Washington, D.C. (7News) — Watkins Elementary School students marked a 19-year-old tradition on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial Friday afternoon to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The students recited MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech at the very spot where he stood in 1963.

Read the full story here.

Here's What's Brewing Today

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Update on the status of the CBA

Last month the membership overwhelming voted to ratify the contract. The Mayor has 60 days to put the contract before the City Council. The Council has 30 days to act on the contract. Although the process is not moving as quickly as we’d like, it is moving according to the legal timelines. We have every confidence that the mayor and council will continue to follow the process. We will share any new information when we have it.

Teacher Certification and Licensing

DCPS is the hiring agency. OSSE is the licensing agency. Please check to ensure your license is up to date and if it is expiring. Contact your Field Representative if you have any questions about your license or license renewal.

WTU Surveys

Please complete this survey if you teach students in k-2.

Please complete this form if you are having problems with pay, FMLA or insurance.

Facility Concerns SY 22-23

Over the past two years, the WTU has met regularly to discuss facility issues with DCPS. Yet, many schools continue to have health and safety concerns. We ask that you let the WTU know of any health or safety concerns in your building by completing this brief form.

DCPS in the news

DC elementary students celebrate 19-years of reading 'I Have a Dream' MLK speech

Vigil for Karon Blake

‘The Nicest Boy in My Class’: Community Holds Vigil For Karon Blake, 13-Year-Old Fatally Shot in DC – NBC4 Washington (nbcwashington.com)

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, January 9, 2023

Contract Update

Last month the WTU membership overwhelming voted to ratify a new contract. We continue to monitor the progress of the contract through the ratification process and have been in contact with both the Office of the Mayor and City Council Offices. The Mayor has 60 days to put the contract before the City Council and the Council has another 30 days to vote on the contract. While the approval has not moved as quickly as we’d like, it is moving according to the legal timelines.

We have every confidence contract will be approved and we expect you to see pay increases within 30 days after the contract is approved by the Council. We will share any new information as it becomes available.

Representative Assembly Meeting - Tuesday, Jan 10 @ 4:30

All members are encouraged to join.

Via Zoom. Passcode: 572801

Please check the Upcoming Events section below for additional upcoming meetings where your support and participation are requested.

Teacher Certification and Licensing

DCPS is the hiring agency. OSSE is the licensing agency. Please check to ensure your license is up to date and if it is expiring. Contact your Field Representative if you have any questions about your license or license renewal.

WTU Surveys

Please complete this survey if you teach students in k-2.

Please complete this form if you are having problems with pay, FMLA or insurance.

New Community Service Graduation Requirement

For the past three years, to accommodate for the impacts of the pandemic, DC Council has waived the requirement that high school students complete 100 hours of community service to graduate. This year, OSSE is promulgating regulations to stagger the reimposition of the community service requirement over four years. In addition, the regulation will permanently reduce the hours requirement for transfer students new to the District. Find a complete summary of the changes to the graduation requirements here. 

For students graduating in the 2022-23 school year, the key requirements are:

• Students must have 12 hours of community service to graduate
• Graduating seniors who transferred into a District public or public charter school from a non-DCPS or DC public charter school this year are exempted from the 12-hour graduation requirement

For questions, please reach out to Andrew Gall at [email protected].

OSSE Looking for Feedback on Newly Revised Social Studies Standards by Jan. 30, 2023

OSSE is seeking public comment on the draft of the revised Social Studies State Standards. On Dec. 16, 2022, OSSE published the revised draft of Social Studies Standards, and is accepting public comment on the draft up through Monday, Jan. 30.  View the revised standards here. For more information about the standards revision process and timeline, and to provide comments and input on the new standards draft, please visit the OSSE Social Studies website. For questions, please contact the OSSE Division of Teaching and Learning at [email protected].  

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, January 3, 2023

Happy New Year! We hope that you enjoyed Winter Break and are rested and ready to return to the classroom. Please ensure you've submitted your Test to Return documentation. If you have any concerns, please contact your Field Representative.

WTU Approves Contract Proposal

The contract is still waiting Council approval. The WTU is working to gather information on the approval process and will provide additional updates on when provisions in the contract will take effect in the coming days.

