Professional Development

Announcing the WTU Teacher Leader Program SY2021-22 (Deadline: 9/3/21)

The Washington Teachers' Union invites you to participate in the Teacher Leaders program for school year 2021-2022. Educators from the District of Columbia Public Schools who are union members with full-time responsibilities will be selected to join a nationwide teacher leaders' network. We are seeking teachers who would like to take an active role in influencing policy.

We will provide teachers with opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills to influence policy locally, statewide, and nationally. This will include framing practical policy positions that relate to improved student achievement; conducting research in classrooms and schools; engaging the public and elected officials in community conversations about education; participating on advisory boards, panels, and task forces; developing policy recommendations based on research conducted; and publishing and disseminating findings and recommendations nationwide.

Apply Here: https://forms.gle/Lfkxm5ZH1Lc3Emtt8

Selected cohort members must attend monthly workshops 9am-4pm either online or at 1239 Pennsylvania Ave., SE on:

• September 18, 2021
• October 23, 2021
• November 13, 2021
• December 11, 2021
• January 22, 2022
• February 12, 2022
• March 19, 2022
• April 9, 2022
• WTU Teacher Leader Symposium: May 14, 2022

Upon successful completion of the program, cohort members will be awarded a $1500 stipend and PLU’s.

Next Generation Personal Finance -- Back to the Classroom PD Conference 8/21

We hope you had a wonderful and relaxing summer break - you all deserve it! As you prepare to go back into your physical or virtual classrooms, NGPF wants to support you.

We are hosting our annual back-to-school conference on Saturday, August 21, 2021, from 7AM - 1:30PM Pacific. The event will be held virtually and is free for all educators to attend. Feel free to extend the invite to your colleagues as well!  Register HERE

Math Alliance Announcements

Caste in the Classroom - a documentary film by the Data for Better Schools group with the Young People’s Project - has been selected for the Bronze Lens Film Festival August 17th -22nd, 2021 (in Atlanta)! To register for the 2021 Bronze Lens Film Festival, please visit: https://bronzelens.com/registration/

To see Caste in the Classroom and related resources, visit:  https://www.typp.org/dbs  

This is recognized as a leading film festival for especially African-American film-makers.

NCTM Annual Meeting & Exposition - empowering the voice of teachers - from critical conversations to intentional actions, Atlanta, GA, Sept. 22-25, 2021. See: https://www.nctm.org/atlanta2021/

Additional Professional Development opportunities are also posted regularly to the PD Blog at https://www.wtulocal6.net/pdblog.

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, August 2, 2021

Reopening Schools

On January 29^th, Mayor Bowser announced that DC will reinstate indoor mask mandate as coronavirus cases rise in the region. It was previously announced that DCPS would require masks for all staff and students when schools open for in-person learning in August.

The WTU is committed to reopening our schools for in-person learning and continues to negotiate with DCPS over terms of a MOA for the 2021-2022 school year. We believe that DCPS must require social distancing, provide detailed information on HVAC systems, and limit simultaneously learning - where a single teacher is instructing students both in-person and via distance learning platforms. The Mayor approached union leaders from across the District last week to engage in a conversation about vaccine requirements (the WTU does not have further information at this time on whether or not the Mayor will institute a vaccine mandate for DC government or DCPS employees).

2021-2022 Open Season for Maternity Leave and Sick Leave Banks

The WTU is adding an Open Season from August 1^st through August 31^st for the Maternity Leave and Sick Leave Banks. To join either bank please click here: https://forms.gle/Q7sAsbViYgsHyXVt7

To join either bank, you donate 8 hours (one day) of the total 96 hours (12 days) that is loaded to your leave balance on October 1, 2021 (to join both banks, you’d donate two days or 16 hours). After enrollment, there is a 3 month wait before you can access the banks (ie, you’ll be eligible on January 1, 2022). Once you join the bank you remain in the bank, until you opt-out. If you have any questions contact Charmaine Wilks at [email protected] or 202 517-1475.

DCPS will not accept individual requests to be removed from either the Sick Leave and/or the Maternity Leave Bank. Please contact Charmaine Wilks at [email protected] before the October 1, 2021 if you’d like to be removed from these banks.

