Professional Development

Additional PD highlights are posted to the PD Blog at https://www.wtulocal6.net/pdblog

WTU Professional Learning - SPRING 2022 Course Offerings

Sign up now for amazing, engaging, and informative virtual fall professional development with the WTU including these upcoming classes (1 FREE class for new WTU members):

Educating Low Vision Students (starts 2/7)

Managing Behavior in School Communities (starts 2/2)

FREE WTU Workshops starting soon:

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (2 Part Series: 1/29 and 2/12)

IMPACT PD Workshop (2 Part Series: 1/29 and 3/5)

The Social Practice of Literacy in Special Education [High School SpEd Educators ONLY] (Orientation on 2/16)

Learn more and Register for all classes HERE.

Black Live Matter at School Week of Action

The fifth annual Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action is January 31st - February 4th, 2022. Learn more and sign up to participate, here. Thank you Teaching for Change!!!

Other PD

Next Generation Personal Finance Virtual Conference: Innovate to Educate (Virtual Conference Date: 1/29/2022)
Fund for Teachers Grant (Extended Deadline: 2/24/22)

Individuals may apply for up to $5,000 and teams may apply for up to $10,000 (while team members may be from different schools, districts or states, all members must meet the eligibility criteria). Upon award, Fellows will receive 90 percent of their grant, the remaining 10 percent to be disbursed upon completion of post-fellowship requirements.

White House History Institute (Deadline: 2/27/22)

Air Camp (applications open 3/1/22)

Constitution Center Summer Educator Institutes

Air & Space Museum Summer STEAM Innovator Educator Institute [educators in grades 5-8] (Deadline: 2/15/2022)

Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms (applications opened 1/12/22)

Tulane University Stone Center Summer Teacher Institute in Panama (Deadline: 4/4/2022)

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, January 24, 2022

End of Term

Wednesday, January 26 is the end of term. You will have until DATE to submit final grades for students. If you have any questions about end of term deadlines, please contact your Field Representative.

Special Education Survey

The special education joint committee presented 3 major concerns on behalf of special education teachers across the district and provided thorough data from the survey that was administered on Wednesday, January 5th. The data spoke volumes, but only 10% of the special education teachers in DCPS took the survey. We need your help to make our voices heard!! If you are a special education teacher (inclusion, self-contained, pull-out, resource) please make sure you fill this survey out by 1/28/22.

WTU Special Education Committee Survey 

IMPACT Survey

Union Leader Institute (ULI)

COVID CORNER

The WTU would like to thank the volunteers with Sunrise DC who braved the bitter cold temperatures on Saturday to distribute masks to teachers in Wards 5, 7 and 8. If you work in Wards 5, 7, or 8 and were not able to pick up masks for your school, we will deliver them ASAP.

We’re working with Sunrise DC to acquire and distribute more masks to teachers in the other wards. In the interim, the WTU has a limited supply of N95 masks that we will deliver to schools in Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6.

D.C. government has agreed to provide all D.C. government workers—including all school employees—with special COVID-19 sick leave, so that you don’t have to use your sick leave if you become infected or must quarantine because of an exposure. Employees will be allowed to take up to 80 hours of “personal pandemic leave.” After intense urging by the WTU, the mayor announced today that this leave will be retroactive to Dec. 1, 2021, and will expire on April 2, 2022.

Test Kits

Sign up to receive a weekly PCR test mailed to your home:

• Go to this link to sign up to have a mail-to-home PCR test sent to you each week.
• Follow the instructions in the test kit.
• Drop the completed test off at any FedEx drop box, and results will be sent directly to you by LabCorp via email.
• If you test positive, please isolate immediately and notify your supervisor.

KN95 Mask Distribution

DCPS is working to re-supply schools with additional masks. Public health guidance advises that masks may be worn more than once, and we are closely tracking how staff are utilizing the masks to determine the rate of re-supply. All school-based and public-facing staff will have access to up to three masks per week.  The WTU believes that students should also be supplied KN-95 masks and we are working with the Administration to accomplish this goal.