Rep Assembly meeting, Tuesday Jan 10 th @ 4:30

All members may attend, but only building reps and delegates may participate and vote.

Join Via Zoom.

K-2 Survey

Please complete this survey if you teach students in k-2.

Click here.

Open Positions

Looking for a new position? Check out the November listings of instructional and non-instructional vacancies posted here: https://www.wtulocal6.net/open_positions

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, December 19, 2022

Happy Holidays! The WTU team and I would like to wish you a safe and healthy holiday. We hope that you are able to celebrate the Holidays and New Year with your loved ones.

After the Union’s affirmative vote on the Contract last week, the administration will send the contract to the Council for approval, which we expect to occur rapidly. We are working to learn more about when provisions within the contract, including pay increases, will be implemented.

Many thanks to those who attended WTU’s Go-Go for Education Holiday Celebration on Friday! It was a joy to see so many smiling faces! Check out the WTU’s website, Instagram, and Twitter pages to see additional celebration photos and videos. 

I hope that you are able to rest and recharge over the Winter Break. Please remember that DCPS has a ‘test to return' policy in place for January.

Happy Holidays!

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

*Note: The WTU will have a holiday staff celebration on Thursday, December 22^nd and the office will close at 12:00pm. The WTU Office will be closed on Friday, December 23^rd, Monday, December 26^st and Monday, January 2^nd. There will not be an AM Brew the week of Dec 26 as WTU staff celebrates the Holidays.

WTU Approves Contract Proposal

Washington Post - D.C. teachers union approves labor contract, securing raises

WTOP - DC teachers’ union ratifies new contract with overwhelming support

The contract will go to the Council for approval. The WTU will provide additional updates on when provisions in the contract will take effect when available.

International Teachers

DCPS Attorney Nicole Dillard wishes to meet with all teachers who are currently employed by DCPS on a non-immigrant visa, to include F-1, H-1B, & J-1 educators. Attorney Dillard will share important process and timelines information. Opportunity will be provided for discussion of questions. WTU President Pogue Lyons will be in attendance.

December 20, 2022, 4 – 5 pm

Via Zoom.

Meeting ID: 939 669 4583; Passcode: 148566; Dial: 305-224-1968

Let the SBOE hear your teacher voice on mayoral control

The State Board of Education started a governance committee two years ago and has finally produced a list of recommendations. They met as a committee on Monday and the full State Board will debate them and vote on Dec 21st at their public meeting!  Here is what was discussed and how they voted on here. Take a look. 

Please sign up to testify at the Dec 21st SBOE public meeting. The meetings are now in person and typically public comment/ testimony begins around 7 pm at the Judiciary Square Marion Barry Building. 

AFT TEACH workshop proposal due by Jan. 17

TEACH 2023 is all about supporting educators and focusing on what kids need for successful futures. Priority areas for the workshops include:

• Instructional strategies to meet the needs of all students;
• Teaching subject-area content;
• Student and educator safety and well-being; and
• Collaborating and working with colleagues, families and communities to make sure kids feel safe and welcome in their public schools and have access to the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life.

For the full list of priority areas and topics, view the Workshop Proposal Guidelines

Open Positions

Looking for a new position? Check out the November listings of instructional and non-instructional vacancies posted here: https://www.wtulocal6.net/open_positions

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

December 14th, 2022 - WTOP News reported on the overwhelming approval of the new contract by union members by a vote of 3,445 to 29. They highlight the new 12% retroactive raise for the past three years, when teachers worked under an expired contract, and for the current school year, plus a 4% retention bonus for every teacher.

Highlights from the contract lists nine items Union members will receive: 

1. Salary increases are 2%, 2.5%, 3.5% and 4% for each year, respectively, starting in 2019, totaling 12%, plus interest and an additional 4% “signing” bonus for every teacher.
2. Administrative premium, for overtime, increases 50% to $60 an hour.
3. Starting salary goes from $56,313 to just over $63,373. The top salary (for teachers with more than 21 years of service and at least a master’s degree) goes from $116,408 to around $131,000.
4. Beginning teachers will receive a $7,060 increase, and teachers at the top salary step will receive a $14,595 boost.

To learn more, read the Full story here.

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, December 12, 2022

Tuesday, December 13^th is the last day to vote on the Tentative Contract Agreement.

There is a recording of the two Town Hall sessions from last week available here: Members Only Minutes


On Dec. 5th, all WTU members received an email to their DCPS email account from TrueBallot, Inc. We realize that some of these emails landed in DCPS' spam, archive or other folders. If you have not received a ballot via your DCPS email from [email protected], please do the following:

1. Please check your DCPS emailand DCPS junk or archive mail folders. The sender of this email is [email protected] which your computer may classify as suspicious and send to a different file folder instead of your inbox.
2. Please search for the email by typing [email protected] and "WTU Contract Ratification" into the Search box of your email account.
3. Check to ensure you are a WTU dues-paying member. Only due-paying members will receive the Contract Voting package.  To make sure you are a member, please check your paystub to make sure DCPS classified you as a WTU-Dues paying member. If you are not a member, you can join the WTU if you enroll by Noon on December 13th. Contact Carlton Nettles to ensure your membership paperwork is expedited.
4. After completing these steps, please contact Carlton Nettles - [email protected] – if you have not received your ballot. In rare cases, you may need to call OCTO and see if your email is blocking [email protected] as a last resort.

Please note when you receive your ballot email, you must click on the voting link to see all the documents in the contract voting package. The documents contained in the ballot are also posted on the WTU members-only website under Meeting Minutes. Recordings of all Ballot Town Meeting are posted there as well. Security is provided through the use of Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), which were sent in the ballot email to all WTU dues-paying members. Regardless of how many ballot emails you receive, only one response will be logged into the system. 

WTU Membership Meeting

Tuesday, Dec 13, 2022 04:30 PM

Register in advance for this meeting.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We Look forward to Seeing you on Friday!

WTU’s GO-GO for Education Celebration!

When: Friday, December 16^th

Time: 7-11PM

We look forward to celebrating the holidays with you!

AFT TEACH workshop proposal due by Jan. 17

TEACH 2023 is all about supporting educators and focusing on what kids need for successful futures. Priority areas for the workshops include:

• Instructional strategies to meet the needs of all students;
• Teaching subject-area content;
• Student and educator safety and well-being; and
• Collaborating and working with colleagues, families and communities to make sure kids feel safe and welcome in their public schools and have access to the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life.

For the full list of priority areas and topics, view the Workshop Proposal Guidelines

TEACHER DISCOUNT available for Eddie B. Teachers Only Comedy Tour

Saturday, December 17, 2022 (7pm Doors)
Capital One Hall, Tysons, VA

Use code THANKYOU on purchase page to receive 25% off tickets here:

https://www.capitalonehall.com/events/detail/eddie-b-teachers-only-comedy-tour

Open Positions

Looking for a new position? Check out the November listings of instructional and non-instructional vacancies posted here: https://www.wtulocal6.net/open_positions

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, December 5, 2022

The vote on the tentative contract begins today! The WTU attorneys and staff spent this past week examining and preparing the tentative contract and documents for your review. Beginning today, you will have an opportunity review these documents and vote.

All WTU Members should receive an email to your DCPS email account with the WTU Tentative Contract Voting package which includes the following information:

• The tentative agreement signed by President Pogue Lyons and Chancellor Ferebee
• A tentative contract fact sheet
• A review of the tentative changes to Articles 6 and 7 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
• A copy of the tentative CBA
• A copy of the current CBA (October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2019)
• A tentative contract salary schedule
• A Q&A document on the tentative contract

The vote will open Monday, December 5, 2022 and votes must be received by Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at 7:30pm. The election service company, TrueBallot, Inc., will handle the administration of the vote.

WTU will host virtual Town Hall Meetings to discuss the contract and answer any questions on Monday, December 5^th and Wednesday, December 7^th.

• Dec 5 Town Hall @ 4:30PM via Zoom. Meeting ID: 939 669 4583; Passcode: 148566
• Dec 7 Town Hall @ 4:30PM via Zoom. Meeting ID: 939 669 4583; Passcode: 148566

Please watch your DCPS email for your ballot and make sure you vote. Please contact Carlton Nettles at [email protected] if you did not receive a ballot. If you are not a member, you can join by Tuesday, December 13, 2022 by 12:00pm and still have your vote counted. Contact your Field Representative or Carleton Nettles at [email protected]  to become a WTU member.

YOU ARE INVITED to WTU’s GO-GO for Education Celebration!

When: Friday, December 16^th from 7 - 11 PM

Where: Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health

Please REGISTER HERE for this FREE event no later than Friday, December 9^th!

Space is limited! We look forward to celebrating the holidays with you!

Let the Council hear your teacher voice!

Register by 5 pm today, December 5^th to testify before the Committee of the Whole: Literacy and the NAEP and PARCC Assessments. Hearing is Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at 11:00am
Committee Hearing Signup: Literacy and the NAEP and PARCC Assessments (google.com)

Gun violence continues to plague our schools and communities

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/28/teen-killed-shot-before/

“Ricochet: An American Trauma,” a documentary examining the US gun violence crisis and the people it impacts most - https://youtu.be/VIf7gfTSB7w

TEACHER DISCOUNT available for Eddie B. Teachers Only Comedy Tour

Saturday, December 17, 2022 (7pm Doors)
Capital One Hall, Tysons, VA

Use code THANKYOU on purchase page to receive 25% off tickets here:

https://www.capitalonehall.com/events/detail/eddie-b-teachers-only-comedy-tour

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, November 28, 2022

We hope you enjoyed the Holiday weekend. We are thankful and grateful for all the organizing and rallying you’ve done to get us to a tentative agreement.

The WTU negotiating team will provide details in a Member Town Hall on Tuesday, November 29 at 4:30PM. The tentative agreement includes a 12.5% raise over 4 years though FY 2023, 4% retention bonus for all teachers, increase in ‘teacher startup funds,’ 2 morning blocks reserved for teacher lead planning, and additional bonuses for teachers in hard to fill positions.

Member Town Hall - Tuesday, November 29 @ 4:30

Via Zoom

Meeting ID: 930 4869 7561

Passcode: 797288

Dial in: 301-715-8592

WTU in the news

• Statement from Mayor Bowser, Chancellor Ferebee, and WTU President Pogue Lyons on Tentative Contract Agreement
• Tentative contract agreement reached to provide DC teachers raises - WUSA
• D.C. reaches long-awaited deal with teachers union - The Washington Post
• D.C. School Teachers, Mayor Bowser Reach Tentative Deal – Washington Informer
• DCPS and Washington Teachers' Union reach tentative contract agreement - Axios
• DCPS reaches tentative contract agreement with teachers' union after 3 years - WJLA
• DC Public Schools reaches tentative agreement with teachers' union - FOX
• After Three-Year Impasse, D.C. Public Schools Reach Tentative Agreement With Teachers’ Union - DCist
• Parents Rally Behind DCPS Teachers in Demand for Better Conditions – Washington Informer
• D.C. public school teachers walk out in frustration, no new contract since 2019 – AFRO News

The WTU is deeply concerned about gun violence in our community

Akira Wilson fatally shot at NoMa's Hilton Garden Inn on Saturday - The Washington Post

Teen shot near annual Turkey Bowl in Northeast DC

Open Positions

Looking for a new position? Check out the November listings of instructional and non-instructional vacancies posted here: https://www.wtulocal6.net/open_positions

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

After more than three years with out a contract, the District has reached a tentative agreement with its teachers union that would give the educators a retroactive raise and a salary hike for next year, officials announced Wednesday. Read the Full Story Here.

After more than three years of stalled negotiations, D.C. Public Schools have reached a tentative contract agreement with the Washington Teachers’ Union, according to a statement from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Wednesday.

“Today, we are proud to reach an agreement that delivers robust back pay in recognition of the tireless efforts and sacrifice our teachers have made over the past three years,” reads Bowser’s statement on the agreement, which spells out a 12 percent increase in salary over four years, and a four percent retention bonus. “This agreement provides our educators with competitive raises that will help the District to retain and attract the best talent for our schools.”

Read the Full Story Here