FY2022 Budget

On 8/3, the Council of DC will have the 2nd vote on the Local Budget Act & votes on the Federal Portion & Local Budget Emergency Adjustment Act. During the budget debate, we expect Councilmembers to move an amendment to require DCPS to move $3.5m to ensure there is a full-time librarian in every DCPS school. We expect some opposition to this amendment and its fate remains uncertain. Please watch your email in the event we need to mobilize to support our colleagues before the budget vote on Tuesday.

You can see the latest budget info from the DC Council here: https://bit.ly/3hRTYkl. The Chairman’s Budget Report (which lays out changes from the Mayor’s proposed budget) is available here.

On 8/10, the Council of DC will have the 2nd vote on the Budget Support Act. We do not currently expect any efforts to remove the Robert White amendment that requires DCPS to aggregate and release the results of teacher surveys concerning IMPACT as well as the American University report on IMPACT.

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

WTU Summer Professional Learning!!!

Register TODAY for these exciting, engaging and informative summer professional development courses and workshops HERE. Courses and Workshops that are still open:

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (8/7 and 8/14) FREE

Decolonizing the Curriculum (continues on  8/3) FREE

Financial Literacy Fridays for MS and HS Educators (5 part workshop series continuing 8/6) FREE

OSSE Licensure Focus Group

OSSE is launching a series of focus groups to enable us to better understand how our educator credential candidates are experiencing our website. We’re hoping to hear directly from current or aspiring DC teachers and school service providers who have recently engaged with OSSE’s educator credential website. Interested individuals will be eligible to participate in a 45-minute virtual focus group, and should complete this brief interest form by Friday, Aug. 6, 2021.

Here's What's Brewing Today

July 26, 2021

Last week, President Pogue Lyons and General Vice President Bell spoke before the city council. The WTU continues to call for DCPS to ensure all schools provide acceptable air quality, as defined by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers standard 62.1-2019, and share detailed air quality reports with the public. The WTU also believes that DCPS must ensure mask wearing is universal and that we must meet social distancing requirements, consistent with CDC guidelines. In addition to health and safety concerns, the WTU is committed to prioritizing research -based efforts to help students regain lost learning.

YOU CAN READ PRESIDENT POGUE LYONS' FULL STATEMENT HERE.

FY2021 Budget 

Last week, the DC Council held their first vote on the FY2022 budget (school year 2021-2022).

Councilmember Robert White moved an amendment that will require DCPS to results of a 2020 survey on the IMPACT teacher evaluation system so that we all can understand what teachers think of the IMPACT system. This measure is a step forward in obtaining data around teacher turnover and our work to replace the teachers’ IMPACT evaluation system. Also during the hearing, Chairman Mendelson expressed support for “finding funds within the DCPS budget” to ensure every school has a full-time librarian.

We’re continuing to monitor developments around the FY2022 budget. Watch your email for ACTION ALERTS as we approach the next votes on the budget, currently scheduled for Aug 3 and Aug 8.

Sick Leave and/or the Maternity Leave Banks

DCPS will not accept individual requests to be removed from either the Sick Leave and/or the Maternity Leave Bank. Please contact Charmaine Wilks at [email protected] before the October 1, 2021 if you’d like to be removed from these banks.

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

WTU Summer Professional Learning!!!

Register TODAY for these exciting, engaging and informative summer professional development courses and workshops HERE.

Courses and Workshops that are still open:

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (8/7 and 8/14) FREE

Decolonizing the Curriculum (starts 7/27) FREE

Financial Literacy Fridays for MS and HS Educators (5 part workshop series continuing 7/30) FREE

Managing Behavior in School Communities (starts Monday 8/9)

OSSE Licensure Focus Group

OSSE is launching a series of focus groups to enable us to better understand how our educator credential candidates are experiencing our website. We’re hoping to hear directly from current or aspiring DC teachers and school service providers who have recently engaged with OSSE’s educator credential website. Interested individuals will be eligible to participate in a 45-minute virtual focus group, and should complete this brief interest form by Friday, Aug. 6, 2021.

