AM Brew - July 10, 2023

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, July 10, 2023

IMPACT results are available in QuickBase. Reach out to your field representative if you have any questions or concerns about your IMPACT report. Field Representatives - WTU Local 6

Enrollment for the Sick Leave and Maternity Leave Banks is OPEN

Join the WTU Sick Leave and Maternity Leave Banks. If you are already a member, there is no need to rejoin.

Click here to join the WTU Sick Leave or Maternity Leave Banks

Contact Charmaine Wilks at 202 517-1475 or at [email protected] to enroll or with any questions. Open enrollment will occur from June 1, 2023 through August 31, 2023. After you complete the form, you will receive a confirmation email from Google Forms; be sure to check your spam folder.

Transferring Schools?

Please make sure you receive an official letter from DCPS indicating your new placement.

Retirement Workshop Video and slide deck from June 27

Click here for the presentation.

School Boundaries

The Deputy Mayor for Education will convene the Task force as the follow up to the School Safety Enhancement Amendment Act of 2023 with a date for recommendations set in February of 2024.

There is a town hall scheduled for the Public Education Master Facilities Plan with two possible dates, July 11th and July 12th to hear the presentation and offer comments. Register here: https://dme.dc.gov/page/dc-public-education-master-facilities-plan-2023-town-halls

In the news

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

Professional Development

LEA Look Forward for July 7, 2023:

LEA Enrollment Audit and Child Count Webinar, Districtwide Campus Safety & Security Summit and More! (mailchi.mp)

AFT Teach 2023, July 20-23

Washington Hilton at 1919 Connecticut Ave NW
AFT TEACH 2023 | American Federation of Teachers

Reminders:

ICYMI: DCPS Technology update from Digital Equity in DC Home | Digital Equity in DC (digitalequitydced.com)

DCPS school technology POC's and principals were informed that DCPS Central Office is cutting the technology budget and extending the life cycle of devices from three years to four years. At a high level, this decision means that DCPS leadership is effectively pushing the Central Office budget cuts directly to schools, which will significantly impact students and teachers. This marks a reversal of DCPS's and the Mayor's commitment to provide an equitable, 21st century education for all DCPS students.

The DCPS stated reason: "DC Council mandated cuts to Central Office." This is puzzling to us as we are currently in FY23 and the Council budget reduction does not take effect until FY24.

The impact: Schools who are struggling with devices issued in 2020 (Generation 1 Microsoft Go's) will not receive a complete inventory refresh this summer, as previously planned. These devices reached the end-of-life cycle in March 2023. Earlier this month, DCPS categorized these devices as a "security risk" and noted their increasing incompatibility with new software and protocols. Schools with Microsoft Gen 1 Go's were collecting and preparing to retire these devices even as the new guidance was issued to principals on Friday evening. Now, DCPS has decided that these devices are sufficient for another year of student use. We know they are not.

The context: DCPS planned to purchase ~16,000 new, more robust devices in FY 23, to replace out-of-life cycle Microsoft Go's for 90% of DCPS. During the last year we have visited schools who have shared countless challenges with these slow and insufficient devices. On June 5th, DCPS released a solicitation (GAGA-2023-I-0144) for student and staff devices with proposals due June 12. The timing (albeit later than it should have been) would have ensured that devices were received and distributed in time for the start of the SY23-24 school year. In addition, the purchase was consistent with the new DCPS Technology Plan and the commitments within the plan.

We have urged DCPS to honor their commitment to providing students with an equitable, 21st century education. This decision negates much of the progress that has been made to reliably provide students with the right-sized digital tools they need to learn.

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