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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
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
Martin Luther King Day Resources
Monday, Jan. 17th, 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.
Upcoming Events
Union Learning Institute (ULI) rescheduled to Jan 28th and 29th.
2022 Shared Vision will be held on Saturday, March 12th.
Legislative Committee Meeting
Jan 18 at 4:30 PM
Join Zoom Meeting; Meeting ID: 881 6783 0672; Passcode: 419613
Organizing Committee Meeting
Jan 20 at 5:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting; Meeting ID: 821 7141 4149; Passcode: 270649
Thurs, Jan 20, 2022 – DC Council Hearing on Proposed School Budget Formula
DCPS is planning to unveil new school level budgets for FY2023. Chairman Mendelson has scheduled a hearing on his proposed legislation on school budgets for January 20th. There is a limit of 50 witnesses. Read more and Sign-Up to Speak here.
Partner events and other upcoming events of interest are also posted to the AMBrew Blog.
Reminders:
Report unsafe conditions at http://bit.ly/WTUSafeOpenings
As part of the MOA, the WTU and DCPS teams will meet weekly to review and find solutions to any violations of the #ReopenStrong: School Building Readiness Checklist. If you see something out of compliance, please report it at http://bit.ly/WTUSafeOpenings. As you click on an area of the form, a drop-down box will appear to allow you to enter comments. Or simply complete the text box at the end of the form. All reports will remain confidential and no identifying information will be provided to DCPS.
WTU Memorandums of Agreement with DCPS.
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.
IMPACT
Thank you to everyone who completed the IMPACT survey. The WTU is working with the AFT to create a teacher development and evaluation system that is fair to teachers and good for students. We are looking for members who would like to be part of a team that is writing the strands for Teacher Observation, Student Performance and Professional Growth. If you would to help with this effort, please email Regina Bell at [email protected]
DC Educator Wellness Center
In partnership with EVERFI, a social impact educational technology company, the WTU is pleased to share with you the DC Educator Wellness Center. The funding for the DC Educator Wellness Center is provided by Johnson & Johnson. In the DC Educator Wellness Center you will find access to a prevention-forward, self-guided, digital microlearning experience designed to provide you with on-demand content related to mental health. The growing list of topics includes Mental Health Basics, Managing Mental Health Challenges, Developing Resilience, Supporting Loved Ones With Mental Health Challenges, and Mindful Living. You can read more here.
We’re continuing to update our database.
Please help us ensure we have your current personal contact information on file. Email [email protected] to provide us with updated information.
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