How to improve mask fit
https://youtu.be/GzTAZDsNBe0

Water Fountain Use is Permitted at School 

After consultation with DC Health, and in collaboration with the Department of General Services (DGS), DCPS will turn water fountains back on in all schools. This process will take place over the next month and follow a schedule that prioritizes our largest schools first. Principals are notified 2 weeks before deliveries of water bottles stop.

WTU Situation Room

Please continue to report COVID related issues to the situation room - http://bit.ly/WTUSafeOpenings

And any testing or reporting issues to OSSE (OSSE Online Complaint Form (dc.gov).

In the news

• Washington Informer – COVID Metrics Continue to Fuel Disputes in D.C. Schools
• Washington Informer – D.C. Teachers’ Demands for Paid COVID Leave Take Center Stage
• DCist – ‘We Feel Like We’ve Been Dismissed:’ D.C. Educators Say Pay Increase For Substitute Teachers Is Not Enough
• Washington Post – D.C. reinstates covid leave for workers as council pushes for paid medical, prenatal absences
  
  WAMU – Listen: Teachers at D.C. Public Schools say they’re feeling anxious and overwhelmed
• Washington Post - D.C. measure would require schools to tell parents about covid cases within 24 hours

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

Professional Development

Additional PD highlights are posted to the PD Blog at https://www.wtulocal6.net/pdblog

Martin Luther King Day Resources

Monday, Jan. 17^th, we celebrated Martin Luther King Junior day in recognition of the civil rights icon’s contributions to American society. See below for resources from DCPS Social Studies Department’s Scott Abbott to support teaching students about Martin Luther King well beyond the holiday.

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Zinn Education Project resources for teaching beyond the “I Have A Dream” speech about Martin Luther King Jr.
• Liberation Curriculum: Classroom Resources: Stanford Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute Liberation Curriculum provides document-based lessons, online education and historical materials about the African American Freedom Struggle and Dr. King’s vision for a just and peaceful world.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Resources: The best of Martin Luther King Jr. Resources curated by Learning for Justice.
• On This Day: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Life, Death, Legacy: 6 video clips and lesson guidance from C-SPAN Classrooms
• Doing Justice to Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Young Children: A short article offering ideas for early childhood educators to honor King in a historically accurate and developmentally appropriate way.
• Examining Nonviolence in Context: The National Endowment for the Humanities offers a multi-part lesson plan for discovering the influences and impact of King’s nonviolent social activism. The site also offers lessons for younger students, including Let Freedom Ring: The Life & Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Grades 3–5) and Dr. King’s Dream (Grades K–2).
• Civil Rights Teaching Booklists: Curated booklists to teach diverse civil rights histories with book titles for children to young adults.

WTU Educators’ Guide to Best Practices in Socially Distant Teaching

Please take 5 minutes to provide suggestions and resources HERE to be added to a WTU guide for what really works pedagogically in a socially distant classroom. Or simply email me any materials, websites, or ideas that have worked for you at [email protected].

WTU Professional Learning - SPRING 2022 Course Offerings

Sign up now for amazing, engaging, and informative virtual fall professional development with the WTU including these classes which start this month (1 FREE class for new WTU members):

English Language Learners 101 (Starts 1/22)

FREE WTU Workshops starting this month:

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (2 Part Series: 1/29 and 2/12)

Dimensions of Wellness (1/22)

IMPACT PD Workshop (2 Part Series: 1/29 and 3/5)

Learn more and Register for all classes HERE.

Here's What's Brewing Today

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

WTU supports substitute teachers who haven’t receive a raise in 14 years!

DC substitute teachers hold 'Day of Absence' to rally for better pay, benefits (fox5dc.com)

Upset over pay, substitute teachers in DC Public Schools take 'Day of Absence' | WJLA

The WTU is coordinating with the substitute teachers' union to schedule a day and time that we can join and support them.

