November 19th, 2023 - Channel 9 News covered DC Council budget meeting where WTU President called for independent review of DCPS' finances saying top administrators outspend 10X the national average. Click here or picture above to watch news.

A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU Members,

I hope you enjoyed some well-deserved rest this weekend after what can only be described as an action-packed last week! The WTU wants to express our heartfelt gratitude for the more than 40 WTU teachers who testified on DCPS’ failing teacher retention policies at the D.C. Council hearing on November 28^th, spoke to reporters, and signed our petition for safe schools. Your testimonies and those that followed on a second teacher and principal retention hearing on Wednesday November 29^th, triggered an avalanche of support from D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and other councilmembers who cited teacher testimony verbatim in a grueling grilling of DCPS administrators. The powerful testimonies from teachers confirming their personal experiences with IMPACT, an evaluation system proven to be bias and racist by American University, seemed to strike a chord with D.C. Council members.

In my Wednesday, November 28^th testimony to DC Council, the WTU called for the DC Council to change the law that does not allow our union to negotiate evaluation policies with DCPS. Several WTU teachers reinforced the need for a new evaluation system when they spoke with reporters from the DC-ist, WAMU radio, and Washington Examiner. Channel 9 News followed up with a news story on how DCPS has failed to replace IMPACT with a fair and non-racist evaluation system and The Washington Post reported on teacher turnover.

Last week, the Contract Bargaining Team did receive an initial response to the proposals and MOAs sent to DCPS starting in June. We will keep you in the loop as we continue to insist that DCPS come to the table to negotiate with us.  We ask for your support in SIGNING OUR PETITION FOR SAFE SCHOOLS, wearing red for ED on Fridays, and sending us your group shots and selfies. It is working!! As always, I cannot thank you enough for all you do to support this union, the children of DC, and their families. I hope you enjoy a safe, and intellectually engaging week with your students!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President
Washington Teachers’ Union

Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team

Watch the November 28^th weekly update from WTU’s Contract Bargaining Team and other WTU videos here. Please share our petition for safe schools! We also need your beautiful photos wearing red on Fridays! Email photos to [email protected] or text them to 202-957-1782.

AM Brew News and Notices are archived at https://www.wtulocal6.net/AMBrew.

A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU Members,

I hope you enjoyed a Thanksgiving holiday filled with fun, love, peace, and blessings! Thanksgiving Day always reminds me of the power of gratitude. None of us can move mountains alone. I, myself, am so grateful for all you do every day to support our union, the children of DC, and their families.

Last Tuesday, November 21^st, Vice President Regina Bell and I testified at the D.C Council Hearing focused on two bills: Bill 25-200, the “Educator Retention for Student Success Act of 2023,” and Bill 25-499, the “Student Loan Repayment Assistance for Educators Act of 2023.” Although this hearing was focused on those two education bills, Chairman Mendelson, Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, Councilmember Parker, and Councilmember Frumin asked questions regarding the progress of contract negotiations, alternatives to IMPACT, and how the WTU tracks teacher concerns.  When asked directly if DCPS had responded to our 13 proposals, please review my response here.

The WTU’s Contract Negotiating Team will continue to keep you in the loop on the progress of contract negotiations. We ask for your support in SIGNING OUR PETITION FOR SAFE SCHOOLS, wearing red for ED on Fridays, and sending us your group shots and selfies. Thank you to the members who asked friends and families to sign our petition over the holiday. As Helen Keller once said, "We live by each other and for each other. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."

Thank you, again, for all you do every day to support this union, the children of DC, and their families. I wish you a fruitful and engaging week with your students!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President
Washington Teachers’ Union

Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team

Please log in to hear tomorrow’s testimonies below:

• November 28: DC Council - Oversight Hearing – Teacher and Principal Retention: INFORMATION

Please share our petition for safe schools! We also need your beautiful photos wearing red on Fridays! Email photos to [email protected] or text them to 202-957-1782.

