Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, February 22, 2022

Save the Date March 12^th – 2022 Shared Vision Conference

Resilience and Renaissance Ideas to Rebuild After a Pandemic

Dr. Meisha Ross Porter, the former Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools, will be our keynote speaker at the WTU's 2022 Shared Vision Conference: Resilience and Renaissance Ideas to Rebuild After the Pandemic on Saturday, March 12^th.  Dr. Porter rose through the NYC public school ranks as a teacher, principal and executive superintendent before becoming the first Black woman to lead the nation’s largest school system. Dr. Porter’s admirers have said that she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty and she’s never forgotten where she came from. We hope you'll join us at our 2022 Shared Vision Conference on Saturday, March 12 to hear from Dr. Porter.

Shared Vision Virtual Session - Healing Conversations (limited to 50 teachers)

March 12, 2022 9am-10am
Healing conversations are skillfully facilitated conversations about the racial injustice in the United States. The conversation invites individuals to reflect upon and share experiences or insights about racial injustice. The goal is to begin to hold space for important conversations and healing through a combination of small groups (3-4 people) and breathwork. The Restorative session includes:

• Facilitated discussion in large and small groups
• Open, safe space for sharing, connecting and self-care 
• Guided relaxation to relieve stress and move towards healing
• Led by highly-trained SKY Schools Instructors certified in stress- and trauma-relief

Space is limited to 50 teachers. Please register here if you would like to attend this session.

COVID CORNER

Reminder: All DCPS staff and students must submit proof of a negative test prior to returning to school on Monday, February 28.

Please contact your Field Representative if you requested but haven’t received your weekly testing kit in the mail.

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).

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, February 7, 2022

Free WTU T-Shirt

For all members who complete this information sheet. The information will only be used for official WTU business such has the election of officers. Voting will be by US Mail. Please contact Jasmine Wright at [email protected] if you have any questions.

 Click here.

Not sure if you’re an active member?

Check your pay stub.

In the AFTER-TAX DEDUCTIONS section of your pay stub, it will have DU-A of Teachers Local No. 6 $36.08 if you’re a member.

Click here to join the WTU through PeopleSoft.

Save the Date March 12^th

2022 Shared Vision Conference: Resilience and Renaissance Ideas to Rebuild After a Pandemic

Rally to Support Substitute Teachers

• Thanks to all the teachers who came out on a cold rainy Monday to support substitute teachers. The mayor did give substitutes a raise to $20/hr. We are continuing to advocate on their behalf.
  Washington Teacher's Union members call for higher wages (fox5dc.com)
  https://www.fox5dc.com/news/d-c-mayors-pay-raise-for-substitute-teachers-not-enough-protesters-say

Black History Month

Shoutout to librarian Sherri Jones at Houston Elementary for celebrating Black History Month with an African-American Read-In.

https://wtop.com/dc/2022/02/dc-schools-celebrate-black-literature-with-readings-by-city-leaders/

TUTORING

Serve Your City/Ward 6 Mutual Aid is offering an in-person STEM tutoring program for students in Wards 6, 7, and 8 who are:

• Interested in STEM 
• In grades 5-8
• Most affected by the opportunity gap
• Available after school from 4-6 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays

They are also looking for tutors who share our commitment to serving those students. The start date for the program is February 22^nd.  For additional information please contact Mark Barnes at

[email protected] or (202) 643-4275.

COVID CORNER

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).

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

AFT Civics Design Team

Shout out to the following WTU members who were selected to be on the AFT Civics Design Team:

Raphael Bonhomme

Valerie Sewell

Rachel Thomas

So proud of you and your contributions to this critical work!!

Educator Panel hosted by Keishia Thorpe, former WTU Teacher Leader and Winner of the 2021 Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022@ 5:00 PM EST

Studies show that when students can see themselves in their teachers, it leads to better academic performance and lower behavioral issues. That said, we have a long way to go when it comes to creating diverse classrooms. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 18% of teachers aren’t white, even though half of all public school students are POC. During this panel, PGCPS teachers will discuss how we can diversify our teacher force by creating more inclusive schools.

Topics to be discussed include:

• Recruitment and teacher retention
• Benefits of teacher diversity, including male teachers in education
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace
• Making teacher training accessible for everyone

Participate by registering at this LINK and viewing the monthly sessions or watching previous recordings.