Retired Deal teacher rescues former student stranded in snowstorm

COVID CORNER

COVID Leave 

Click to learn more. Details of COVID leave are being finalized; the WTU will share details as soon as we have additional information.

KN95 Mask Distribution

DCPS is working to re-supply schools with additional masks. Public health guidance advises that masks may be worn more than once, and we are closely tracking how staff are utilizing the masks to determine the rate of re-supply. All school-based and public-facing staff will have access to up to three masks per week.  The WTU believes that students should also be supplied KN-95 masks and we are working with the Administration to accomplish this goal.

How often can you safely reuse your KN95 or N95 mask?

President Biden said Thursday his administration will soon announce plans to get free high-quality masks in the hands of millions of Americans. Learn more.

How to improve mask fit

Learn more.

Water Fountain Use is Permitted at School 

After consultation with DC Health, and in collaboration with the Department of General Services (DGS), DCPS will turn water fountains back on in all schools. This process will take place over the next month and follow a schedule that prioritizes our largest schools first. Principals are notified 2 weeks before deliveries of water bottles stop.

Testing

Teachers should receive an email from DCPS asking if you’re like to opt-into weekly PRC testing
20% of asymptomatic students will continue to be tested.

ECE students will be given rapids tests on Friday to administer at home and families are required to upload results prior to returning to school the following week.

Reporting

Please continue to report COVID related issues to the situation room - http://bit.ly/WTUSafeOpenings

And any testing or reporting issues to OSSE (OSSE Online Complaint Form (dc.gov).

Representative Assembly Meetings

Please know that all members are allowed and encouraged to attend the Representative Assembly Meetings. However, under the WTU by-laws, only Building Representatives and Delegates to the Representative Assembly may participate and vote during the meetings.

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

Professional Development

Additional PD highlights are posted to the PD Blog at https://www.wtulocal6.net/pdblog

Upcoming Certification Deadline???

Many educators received an extension to March 2022 to submit recertification materials. Please begin the process now. Attached is an infographic that can help guide you.

Also, there is an upcoming tech support session on 1/19. 

WTU Educators’ Guide to Best Practices in Socially Distant Teaching

Please take 5 minutes to provide suggestions and resources HERE to be added to a WTU guide for what really works pedagogically in a socially distant classroom.

WTU Professional Learning - SPRING 2022 Course Offerings

Sign up now for amazing, engaging, and informative virtual fall professional development with the WTU including these classes which start this month ($125 early bird registration fee through 1/12/21; 1 FREE class for new WTU members):

English Language Learners 101 (Started 1/8)

BRAND NEW: Reclaiming Assessments: Using a Balanced Classroom Assessment System to Strengthen Student Learning (starts 1/15)

Thinking Mathematics, Grades K-2 (starts 1/15)

FREE WTU Workshops starting this month:

10 Trauma-Informed Strategies to Help Students Heal (starts 1/15)

Conversational Spanish (starts 1/19)

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (2 Part Series: 1/25 and 2/12)

Dimensions of Wellness (1/22)

Flagway Math League (continues TODAY 1/10)

IMPACT PD Workshop (2 Part Series: 1/29 and ⅗)

Strategies for Student Success (starts 1/15)

Learn more and Register for all classes HERE.

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, January 10, 2022

I hope you were able to read my full message last night about the return to school this week. I know that many of you are nervous about the surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the spread of the Omicron variant. We continue to fight DCPS to turn “what to do if” concerns into policies that you can count on. I invite you to read more about the concessions we’ve obtained from DCPS – including being one of the few jurisdictions that implemented a “test to return” policy for students and staff, a key demand of Chicago Teachers that they have failed to achieve (read more here) – and our on-going efforts to improve notifications and contact tracing, ensure more students are tested weekly, and ensure our schools are prepared should they have to switch to remote instruction. Again, read the full message here.