Open Enrollment - Benefits

DC Government open enrollment is going on now through Monday, December 11, 2023. Please take time to review your benefits in PeopleSoft and ensure all healthcare benefits to include your dental and vision are correct for the 2024 calendar year. This year the life insurance benefits are open for changes without submitting evidence of insurability (EOI) forms as well, so review these benefits for any changes that you need to make. You may increase, decrease, and/or cancel these benefits. Again, all changes must be made in PeopleSoft at ess.dc.gov.

DCPS will be hosting virtual/in office sessions starting next week and the invites will be sent to all employees. Please make sure you check your k12.dc.gov emails for these dates and times and contact the DCPS Benefits team with questions regarding your benefits at [email protected]

A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU Members,

As we approach the holiday, I wish you a peaceful and safe Thanksgiving break! The WTU is grateful and thankful for all that you do to support this organization as well as the students and families of the District. I hope you will find time to relax and time to hang out and have fun with family and friends. This past Tuesday, I had an opportunity to testify at DCPS’ budget hearing. In my testimony, Channel 9 news broadcasted my call for an independent audit of DCPS and their finances. This hearing showed how frustrated and annoyed DC City Council Chairman Mendelson and Councilmember Parker are with DCPS’ budgeting strategies and contract bargaining delays. DC City Councilmember Henderson, among others, expressed their dismay with DCPS’ lack of urgency in paying teacher bonuses on time AND questioned why the WTU has never historically been given a multi-year contract unlike other unions.

I want to urge all members to testify at the City Council’s hearing on the retention of DCPS teachers and principals on Monday, November 28^th. This hearing will be held virtually and after school. We need as many members as possible to raise their teacher voices! Testifying will give city council members the information they need to advocate for and with us. The deadline to register to testify at this hearing is Friday, Nov. 24^th ( the day after Thanksgiving). Please email [email protected] if interested.

In our effort to achieve a contract, we also need all members to take less than a minute to SIGN OUR PETITION FOR SAFE SCHOOLS! To date, we’ve received 1,259 signatures from WTU teachers and community members, but we can and must do better. Please share the petition with friends and family during the Thanksgiving break and encourage them to sign. It is extremely important to show our teacher power by the number of signatures.

Last Tuesday, WTU’s Representative Assembly approved a three-year gradual increase to WTU’s membership dues. This fiscally responsible decision gives our Union an opportunity to fulfill and meet the requirements of the WTU Bylaws and Constitution. Membership dues will increase from the current $36.08 to $39.72 (FY24), $40.81 (FY 25), 43.97 (FY 26). Moving forward, annual dues increases will be effective on October 1^st of every fiscal year as required by WTU’s Constitution and Bylaws.

Thank you to those who joined us in-person and online for the WTU screening of “The Right to Read” last Thursday! As the film mentioned, fighting illiteracy rates is truly a civil rights issue. The WTU will continue in its efforts to improve literacy rates for all children in the District. Finally, please RSVP for the WTU holiday party on Friday, December 15^th at the MLK Jr. Memorial Library Rooftop Terrace. It’s A Party that Sleighs! - Members-Only Password: WTU4u. Again, I wish you a peaceful and safe Thanksgiving!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President
Washington Teachers’ Union

Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team

Please consider testifying at the DC Council public hearing below:

• November 28: DC Council - Oversight Hearing – Teacher and Principal Retention: INFORMATION

  • Interested in testifying? Register before 5PM Nov. 24^th here.

If you’ve never testified before, don’t worry. We’ve got you! We will make the process as easy for you as possible and will help you prepare for your virtual testimony. Please contact [email protected] if interested.

Please share our petition for safe schools! We also need your beautiful photos wearing red on Fridays! Email photos to [email protected] or text them to 202-957-1782.

School Facility Concerns

Please complete this survey if you have any concerns about your school’s facilities.

