A Message from WTU’s President

Good Morning WTU Family!

I hope you enjoyed the glorious fall weather this weekend as it offered many of us a joyful and welcome relief from days of rain. In addition to excellent weather, as you heard via WTU emails, WTU’s social media posts, Washington Informer, WTOP News, Channel 9 News, Washington Post, last week, exactly one year since the WTU contract expired, WTU’s Contract Bargaining Team (CBT) agreed to a five-year tentative contract agreement with the District of Columbia Public Schools! This milestone marks a pivotal change in contract negotiations which, in the last 10 years, took more than 3-5 years to complete.

None of this would have been possible without the support of you – our members. Your love, high-energy in our contract actions, rallies, and red for ed days made this tentative agreement possible. We also extend our sincere gratitude to Mayor Bowser, Chancellor Ferebee, AFT President Randi Weingarten for bringing this laborious process to fruition. Also, we thank our representatives in the D.C. City Council and D.C. State Board of Education and the DC community who helped us by writing resolutions, attending bargaining sessions, rallies, and contract actions.

While the bargaining team is very pleased with what we accomplished at the table, you—the members—have the final say in a membership vote that will take place electronically from Tuesday, October 15 to Tuesday, October 21. To learn more about the details of the tentative contract agreement, please take a look at the two emails sent out last week here and plan to attend the WTU Representative Assembly meeting tomorrow - Tuesday, October 8 at 4:30 PM. Everyone is invited. Zoom link. Also, please plan to attend two virtual Town Hall Meetings on Tuesday, October 15 and Thursday, October 18. A printed copy of the Tentative Contract Agreement will be distributed to all members this week.

It’s hard to believe but the November 5, 2024 election is only 30 days away!! We urge all members to mark your calendars now and focus on getting the candidates the WTU membership endorsed elected! In conjunction with the Metro Washington Council, the WTU will be canvassing in Prince George’s County, Maryland for VP Kamala Harris for President and Angela Alsobrooks for U.S. Senate on the following dates:

• Sat, Oct 12, 9:30am - 12pm EDT, AFSCME Council 3 Office, 1400 Mercantile Ln, Suite 188, Largo, MD, 20774
• Sat, Oct 19, 9:30am - 12pm EDT, AFSCME Council 3 Office, 1400 Mercantile Ln, Suite 188, Largo, MD, 20774
• Sat, Oct 26, 9:30am - 12pm EDT, AFSCME Council 3 Office, 1400 Mercantile Ln, Suite 188, Largo, MD, 20774

We need as many members as possible to participate! To volunteer to canvass, please send an email to our WTU Organizer, Mike Roland [email protected]

I hope you will take some time for self-care this week and revel in the beautiful fall weather! Thank you, in advance, for your support!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

To read the full news story, please click here. 

To watch WUSA/Channel 9's coverage of WTU's Tentative Contract Agreement with DCPS, please click here.

To read WTOP's full news article, please click here. 

A Message from WTU’s President

Good Morning WTU Family!

This Saturday, we welcomed WTU’s school leaders to WTU’s Union Leadership Institute (ULI)! Thank you to all the school leaders who attended. We know everyone enjoyed having an opportunity to learn and hold open discussions regarding various school committees, our contract and how to best protect and support all members in our school buildings. All presentations were rigorous, and our discussions were lively and informative. And again, thank you to all our Building Representatives, LSAT, SCAC and Personnel Committee members for your service to our members and this Union. Our entire Union benefits when school leaders have time to sharpen their skills.

As mentioned in the Brew To-Go, during the WTU Membership Meeting on September 10th, the WTU membership voted to endorse VP Kamala Harris for President and Angela Alsobrooks for U.S. Senate. In conjunction with the Metro Washington Council, the WTU will be canvassing in Prince George’s County, Maryland for both candidates on the following dates:

• Sat, Oct 12, 9:30am - 12pm EDT, AFSCME Council 3 Office, 1400 Mercantile Ln, Suite 188, Largo, MD, 20774
• Sat, Oct 19, 9:30am - 12pm EDT, AFSCME Council 3 Office, 1400 Mercantile Ln, Suite 188, Largo, MD, 20774
• Sat, Oct 26, 9:30am - 12pm EDT, AFSCME Council 3 Office, 1400 Mercantile Ln, Suite 188, Largo, MD, 20774

If you would like to volunteer to canvass, please send an email to our WTU Organizer, Mike Roland [email protected]

In the next few months, you will have several opportunities to testify before the DC City Council.