We’re working to hold DCPS accountable for their COVID-19 promises and to learn more about the return to school after the Winter Holiday.

Please complete our short survey by clicking here.

Representative Assembly Meeting

Please join us for the January 2022 Representative Assembly Meeting on Tuesday, Jan 11 at 4:30 PM. All members are invited to attend. Join via Zoom. Meeting ID: 939 669 4583; Passcode: 148566

Meeting to discuss exemptions to vaccine requirement

On Thursday, Jan 13 at 5PM, President Pogue Lyons will meet with WTU members who have been denied exemptions to the vaccine mandate. To register for this conversation, please complete this form.

Memorandums of Agreement

We’ve received requests for the August 2021 and November 2021 Memorandums of Agreement. They are available via the links below and we’ll be updating the WTU website to make them more prominent.

MOA from August 2021

MOA from November 2021

As part of the WTU’s agreements with DCPS, DCPS is required to publish monthly reports on the air-quality of DCPS buildings. The November Air Quality Report is available here.

Additionally, the WTU has received requests to republish the results from three recent surveys:

• Survey with Empower Ed
• Academic Testing Survey  
• Impact Survey

Update on IMPACT

The IMPACT writing team will start to draft a new teacher development and evaluation framework. The draft of the framework will be reviewed by the IMPACT committee. If you’d like more information contact Regina Bell at [email protected].

REMINDER: Please report any COVID related problems to the Situation Room and OSSE

OSSE Online Complaint Form (dc.gov)

Situation Room: http://bit.ly/WTUSafeOpenings

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

As we return to our classrooms for a full week of school, I know that many of you are nervous about the surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the spread of the Omicron variant. We continue to fight DCPS to turn “what to do if” concerns into policies that you can count on.

We should be proud that due to our activism DC is one of only a few jurisdictions that implemented a “test to return” policy for students and staff. The Chicago Teachers have also made this key demand, but they have not achieved it (read more here).

As you enter your classrooms tomorrow, all educators and students who failed to submit a negative test result last week must submit one. DCPS has arranged for testing to be available on-site. Your WTU Contract Team negotiated to require DCPS to provide mail-in self testing kits every week for all teachers; you should receive information this week on how to obtain your test.  Any educator who shows symptoms while at a school building should be tested on site. Due to our advocacy, educators who are instructed to quarantine may work remotely and not use sick leave. All educators should have received KN-95 masks. If you did not receive a KN95 mask, please reach out to your field representative.

We know that DCPS’s policies do not go far enough and we continue to press the Mayor and the Chancellor to meet national best practices, including weekly testing. We also remain disappointed that DCPS has failed to meet city mandates to test 20% of students. We remain adamant that school and city officials have a written plan on how they will handle outbreaks to ensure the health and safety of all teachers, staff and students. In addition to all that we have won, I have made it clear to Chancellor Ferebee that the plan should include:

• A more effective way of contact tracing, testing and notifying the community, including teachers of positive COVID-19 cases.
• The criteria for determining the threshold upon which a school is closed, such as how many teachers and students are infected and quarantined.
• A commitment to distribute tech devices that students can take home in case their school building is closed and must return to remote learning.

As educators, we know the importance of continuing in-person education for our students. We also know that our schools must be kept safe for our students as well as our staff. Please don’t allow those presenting dooms day scenarios prey on your fears. We are continuing to ensure that our school settings are as safe as they can be during these trying times.

Please let myself or your Field Representatives know if you have any questions or concerns.

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

WTU: EVERY STAFF MEMBER AND STUDENT SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A NEGATIVE TEST BEFORE RETURNING TO OUR SCHOOLS

Washington’s Teachers Expresses Concern to Late Change in DCPS Test to Return Policies

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Statement by Washington Teachers’ Union President Jacqueline Pogue Lyons on D.C. Public School (DCPS) changes to return to school protocols:

“We believe it is in everyone’s best interest to keep our schools open and safe. Technical glitches and icy conditions may prevent many DCPS families from obtaining a test and uploading student’s COVID-19 test results to the DCPS website, but that should not prevent everyone from obtaining a negative test before returning to our school buildings. The solution offered by DCPS – to accept a note stating they tested negative – is risky. We need to have proof of every child’s negative test result for this highly transmissible virus to prevent further spread of COVID-19 through our community.