Recognizing WTU Trainers

Please congratulate Nadia Torney (Kimball ES) and Dr. Casey Collins (Walker-Jones EC) who are both facilitating national professional development training with the American Federation of Teachers at the 2021 Virtual Summer Educator Academy. Our WTU trainers ROCK!!!

Math Alliance Opportunities

• Caste in the Classroom - a documentary film by the Data for Better Schools group with the Young People’s Project - has been selected for the Bronze Lens Film Festival August 17th -22nd, 2021! To register for the 2021 Bronze Lens Film Festival, please visit: https://bronzelens.com/registration/
  • To see Caste in the Classroom and related resources, visit: https://www.typp.org/dbs
• NCTM Annual Meeting & Exposition - empowering the voice of teachers - from critical conversations to intentional actions, Atlanta, GA, Sept. 22-25, 2021. See: https://www.nctm.org/atlanta2021/

Council of the District of Columbia

Committee of the Whole Public Oversight Roundtable

Statement by Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers' Union

on the Re-Opening District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and District of Columbia Public Charter Schools (DCPCS) for School Year 2021-2022

Good afternoon. I am Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President of the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU).

Everyone is anxious for schools to reopen this fall. After more than a year of being away from our school buildings because of the public health pandemic, it’s imperative that students and teachers get back to school.

Our schools must fully reopen.

But my worst fear is that we fail to protect our youths and our community from the still-deadly coronavirus, especially with the surge of the Delta variant and the emerging Epsilon variant of the disease in our communities. We must ensure protections are in place to prevent students from being exposed and potentially carrying the disease back into their family.

And, we must also prevent disruptions to learning, including when a student is exposed to the virus and will be required to quarantine at home. This is hard on everyone – the student, their families, and our teachers – and it creates tremendous disruptions to learning and student mental health. The last thing that educators want to do is see a student sent home, or for a classroom or our schools close again.

Today, as I sit here before you, I do not believe that we have done enough to protect our students from the coronavirus. We can do more to help prevent exposure in our schools.

You can download and read the full statement here.

Here's What's Brewing Today

July 19, 2021

Everyone is anxious for schools to reopen this fall. After more than a year of being away from our school buildings because of the public health pandemic, it’s imperative that students and teachers get back to school.

Read more here.

FY2022 Budget Vote

The City Council will be VOTING ON TUESDAY on the School Year 2021-2022 budget. It is important that you contact Chairman Mendelson NOW ([email protected] or @ChmnMendelson) to ask him to reallocate $3.5m to ensure EVERY SCHOOL HAS A FULL-TIME LIBRARIAN.

Please CONTACT YOUR COUNCILMEMBERS NOW. Make your voice heard now and support your colleagues and our students!

Get Reading DC!

DCSBOE Ward 2 Representative Allister Chang is looking to speak with reading instructors, school librarians, and other interested educators about OSSE's recently released Comprehensive Literacy Plan. Please reach out to him directly at [email protected] if you are available and interested in providing your feedback on the plan. 

The WTU is looking for volunteers to help us analyze DCPS’ response to a FOIA request for information on literacy interventions. Please contact Joe Weedon @ [email protected] if you’d like to help.

The Statewide Data Warehouse Amendment Act

The DC State Board of Education introduced the Statewide Data Warehouse Amendment Act last week which would require OSSE to report annually on the state of teaching & teacher retention. Learn more here: https://lims.dccouncil.us/downloads/LIMS/47658/Introduction/B24-0355-Introduction.pdf

Sick Leave and/or the Maternity Leave Banks

DCPS will not accept individual requests to be removed from either the Sick Leave and/or the Maternity Leave Bank. Please contact Charmaine Wilks at [email protected] before the October 1, 2021 if you’d like to be removed from these banks.

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

WTU Summer Professional Learning!!!

Register TODAY for these exciting, engaging and informative summer professional development courses and workshops HERE.

The following Courses and Workshops are still open:

Financial Literacy Fridays for MS and HS Educators (5 part workshop series continuing 7/23) FREE

Instructional Strategies that Work for All Disciplines (started this past Saturday 7/17-makeup session required)

Managing Behavior in School Communities (starts Monday 8/9)

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy – August Sessions (Starts Aug 7)

Nobis Project Anti-Racist Global History Think Tank

July 21   2 pm – 4 pm ET

July 28   4 pm – 6 pm ET

*Attendance at all sessions is not required, join when you can!