• Oct 17 @ 10:30 am DCPS Budget and Contract Oversight, register here
• Oct 24 @ 10:00 am, Career and Technical Education, register here
• Oct 29 @ 4:00 pm, Teacher and Principal Retention Oversight, register here
• Nov 6 @ 12 pm, Math Achievement Oversight, register here
• Nov 20 @ 12:30, Special Education Oversight, register here
• Dec 4 @ 12:30, Academic Achievement, register here

Testifying before DC city leaders about what really happens in the classroom makes a difference. It changes perspectives. And can shape proposed legislation. Please consider sharing your experiences with your DC representatives. Our staff at the WTU stand ready to help you prepare for these opportunities. Please email WTU’s organizer, Mike Roland, if you are interested.

Thank you, in advance, for your support! Wishing everyone a peaceful and joyous Rosh Hashanah and health and prosperity for the New Year!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

A Message from WTU’s President

Good Morning WTU Family!

This weekend, the WTU gave away 500 free books of choice to children at this year's H-Street Festival! I’m grateful to our AFT union for providing us with the means to distribute free books to every child. Thank you to our members who helped and those, including State Board of Education (SBOE) Ward 7 Representative Eboni-Rose Thompson who stopped by to give the WTU support. I also want to thank the members who attended C.O.P.E’s virtual forums over the last two weeks. We invite you to continue to join and support our C.O.P.E. meetings as we discuss which SBOE and DC City Councilmembers to endorse for the upcoming election.

If you haven’t yet registered for WTU’s Fall PD classes, please take a moment to register. Classes begin this coming Thursday, September 26 ! A minimum of 10 participants is required for the course to run so please encourage your colleagues to join you. Also on Thursday, WTU will offer an orientation program for those interested in joining AFT’s Teacher Leader program. Learn more about how to take active leadership roles in your schools, Union, and community. Those who finish the TLP program with a completed project will receive a stipend. Join us via Zoom for a NEW Information Session on Thursday, September 26 at 4:30PM.

This coming Saturday, we encourage all members who are in WTU leadership positions in their schools to join us for Saturday’s Union Leadership Institute (ULI) held in AFT’s offices.  To register for the Union Leadership Institute held this Saturday, September 28 at the AFT, 555 New Jersey Ave., NW, please click here.

I wish you a blessed week full of learning adventures with your students!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

WTU’s Contract Bargaining Team Update

As mentioned in last week’s AM BREW, contract negotiations with DCPS stopped abruptly in August due to the District’s (DCPS and OLRCB’s) insistence on: 

• Increasing students' class sizes
• Removing safeguards for working hours
• Refusing to bargain over the length of the school year
• Possibly excessing highly effective and effective teachers
• Failing to sign contracts on time

Please continue to send your photos of members wearing red, and post signs. Signs can be placed in the back window of your car. Click here for the Proud WTU Member sign and here for the Fair Contract Now sign. Please email pictures to our WTU Organizer, Mike Roland, at [email protected] or text at 202-957-1782. All requests for buttons or tshirts can be sent to Mike Roland. For further context, click here to read the Washington Informer’s recent article highlighting our current contract campaign status.

A Message from WTU’s President

Good Morning WTU Family!

The WTU experienced another busy and exciting week which included supporting and cheering on our awesome WTU Instructors as they facilitated informative and engaging workshops throughout the Congressional Black Caucus conference! Thank you for sharing your teaching expertise with us all! This past Saturday, we also welcomed the opportunity to give a free book of choice to every child at DCPS’ Back-to-School Block Party. Thank you, so very much, to the WTU members who volunteered to help. On Sunday, we so enjoyed spending time with WTU members at Union Day Washington Commanders Home Openers Game!