The Mayor and DCPS leadership should accept WTU’s solution, which is to test students in-person at school tomorrow if they were unable to upload a negative test result from home. Test results are returned in 15 minutes and I know that between the Department of Health and DC Public Schools officials and personnel, we can safely administer and register test results for all students.

“I will continue to push the Mayor and Chancellor to follow this recommendation.”

# # #

Download the full press release here.

Professional Development

PD highlights are posted to the PD Blog at https://www.wtulocal6.net/pdblog

WTU Spring 2022 Course Offerings

WTU’s professional development courses are all research-based, peer-to-peer and solution-driven. All WTU courses are aligned to the DCPS IMPACT Teaching and Learning Framework and Essential Practices Standards 1 through 5. We invite you to check out our Spring 2022 Course offerings and earn credits towards your certification.

Click here to learn more about WTU's Professional Learning Program.

Click here for Spring 2022 course descriptions and registration links.

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, January 3, 2022

Welcome Back!  Myself and the entire WTU team hope you had a wonderful Winter Break. I am extremely disappointed in DCPS’s decisions to continue in-person learning prior to the break exposing many of you and our students to COVID-19 and I hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. We will continue to press our case with the Mayor, Chancellor and City Council members for additional protections for you and our students as we return from Winter Break, including specific, written details on what thresholds of staff or student absences will result in a school transitioning to virtual learning. We also have requested that COVID- leave be reinstated for any staff who are required to quarantine.

As outlined in a message sent to WTU members yesterday, the chancellor and mayor announced a safety plan last week that includes testing requirements for all school staff and students. Key elements of this plan include:

• On Monday, Jan. 3, all DCPS school staff must pick up a free rapid COVID-19 self-test before 12 noon (or their own testing option) at their DCPS school and administer it by 1 p.m. on Monday.
• Students, parents or guardians must pick up a test at a DCPS school or at a Test-Yourself pickup site on Monday, Jan. 3, between 1 pm – 4 pm or on Tuesday, Jan. 4, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Students’ tests must be uploaded by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
• School starts Wed., Jan. 5. Everyone returning to DCPS schools must show a negative test result before coming back to school.
• School staff will receive KN-95 masks.

We plan to host a WTU Town Hall in the coming days to provide additional information and answer your questions. In the meantime, please report any concerns to your Field Representatives.

Health and Safety Complaint Process

OSSE has established a website linked here for individuals who wish to notify OSSE that a pre-K-Grade 12 or adult education school may not be adhering to the COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement (see DC Health Guidance for Schools and Mayor’s Order 2021-109).

After all the required information is entered in the portal, OSSE will acknowledge receipt of the notification and share the information provided with the school. If notified of a complaint, schools are expected to acknowledge receipt of the information, review the information, and, if needed, take any follow-up corrective action. For additional information, email osse.[email protected].

REMINDER: Please report any COVID related problems to the Situation Room and OSSE

OSSE Online Complaint Form (dc.gov)

Situation Room: http://bit.ly/WTUSafeOpenings

Deadline Extended: Invitation to Apply for 2022-23 Environmental Literacy Leadership Cadre

OSSE is recruiting elementary teachers/educator leaders from schools across the District that serve pre-K through Grade 5 to participate in the Environmental Literacy Leadership Cadre. The application deadline has been extended to Jan. 5, 2022.