A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU Members,

I hope you enjoyed a relaxing Veterans Day weekend! As you know, at this coming WTU Representative Assembly meeting on Tuesday, we will vote on a three-year gradual increase to WTU’s membership dues. After careful consideration, the WTU Finance Committee and the WTU Executive Board voted to increase our membership dues. When voted on by the WTU Representative Assembly tomorrow, this increase will take place over a three-year period. This will give our Union an opportunity to fulfill and meet the requirements of the WTU Bylaws and Constitution. Membership dues will increase from the current $36.08 to $39.72 (FY24), $40.81 (FY 25), 43.97 (FY 26). Moving forward, annual dues increases will be effective on October 1^st of every fiscal year as required by WTU’s Constitution and Bylaws.

We understand that any raise in union membership dues is not ideal, but this rate increase is a fiscally responsible decision as the WTU strives to provide members with efficient member services, legal representation, meet arbitration costs, the professional development needs of our teachers, and address the long-overdue building maintenance issues of our WTU Office - a 105-year-old building.

On Tuesday, Nov. 14th, I, along with WTU members, will be testifying at the DCPS Public Budget Hearing. Please consider watching this budget hearing here. I would also like to encourage you to consider testifying at the DC City Council Oversight Hearing on Teacher and Principal Retention on November 28^th. The WTU Contract Action Team will give you the tools to prepare you for the process. Lastly, please take less than a minute to SIGN OUR PETITION FOR SAFE SCHOOLS. It is extremely important to show our power by the number of WTU teacher signatures.

Finally, we are excited to remind you to sign up for a WTU-sponsored Hybrid In-Person and Virtual Members-Only Screening of the highly acclaimed documentary, “The Right to Read.” Please join us for the in-person screening of the documentary on Thursday, November 16^th at Busboys and Poets, 14^th and V Street @5PM. Light refreshments and beverages will be served. To RSVP, email [email protected]. Virtual WTU members may log on from November 16^th – November 18^th, 2023. Invitation Code (case-sensitive and contains a single dash): TRT-WTU. We hope to see you there!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President
Washington Teachers’ Union

Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team

Please click on photo or this URL: https://youtu.be/WgV6Jqi1SyA to view the November 9^th Contract Negotiating Team video!

Thank you to the many WTU members who continue to wear Red for Ed on Fridays! Please keep emailing selfies and photos of members in red to [email protected]! Re-post your photos along with the petition link to your social media accounts. Look for your photos on our website here.

Please watch fellow WTU-members testify at the virtual public hearing below:

• November 14: DCPS Public Budget Hearing (School Yr. 24-25) online @6PM: INFORMATION – (For viewing link, click information)

And please consider testifying at the DC Council public hearing below:

• November 28: DC Council - Oversight Hearing – Teacher and Principal Retention: INFORMATION
  • Interested in testifying? Register before 5PM Nov. 24^th here

School Facility Concerns

Please complete this survey if you have any concerns about your school’s facilities.

Tuition Reimbursement Procedures

To learn more about how to submit eligible tuition reimbursements for payment processing, click here.

School Report Card – OSSE and SBOE

Fill out this survey to give input on the way our schools are seen and evaluated.

Photographs by Thomas Simonetti

The Washington Post reporter Ruby Cramer covers the story of a librarian in Florida who can no longer continue in her craft due to the spread of censorship throughout public schools. Please read this immersive, "deep read," here.

November 2, 2023 - Fox Morning News covered WTU's Book Banning event with more than 200 students from Dunbar, Cardozo and CHECDC as they actively participated in a Q&A session with award-winning author and former middle school teacher Elizabeth Acevedo. The goal of the event is to teach the kids about the effects censorship have on educating students. Read more here.

News Channel 4 covered WTU's Book Banning event for more than 200 DC students with NY Times best-selling author Elizabeth Acevedo! To watch this short clip, click here.

Fox 5 News reported Coolidge High School, Wells Middle School, and Whittier Elementary School remain on lockdown while police investigate shots fired nearby. To learn more, click here.

