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.

Professional Development

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

Summer Professional Learning!!!

Thank you to the over 100 educators who joined the WTU Summer2021 Virtual PD Institute last week. If you missed it, you still have a chance to register TODAY for other exciting, engaging and informative summer professional development courses and workshops HERE and for our FREE Decolonizing the Curriculum series, in partnership with Teaching for Change, HERE.

AFT TEACH Conference 2021

AFT TEACH 2021 starts Tuesday, July 6, at 1 p.m. EDT with a welcome session featuring a keynote by AFT President Randi Weingarten! The agenda is packed with more than 60 sessions on essential topics covering social emotional learning, anti-racism, civic engagement and participation, and countless more tools and strategies you can use for the new school year. Plus, attendees can participate in five health and wellness sessions and two movie nights. Don’t delay; register now.

BONUS: All workshops will be available on demand for 90 days starting July 6.

OSSE Summer PD Catalog

Check out this listing of professional learning opportunities: https://osse.dc.gov/node/1492506

This week’s events

July 5 – Independence Day (Observed), WTU Office Closed

July 6 – Summer School Begins

At the beginning of each month, a monthly calendar will be posted to the AMBrew Blog.

Save the Date:

July 20 - Digging into D.C - Open Government Training Kickoff

Want to know how much DC spends on your child's school? Worried about staffing cuts?
Interested in the health and safety conditions of school facilities? The DC Open Government Coalition is excited to bring together transparency advocates for the first in a series of “Digging into DC” trainings to help you find almost anything you’ve ever wanted to know about DC’s public and charter schools.

This virtual kickoff session will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20 via Zoom. Register for Digging into DC here.

Partner events and other upcoming events of interest are also posted to the AMBrew Blog.

Reminders:

2021-2022 Vacancies

Open positions for the 2021-2022 School Year are posted here.

ICYMI: 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.

Click here or email [email protected] to provide us with updated information.

Be sure to follow the WTU on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up on the latest from your Union.