Established in February 2016, OSSE’s Environmental Literacy Leadership Cadre is a group of individuals from elementary schools across the District who will be responsible for developing a plan to implement the Environmental Literacy Framework at their schools and coordinating its implementation. Participants will meet to (a) receive comprehensive professional development related to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), (b) develop and implement a school-based environmental literacy program using the Environmental Literacy Framework, (c) discuss existing supports and make recommendations regarding environmental literacy implementation in elementary schools, and (d) disseminate information about environmental literacy to their community and garner feedback on the school-based environmental literacy program.

Visit OSSE’s website for more information. Interested educators should complete and submit an application online by Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. For more information or questions, please contact Grace Manubay at (202) 654-6116.

Community Event for MLK Jr Day

WTU, AFT, DCAEYC are partnering with Washington Tennis & Education Foundation in Ward 7 to give away 40,000 books and other school supplies. Download the full flyer here.

Tutoring opportunity from Serve Your City/Ward 6 Mutual Aid

Serve Your City/Ward 6 Mutual Aid, through a grant with City Bridge, SYC/W6MA will be launching an in-person Math tutoring program for 60 Middle School Students. We are looking to hire 30 tutors who will be responsible for tutoring 2-3 students following a guided curriculum. This is a paid part-time position, for 6 months, starting in January 2022. The full position description can be found on Idealist here and on Indeed here.

Additionally, SYC is still recruiting for volunteer virtual tutors. Commitment is 1-3 hours a week depending on availability. We are requesting tutors for all subjects and all ages. Link to sign up and more info can be found here: www.bit.ly/sycvolunteertutor

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

Dear WTU members,

In my continuing effort to ensure a safe return to schools next week, I want to let you know the latest information.

As I outlined in a letter to you last week, I have asked Chancellor Ferebee, Mayor Bowser’s staff and the City Council to develop a written plan on handling COVID-19 outbreaks in DC public schools, including the threshold for closing a school, testing, contact tracing and access to tech devices.

Last week, the chancellor and mayor announced a safety plan that includes testing requirements for all school staff and students—a plan that I believe is based on WTU’s persistence.

• On Monday, Jan. 3, all DCPS school staff must pick up a free rapid COVID-19 self-test before 12 noon (or their own testing option) at their DCPS school and administer it by 1 p.m. on Monday.
• Students, parents or guardians must pick up a test at a DCPS school or at a Test-Yourself pickup site on Monday, Jan. 3, between 1 pm – 4 pm or on Tuesday, Jan. 4, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Students’ tests must be uploaded by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
• School starts Wed., Jan. 5. Everyone returning to DCPS schools must show a negative test result before coming back to school.

We also have learned that all school staff will receive KN-95 masks.

DCPS and the mayor said they do not expect to close all schools amid the recent COVID surge. However, they said they would close individual schools on a case-by-case basis, based on staff availability and the percentage of students and staff in quarantine. We continue to urge school and mayoral staff to develop a written plan with specific details, including what will happen for students and staff who fail to submit a negative test by the deadlines, and thresholds for closing schools as soon as possible to avoid chaos and confusion.

We are also continuing to call for DCPS to grant teachers, who are unable to work because of a COVID infection, special “COVID leave” so they do not have to use their sick leave.

I pledge to continue to work with the chancellor, the mayor’s office and City Council on these and other issues that are high priority for all of us.

Soon after we return from the winter break, I will schedule a Town Hall for all members. I know there are numerous questions and concerns about health and safety and other issues. Please watch your email for details in the coming days.

Again, please know that the WTU continues to stay focused on helping you stay healthy and be able to do the best you can for your students. I look forward to seeing all of you in 2022.

Best,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers' Union

Dear WTU members,

It’s been quite a school year so far. You’ve been through some pretty tough challenges but met them with your usual strength and grace. We made some gains; tried with all our might to work through continuing problems with returning to teaching in-person; and still we have lots of work ahead of us to make sure every teacher, school employee and student is safe and that our kids get the best education possible under the very difficult circumstances of COVID-19.