Cost: Free

At this annual event we bring together highly innovative educators, scholars, designers, and community leaders for a multi-day workshop. During this year’s virtual workshop participants will develop content and resources materials focused on an anti-racist approach to teaching global history. Think Tank participants will each have the chance to share about the challenges and successes as it relates to anti-racist global history.

Educators will share project examples from their classrooms. Academic scholars will share about new research and trends in their fields. Community leaders will share about the problems their communities face and the impact of the solution initiatives they are involved in.

Think Tank participants will then be led through a series of design thinking exercises in order to develop curriculum or resources. Following the Think Tank participants are encouraged to continue to work together in developing and piloting materials.

Math Alliance Opportunities

Caste in the Classroom - a documentary film by the Data for Better Schools group with the Young People’s Project - has been selected for the Bronze Lens Film Festival August 17th -22nd, 2021! To register for the 2021 Bronze Lens Film Festival, please visit: https://bronzelens.com/registration/

To see Caste in the Classroom and related resources, visit:  https://www.typp.org/dbs

Here's What's Brewing Today

July 12, 2021

Get Reading DC

The City Council will be VOTING THIS WEEK on the School Year 2021-2022 budget. We hope that Councilmember Allen will be introducing a budget amendment requiring DCPS to reallocate $3.5m to ensure EVERY SCHOOL HAS A FULL-TIME LIBRARIAN.

Please CONTACT YOUR COUNCILMEMBERS NOW to ask them to support this Budget Amendment.

Make your voice heard now and support your colleagues and our students!

First Lady Visits Payne ES, Updates on Negotiations for SY2021-2022

The WTU was honored to join First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and AFT President Weingarten on a tour of Payne Elementary School last week. We used the opportunity to tell her how passionate teachers are to return to their school buildings – SAFELY.

The MOU signed between DCPS and the WTU in December 2020 will remain in effect until the return to school in the fall. If you have any questions or concerns about facility safety if you’re working this summer, please report to your Field Representatives.

The WTU is continuing negotiations with DCPS regarding an MOU for the 2021-2022 School Year and submitted a detailed proposal to DCPS last week. At this time, the DCPS request for educators to disclose their vaccination status remains under negotiation and you do not yet need to submit your vaccination information to DCPS. We are committed to ensuring that you will not be compelled to submit your information but we hope to reach an agreement with DCPS that will compensate you appropriately if you choose to disclose your status.

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

WTU Summer Professional Learning!!!

Register TODAY for these exciting, engaging and informative summer professional development courses and workshops HERE.

Courses and Workshops that are still open:

Hispanic Culture and Spanish Language I (started this past Saturday 7/10-makeup session required)

Strategies for Student Success Section 3 (4 part workshop series starting 7/13) FREE

Financial Literacy Fridays for MS and HS Educators (4 part workshop series starting 7/16) FREE

Instructional Strategies that Work for All Disciplines (starts Saturday 7/17)

Managing Behavior in School Communities (starts Monday 8/9)

Be sure to check out the latest Professional Development Newsletter for additional PD opportunities.

WTU Summer Professional Learning!!!

Register TODAY for these exciting, engaging and informative summer professional development courses and workshops HERE.

Courses and Workshops that are still open include:

Hispanic Culture and Spanish Language I (starts this Saturday 7/10)

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (2 part workshop starting this Saturday 7/10) FREE

Strategies for Student Success Section 3 (4 part workshop series starting 7/13) FREE

Financial Literacy Fridays for MS and HS Educators (4 part workshop series starting 7/16) FREE

Instructional Strategies that Work for All Disciplines (starts Saturday 7/17)

Managing Behavior in School Communities (starts Monday 8/9)

Decolonizing the Curriculum

Join Washington Teachers’ Union and Teaching for Change as we host a Decolonizing the Curriculum summer series beginning July 27th. This six-session FREE series will feature presentations disrupting the master narrative in classroom curriculum, by providing hands-on strategies with lessons to be used in-person and virtually.