WTU Professional Learning - SPRING 2022 Course Offerings

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

Educating Low Vision Students (started 2/7; spaces still available!)

Managing Behavior in School Communities (started 2/2; spaces still available!)

FREE WTU Workshops starting soon:

Strategies for Student Success (Next session Teach Them to Think on 2/19)

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.

Wellness Series with Aetna (all sessions are virtual @ 7:00pm-8:00pm)

Each session below is a one-hour “gift of self care” with unique perspectives and tools. Participants will find value in attending one, a few, or all the sessions to support yourself in creating a robust practice of Self Care.

Use this link to register for all or some of the four sessions:

https://artofliving.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYkf-mgrD0qEtfZQOKQy_UwiRpBfShnBeLC

• March 2 - Energy and Breath: Powerful Tools to Increase Your Resilience
• April 6 - Supporting Your Mental Health and Preventing Burnout
• May 4 - Making the Impossible, Possible - Setting and Achieving Your Goals
• June 8 - Courageous Conversations: Healing Conversations about Systemic Racism

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, February 7, 2022

Rally to support substitute teachers

TODAY -- Monday, February 7^th from 3:30-6pm

John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

February Representative Assembly Meeting

Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 4:30
All members are welcome to attend, but only building representatives and delegates are eligible to vote.

Please click this link to join the webinar:

Webinar ID: 990 9622 2702

Passcode: 017504

Save the Date March 12^th – 2022 Shared Vision Conference: Resilience and Renaissance Ideas to Rebuild After a Pandemic

Elections Committee Updates

WTU Elections:  Building Reps Need to Know (click to learn more)

An electronic version of the Building Rep Binder is available here.

 

IMPACT

Please take a few minutes to complete the IMPACT survey.

IMPACT Survey

Scholarship Opportunity for seniors who live in wards 5, 7, 8.

Cathy Feingold, sister in labor, has turned a tragic event in her life into a scholarship opportunity for students who live in Wards 5, 7, & 8 and have been impacted by gun violence. We hope you will encourage young people in these Wards to apply for the scholarship which will provide $4,000 for a year of continuing education. If you have any questions about the scholarship program, please email [email protected]

Cathy has partnered with Ryane Nickens, founder of the TraRon Center. The WTU is joining the partnership with the TraRon Center whose mission is to expose gun violence survivors to therapeutic modalities that may be absent from their current grieving and coping methods. With a focus on the inclusion of creative arts, the center equips survivors with strategies to healthfully endure the complexities of loss while promoting community health and solidarity.

Here are additional stories about Ryane and Cathy:

• Women Who Lost Loved Ones to DC Gun Violence Team Up to Help Others – NBC4 Washington (nbcwashington.com)
• https://www.nbcwashington.com/community/news-4-your-sunday/news-4-your-sunday-gun-violence/2945473/

COVID CORNER

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.

Please contact your Field Representative if you requested, but haven’t received your weekly testing kit in the mail.

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).

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

Crowdsourcing a WTU Guide Best Practices for Teaching in a Socially Distant Classroom

Please contribute your best practices via this link as we create a guide to share with all our members. Feel free to also mail [email protected] if you have any questions or specific resources/suggestions to share.

The Importance of Teacher Force Diversity

Educator Panel hosted by Keishia Thorpe, former WTU Teacher Leader and

Winner of the 2021 Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022@ 5:00 PM EST

Studies show that when students can see themselves in their teachers, it leads to better academic performance and lower behavioral issues. That said, we have a long way to go when it comes to creating diverse classrooms. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 18% of teachers aren’t white, even though half of all public school students are POC. During this panel, PGCPS teachers will discuss how we can diversify our teacher force by creating more inclusive schools.

Topics to be discussed include:

• Recruitment and teacher retention
• Benefits of teacher diversity, including male teachers in education
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace
• Making teacher training accessible for everyone

Participate by registering at this LINK and viewing the monthly sessions or watching previous recordings.

WTU Professional Learning - SPRING 2022 Course Offerings

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

• Educating Low Vision Students (starts TODAY 2/7)
• Managing Behavior in School Communities (started 2/2; still spaces available!)

FREE WTU Workshops starting soon:

• 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.

Wellness Series with Aetna (all sessions are virtual @ 7:00pm-8:00pm)

Each session below is a one-hour “gift of self care” with unique perspectives and tools. Participants will find value in attending one, a few, or all the sessions to support yourself in creating a robust practice of Self Care.

Use this link to register for all or some of the four sessions:

https://artofliving.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYkf-mgrD0qEtfZQOKQy_UwiRpBfShnBeLC

• March 2^nd - Energy and Breath: Powerful Tools to Increase Your Resilience
• April 6^th - Supporting Your Mental Health and Preventing Burnout
• May 4^th - Making the Impossible, Possible - Setting and Achieving Your Goals
• June 8^th - Courageous Conversations: Healing Conversations about Systemic Racism

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, January 31, 2022

WTU Election Committee -- INFORMATION NEEDED!!!!!

If you are the Building Representative, Alternate Building Representative or Delegate for any of the schools below please contact WTU Membership Coordinator, Valerie Kilby today at 202-517-0728 or [email protected].

Bancroft, Beers, Boone, Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan, Dorothy Height, Drew, Hart, Kramer, Noyes, Payne, Phelps, Savoy, Turner, Virtual Learning Program

Rally to Support Substitute Teachers
Please join us in showing solidarity with the Substitute Teachers!

Monday, February 7^th 3:30-6:00
Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW

IMPACT Survey & Meeting

Please take a few minutes to complete the IMPACT survey.

And join us for the next IMPACT Meeting on Tues, Feb 1 at 4:30pm

Join Zoom Meeting. Meeting ID: 829 0883 7888; Passcode: 888893

Scholarship Opportunity for seniors who live in wards 5, 7, 8.

Cathy Feingold, sister in labor, has turned a tragic event in her life into a scholarship opportunity for students who live in Wards 5, 7, & 8 and have been impacted by gun violence. Cathy has partnered with Ryane Nickens, founder of the TraRon Center. The WTU is joining the partnership with the TraRon Center whose mission is to expose gun violence survivors to therapeutic modalities that may be absent from their current grieving and coping methods. With a focus on the inclusion of creative arts, the center equips survivors with strategies to healthfully endure the complexities of loss while promoting community health and solidarity. 

Here are additional stories about Ryane and Cathy.

Women Who Lost Loved Ones to DC Gun Violence Team Up to Help Others – NBC4 Washington (nbcwashington.com)
https://www.nbcwashington.com/community/news-4-your-sunday/news-4-your-sunday-gun-violence/2945473/

Union Leadership Institute (UL)

COVID CORNER

URGENT!! - Report your vaccination status on PeopleSoft.

Personal Pandemic Leave

Air Quality Reports

As part of the MOU, DCPS is required to publish data monthly on the quality of air in our schoosl. Attached here is the December 2021 Air Quality Report

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

N95 masks – we are out of the N95 masks that were donated by Sunrise DC. We will let you know when we receive another shipment.

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

Report Health & Safety Concerns:

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).

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

Kudos to Nadia Torney who facilitated an AFT national training on Universal Design for Learning this past weekend at the AFT Winter Academy.

Wellness Series with Aetna 

Each session below is a one-hour “gift of self care” with unique perspectives and tools. Participants will find value in attending one, a few, or all the sessions to support yourself in creating a robust practice of Self Care. Starts Wed. 2/2; all sessions @ 6:30pm-7:30pm.

Each session includes different sets of:

• Powerful physiological tools of the breath that can be incorporated into one’s day to instantly reduce tension;
• Guided relaxation for deep restoration and quieting of the thoughts in the mind;
• Cognitive tools for navigating thoughts and emotions as they arise.

Use this link to register for all or some of the five sessions: https://artofliving.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYkf-mgrD0qEtfZQOKQy_UwiRpBfShnBeLC

• February 2^{nd -} Working Through Change & Uncertainty
• March 2^nd - Energy and Breath: Powerful Tools to Increase Your Resilience
• April 6^th  Supporting Your Mental Health and Preventing Burnout
• May 4^{th -} Making the Impossible, Possible - Setting and Achieving Your Goals
• June 8^{th -} Courageous Conversations: Healing Conversations about Systemic Racism

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

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (2 Part Series: 2/5 and 2/12)

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

Learn more and register for ALL WTU Spring classes HERE.

Black Live Matter at School Week of Action is THIS WEEK!!!

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!!!

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.