When schools re-opened this fall, we thought we might have the worst of the pandemic behind us and we could start and keep in-school instruction—the best place to learn. But the pandemic, especially the Omicron variant, reared its ugly head. The big problem we have been facing is a lack of an actual plan to deal with serious outbreaks in numerous schools, including some that had many teachers and staff testing positive.

Over the past few days, we have been fighting for DCPS to turn “what to do if” concerns into policies that we can count on. I’m disappointed that DCPS did not communicate in a timely manner a clear and effective plan and policy in dealing with the rise in the Omincron variant. Some schools went virtual, but employees and parents weren’t told which ones until the night before—not enough time for everyone to make plans, especially parents who work and need to make arrangements for their young kids.

We remain adamant that school and city officials have a written plan—ready to go into effect as soon as the winter break ends—on how they will handle outbreaks to ensure the health and safety of all teachers, staff and students. I have made it clear to Chancellor Ferebee that the plan should include:

• A more effective way of contact tracing, testing and notifying the community, including teachers of positive COVID-19 cases.
• The criteria for determining the threshold upon which a school is closed, such as how many teachers and students are infected and quarantined.
• A commitment to distribute tech devices that students can take home in case their school building is closed and must return to remote learning.
• Follow through on DCPS’s commitment to distribute at-home COVID-19 tests to educators.
• A commitment to encourage parents or guardians to test all children before coming back to school after the winter break.

As I said, it’s been a tough school year, starting with the untimely death of President Elizabeth Davis. I know that morale is low. This was reflected in a WTU-EmpowerEd survey that also showed many teachers were considering leaving the profession. I don’t want that to become a reality; it would be such a loss for our students.

In the coming year, I plan to spend considerable time fighting for a better evaluation system that is not biased, racist or unfair. I also commit to working to eliminate the scourge of over-testing, among the most identified reasons why morale is so low. And of course, WTU will work to achieve a fair and equitable contract.

On the bright side, we were able to secure two Memorandums of Agreement. Both MOAs ensure the following for all teachers:

• If a teacher is required to quarantine, DCPS shall give the teacher the option to teach remotely and not require teacher to use sick leave.
• If a teacher is required to provide simultaneous instruction for a semester to meet the needs of virtual and in-person students, teachers will receive a $1200 stipend per semester.
• If a teacher is required to provide simultaneous instruction that does not have semester long assignment, the teacher shall receive a one-time stipend of $300 per semester. Payment will be provided at the end of the school year.
• DCPS shall grant each teacher 3 hours of sick leave per injection for a vaccination or booster against COVID-19. Each teacher shall receive 8 hours of sick leave for getting fully vaccinated or a booster.
• DCPS shall provide on-site testing for COVID-19 at no cost for all teachers, including vaccinated teachers who are symptomatic.
• DCPS shall provide COVID-19 mail-in kits to all teachers, including vaccinated teachers, weekly.

In addition, over the past year, WTU has worked with its legal counsel to successfully advocate for teachers in arbitration and litigation. We settled several cases, securing backpay for teachers who were wrongly excessed and terminated. Just a few days ago, we received an arbitration decision awarding backpay and reinstatement to another teacher who was wrongly excessed. Several other cases remain pending. We also obtained a ruling from the DC Public Employee Relations Board rejecting DCPS’s attempt to deny teachers the right to decide whether their hearings should proceed virtually or in person. Finally, we enforced the COVID safety agreements reached by the WTU and DCPS, taking the school district to arbitration when it failed to comply with safety requirements prior to the reopening of schools in February.

Thanks to your strong advocacy and actions on all levels as well as the support of Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, we now have a librarian in each school. This shows what we can do when we work in unity.

For the next week, I hope you take time to take care of yourselves, be around family and friends in a safe way and enjoy your time off.

Please reach out to me, the WTU office or your field representative during the winter break with any concerns. The office, though, will be closed on Christmas Eve and December 30^th and New Year’s Eve.

Have a wonderful holiday season and a very happy and healthy New Year.

Best,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons