iDC Institute 2021
iDC Institute 2021 is a knowledge sharing conference on best practices for integrating technology. DCPS is gathering educators and staff from around the District to collaborate, network, and learn together. Join us for a virtual conference where you can connect, experience, and create!
Register Here: bit.ly/thriDC21
Sign up to Present: bit.ly/pstiDC
Participants will receive 7 PLUs for attending the full day.