Each session is standalone (2 PLU's per session) so attend one or all six Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. EST via Zoom.

REGISTER TODAY

Tuesday July 27th at 5:00 p.m. EST Decolonizing the Curriculum with Teaching for Change

Thursday July 29th at 5:00 p.m. EST Tackling Controversial Topics in Early Childhood Education with Laleña Garcia

Tuesday, August 3rd at 5:00 p.m. EST COVID Tribunal with Caneisha Mills

Thursday, August 5th at 5:00 p.m. EST Politics of Hair with Dr. Cierra Kaler-Jones

Tuesday, August 10th at 5:00 p.m. EST Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Role Play with Jessica Rucker and Judy Richardson

Thursday, August 12th at 5:00 p.m. EST Teaching about Voting Rights with Ursula Wolfe-Rocca

Here's What's Brewing Today

July 6, 2021

School Year 2021-2022 Budget Update

It’s not too late to CONTACT THE COUNCIL to ask that every school has a full-time librarian for the 2021-2022 school year. Librarians play an important role in building positive cultures and supporting students and teachers in developing the literacy skills of our students. Make your voice heard now and support your colleagues!  The Chairman will be publishing his changes to the Mayor's proposed budget this week and the Council will be voting on the budget soon.

Supporting Literacy & DCPS Librarians. The WTU has filed a grievance against DCPS on behalf of excessed DCPS librarians, librarians who have been terminated as the result of excessing and teachers who have been denied the services librarians provide as a result of cuts to library programs by DCPS. The grievance alleges that DCPS has violated the WTU contract by eliminating school librarian positions. 

The WTU Welcomes Jannett Lopez & Juan Gonzalez

The WTU would like to welcome Jannett Lopez and Juan Gonzalez to the Field Services team. Regina Bell, the WTU’s general vice president, has also officially joined the WTU office team. Please welcome them.

COVID-19 Leave Extension to August 29, 2021

By Mayor's Order 2021-038, the District’s Public Health Emergency (PHE) was extended to July 25, 2021. Please note that COVID Sick Leave was last set to expire on May 20, 2021 with the expiration of the PHE but is now extended through August 29, 2021.

D.C. COVID-19 Support Emergency Amendment Act (CSEA) 

The CSEA temporarily amends the DC FMLA to create a new COVID-19 job-protected leave category (“COVID-19 Leave”). This entitlement is effective as of March 11, 2020 and expires on August 29, 2021.

COVID Sick Leave 

The provisions of COVID Sick Leave apply until August 29, 2021. Under COVID Sick Leave, the employee is eligible for up to ten (10) days (up to 80 hours) of leave at the regular rate of pay if unable to work (or unable to telework) due to a specific list of criteria.

Questions regarding the different types of leave can be directed to your Field Representative or to the DCPS Leave of Absence team at [email protected] 

REMINDER: YOU'RE ON VACATION!!!

The WTU wants to encourage you to take time for yourself and your own mental health needs. If you have not already, please remember to set up your out-of-office reply as you are not obligated to read or reply to any email messages sent to your dc.gov email account after June 25, 2021. Enjoy your summer!!!

Attention All Special Education Teachers and Related Service Providers

If you have received any correspondence from your Principal or LEA Representative mandating you continue to complete any assignments or case management responsibilities after Friday, June 25, 2021, please contact Janice Brown Parker immediately at 202-957 9928 or [email protected]

Maternity Leave and/or Sick Leave Banks

Due to overwhelming demand, open enrollment for the Maternity Leave and/or Sick Leave Banks for the 2021-2022 school year will re-open August 1 through August 31, 2021. This will be your last chance to sign-up for the 2021-2022 school year.

To join either bank you donate 8 hours (one day) of the total 96 hours (12 days) that is loaded to your leave balance on October 1, 2021, the beginning of the fiscal year. Please be mindful that if you join both banks you will donate two days or 16 hours. After the donation is taken you must wait three months before you can access the banks. Thus, the first time you can access the bank would be January 1, 2022.  Once you join the bank, you remain in the bank until you opt-out.

If you have any questions about either bank, contact Charmaine Wilks at [email protected] or 202 517-1475. Enrollment links will be sent out again on August 1.

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