Don’t miss tonight’s C.O.P.E. committee at 6PM to help the WTU recommend which DC City Councilmembers we should endorse! Please download C.O.P.E.’s flyer for details. Also, if you are planning to register for WTU’s Fall Development Courses, register here before Friday, September 20^th to catch the Early Bird special at our amazing discounted rate of $125 per class.

WTU’s next literacy event takes place this coming Saturday, September 21^st from 9-5PM at DC’s H-Street Festival. Please contact WTU’s organizer, Mike Roland, at [email protected] if you’d like to volunteer.

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

WTU’s Contract Bargaining Team Update

As mentioned in last week’s AM BREW, contract negotiations with DCPS stopped abruptly in August due to the District’s (DCPS and OLRCB’s) insistence on: 

• Increasing students' class sizes
• Removing safeguards for working hours
• Refusing to bargain over the length of the school year
• Possibly excessing highly effective and effective teachers
• Failing to sign contracts on time

Please continue to send your photos of members wearing red and post signs. Signs can be placed in the back window of your car. Click here for the Proud WTU Member sign and here for the Fair Contract Now sign. Please email pictures to our WTU Organizer, Mike Roland, at [email protected] or text him at 202-957-1782. All requests for buttons or t-shirts can be sent to Mike Roland. For further context, click here to read the Washington Informer’s recent article highlighting our current contract campaign status.

A Message from WTU’s President

Good Morning WTU Family!

I hope you enjoyed the cooler temperatures and sunny weather this weekend! Thank you to the kindergarten teachers who came out to the Literacy Mixer to receive 5 books of choice for their classroom libraries last Thursday! We also appreciated the presence of SBOE reps and Councilmembers for supporting literacy for all our early learners.

The support of WTU’s concerns by our city officials is so crucial and important. As election season approaches, please consider becoming more involved in the political process via WTU’s Committee on Political Endorsements (C.O.P.E.). Help the C.O.P.E. committee to recommend the DC State Board of Education representatives and DC City Councilmembers WTU should endorse! Please download C.O.P.E.’s flyer for details. Please also attend the WTU Membership Meeting on Tuesday, September 10^th. During this meeting you will have an opportunity to vote on who WTU will support for the national election!

WTU’s next literacy event takes place this coming Saturday, September 14 from 11-2 PM at DCPS’ Back-to-School Block Party at Jefferson Middle School. Consider volunteering to distribute a free book of choice to every child! You will leave each event with the joy of service! Please contact WTU’s organizer, Mike Roland, at [email protected] for more information.

 In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

WTU’s Contract Bargaining Team Updat3

As mentioned in last week’s AM BREW, contract negotiations with DCPS stopped abruptly in August due to the District’s (DCPS and OLRCB’s) insistence on: 

• Increasing students' class sizes
• Removing safeguards for working hours
• Refusing to bargain over the length of the school year
• Possibly excessing highly effective and effective teachers
• Failing to sign contracts on time

Please continue to send your photos of members wearing red, and post signs. Signs can be placed in the back window of your car. Click here for the Proud WTU Member sign and here for the Fair Contract Now sign. Please email pictures to our WTU Organizer, Mike Roland, at [email protected] or text him at 202-957-1782. All requests for buttons or tee-shirts can be sent to Mike Roland. For further context, click here to read the Washington Informer’s recent article highlighting our current contract campaign status.

Fall is HERE and so are WTU's Fall Professional Development Courses! Registration is now open for Psychology of the Exceptional Child, Praxis Course Preparation, and Reading Comprehension Instruction! Keep an eye on the AM Brew for new courses opening up soon. Want to learn more about managing disruptive behavior in a classroom? ...or how to differentiate instruction? Maybe you are curious about how to integrate some of the latest emerging educational technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Virtual Reality (VR) in your classroom? Don't miss the chance to grab your spot when these courses open. All who register before September 20th will take advantage of WTU's early bird prices of $125 for a three-credit course!

Register online here and/or download the PD catalogue now! 

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