A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU Members,

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful and safe Halloween last Tuesday! For the WTU staff, this past week has been a whirlwind of advocating activities. Monday started with testimonies before the DC City Council on the urgency of reducing violence in our Washington DC schools and communities. Vice President Bell, Secretary Fuchs, and I testified on the effects of school violence on teachers, students and the community. We consider violence reduction an urgent matter and it is critical that the District work with schools, parents, and the community to deal with this issue. To read my testimony, click here.

On Tuesday, WTU helped to support State Board of Education President Eboni-Rose Thompson’s Ward 7 Trunk or Treat. We gave away treats, a free book of choice to every child and advocated for our Safe Schools petition. Ward 7 community members responded positively, but we need all our members to show their support! If you haven’t yet, please sign the petition and forward it to friends via your social media accounts.

On Wednesday, the WTU, AFT and the New Republic hosted a book reading, allowing students from Dunbar HS, Cardozo HS, and Columbia Heights Education Campus, to ask questions of The New York Times-bestselling author, Elizabeth Acevedo. Her book, The Poet X, won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. It was an exciting event and we’re so happy that Elizabeth Acevedo gave generously of her time. All students were able to take home free autographed copies of this writer’s book. Please remember to support banned books authors. To see a short clip of her answer to student questions, click here.

Although by law we operate in a closed bargaining environment, WTU’s legal team agreed to release this Contract Bargaining Team summary to all WTU members. Please keep in mind that we are releasing this document to WTU’s membership only given the complex and confidential process of contract negotiations.

As we celebrate Veterans Day later this week, I want to thank you, our WTU veterans, for your service, and bravery to our country. Enjoy a Happy Veteran’s Day!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President
Washington Teachers’ Union

Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team

Thank you to the many WTU members who continue to wear Red for Ed on Fridays! Although it may seem that the negotiations process is slow, WTU’s Contract Action Team sees real progress in the rising levels of support from the community. Please keep emailing selfies and photos of members in red to [email protected]! Re-post your photos along with the petition link to your social media accounts. Look for your photos on our website here.

Also, please consider testifying at one of the two public hearings below:

·       November 14: DCPS Public Budget Hearing (School Yr. 24-25) online @6PM: INFORMATION

• • The registration deadline is 3:00PM on Friday, November 10, 2023.

• November 28: DC Council - Oversight Hearing – Teacher and Principal Retention: INFORMATION

Retirement Session Handouts Available

Read More about Teacher Retirement
Download Handout

In the News

• 10/31/23 – AXIOS DC – D.C. Public Schools Scramble Amid Migrant Student Influx – “D.C. says it faces challenges providing high-quality bilingual mental health services in particular due to staffing shortages”
• 11/03/23 – Channel 7 News – DCPS Team Up with GWU to Shape Future Ed Leaders
  “Teachers can earn either a masters’ degree or ed specialist degree in 18 months.”
• 11/04/24 – The Washington Post – Everyone is talking about D.C. Teens. A new book lets them be heard.

A Message from WTU President 

Good Morning WTU Members,

I hope everyone had an opportunity to enjoy the warm and sunny weather this weekend. Thank you to the WTU members who joined us to pass out a free book of choice and Halloween treats to children this past Friday during Hill-o-ween at Eastern Market. Many of the event participants commented that our table was the best one! Hill-o-ween gave WTU another opportunity to pass out our petition on Safe Schools. The community showed their support by signing our petition, but we still need WTU members to sign! If you haven’t yet, please visit the URL and forward it to friends via your social media accounts.

On Thursday evening, we were pleased to welcome Phil Mendelson, Chairman of the DC City Council to WTU’s Contract Bargaining Team meeting! The Chairman listened to concerns expressed by teachers on DCPS’ long delay in coming to the bargaining table and responding to our contract proposals. We also had an opportunity to discuss with him our proposed MOAs on safety, violence, diversity in schools, the environment, and climate. The WTU is very grateful that Chairman Mendelson took time to meet with the bargaining team. To learn more, please click photo to watch the Contract Negotiating Team’s video.

WTU’s Contract Action Teams’ next outreach event will be Ward 7 TRUNK OR TREAT tomorrow, October 31^st from 6-8PM @ Benning Rd & Oklahoma Ave, NE RFK Lot 6, Enter on Oklahoma Ave NE. Please contact [email protected] to volunteer!

We wish everyone a festive and safe Halloween with your students, friends, and families!  

In solidarity, 

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President
Washington Teachers’ Union 

Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team

Pass out our Safe Schools Petition, Halloween treats, and one free book of choice to children at the Ward 7^th Trunk or Treat on Tuesday, October 31^st, 6-8PM @ Benning Rd & Oklahoma Ave, NE RFK Lot 6, Enter on Oklahoma Ave NE.

In the News

• 10/24/23 - WAMU Radio – DCPS Student Learns About Gardening/Healthy Eating
• 10/26/23 – FOX News – 3 DC Schools on Lockdown During Shots Fired Investigation 

A Message from WTU President 

Good Morning WTU Members,

I’m excited to report on Wednesday, Oct. 18th, the representatives of the D.C. State Board of Education unanimously ratified Ward 3 Representative Eric Goulet’s resolution to urge DCPS to immediately prioritize negotiations with WTU to get a multi-year contract approved prior to January 1^st & the FY2025 budget. Thank you to the WTU members who showed up to testify and/or support our goal of getting DCPS back to the bargaining table! (Click pic to view testimony or click here: https://youtu.be/sdX5X04u-fA)

As mentioned in my testimony before the DC State Board of Education, when DCPS stalls, they aren’t just stalling on negotiations, they are stalling on safety, stalling on mental health supports, stalling on supports for high-quality instruction, stalling on fair and equitable compensation to retain and recruit the best staff. They are stalling on real solutions for DCPS students and families.

Although gaining the D.C. State Board of Education’s full support of the resolution is a win to be celebrated, we need YOU to send a message to DCPS. Thus far, we only have 1,043 WTU and community members who have signed our Petition for Safe Schools. Show the District you won’t wait another three years for a contract. Sign WTU’s petition for Safe Schools and forward it to friends via your social media accounts. Each signature gets us closer to the goal of getting as many teachers, and community members to sign no later than November 1^st.  

As we continue to work toward our goal of a new contract, I want to encourage you to remain vigilant about taking care of your physical and mental health. A recent Washington Post article showed “weathering stress” happens more often in marginalized populations and causes premature aging, disease, and even early death. “It isn’t just living in an unequal society that makes people sick. It’s the day-in, day-out effort of trying to be equal that wears bodies down.” To learn more, please read the full article here.

Thank you for your support! I wish you a peaceful and stress-less week.

In solidarity, 

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President
Washington Teachers’ Union 

In Memoriam – Pam Gardner

Pam Gardner, DCPS alumna and librarian with DCPS for over 30 years passed last week. Pam was a beloved librarian and colleague. Her library was just as warm and welcoming as she was. Students loved her poetry club and affectionately called her Momma G. Read more about Pam’s amazing life. It all began with Nancy Drew: the adventures of Pamela Lipscomb-Gardner – The Beacon (thejackson-reedbeacon.com)

Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team

• Sign up to testify DC Council Committee’s Public Safety Hearing - Violence Reduction in DC Monday, October 30^th @10AM
• Pass out our Safe Schools Petition, Halloween treats, and one free book of choice to children at the Hill-O-Ween at Eastern Market @ Friday, October 27, 2023, 5-8PM
• Pass out our Safe Schools Petition, Halloween treats, and one free book of choice to children at the Ward 7^th Trunk or Treat on Tuesday, October 31^st, 6-8PM @ Benning Rd & Oklahoma Ave, NE RFK Lot 6, Enter on Oklahoma Ave NE