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A Message from WTU President
Good Morning WTU!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Father’s Day Weekend and enjoyed the sunny weather! As the year draws to a close, I want to thank every WTU member for your support throughout an extremely busy 2023-24 year filled with school actions, political outreach, community engagement and WTU-member activism. This year, we assembled the largest WTU bargaining team ever with 25 members actively fighting for the changes you told us you wanted to see in our new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Thank you for sharing your concerns with us both in-person, and virtually. Thank you for continuing to testify before the DC City Council and State Board of Education.
It goes without saying that your written and verbal feedback armed with our ongoing conversations with DC City Council and State Board of Education representatives made a difference! With the help of these State and DC City representatives, we influenced DCPS’ decision to change 5AM meetings to times when teachers could attend. It was your Friday Red for Ed photos, and ongoing school contract actions throughout the city that supported our work at the bargaining table. Your school actions and petition signatures told DCPS that DC teachers care about a new CBA that includes the issues that matter. And our work will not stop over the summer. As you know, WTU’s office is open year-round and our Contract Bargaining Team plans to meet regularly throughout the summer with DCPS until we get you a new and fair contract. To keep you informed of our progress, we will send out a shortened version of the AM Brew throughout the summer. Also, please continue to follow us on social media and on the Fall 2023 Contract Page: https://wtu4safeschools.org/ of WTU’s website.
Our union has been working hard this year. One of the things we are most proud of is the fact that we’ve continued to put WTU on sound financial footing by paying off our debt to DCPS and now are working on paying off additional debt. Future payoffs are scheduled for the 2024-25 school year. I’m also pleased to reflect on our action-packed year with pride in the WTU’s focus on literacy for young adults by providing both members and students with opportunities to meet two award-winning authors, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Sharon G. Flake, and by expanding our literacy outreach work. This year, we partnered with community organizations, handing out thousands of free books of choice to DC children and parents at community fairs, festivals, and events. To see some of the photos from our ongoing events, please click here.
Post Covid-19, it was wonderful to see more members attending in-person WTU-hosted events like New Teachers Orientation, WTU’s holiday party, Shared Vision Conference, Legislative Involvement Opportunities, Teacher Appreciation Event, and most recently, the Gay Pride Parade. Don’t miss the opportunity to register for WTU’s Summer Institute if you’d like to earn graduate credits or PLUs. Both in-person and virtual classes begin this coming Thursday, June 20th!
As plans solidify for New Teachers Orientation in August along with new initiatives in the science of reading for our kindergarten teachers, we will be reaching out to you for support. We hope you will join us as we prepare for another exhilarating new 2024-25 academic year.
Thank you, as always, for your support! Congratulations to all our educators who are retiring! Thank for your years of service to the children of the District of Columbia and to the WTU! Please rest, relax, and enjoy the time spent with family and friends. Have a wonderful summer!
In solidarity,
Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President
Washington Teachers’ Union
Did DCPS Bring Back Teachers Excessed with DC Council Funding?
All schools had a challenging budget season and had to excess several positions. The WTU is collecting data to see if the excessing process was followed. Now that The Council has restored some funding, we want to make sure those funds are used to rehire teachers who were excessed. Please complete the school budget survey here: https://forms.gle/pcB35vWGn1qsXPRZ8
WTU Partners with Washington Lawyer’s Committee on State of Facilities
The WTU is partnering with the Washington Lawyers' Committee to produce a report on the State of School Facilities.
We are collecting information on chronic and recurring problems with maintenance and repairs. Please complete the state of your school facility survey here: https://forms.gle/h7CxG7tMFWnuVaLM7
Thoughts on how to address Truancy and/or Absenteeism Issues in DC?
The DC City Council is interested in hearing your thoughts on truancy and absenteeism issues in DC schools. Please consider signing up to testify for the hearing on Wednesday, June 26th at Noon. Your testimony can be given in person or virtually. We can help! Please contact WTU’s organizer Mike Roland if you are interested.
Take Survey on Job Challenges for School Social Workers
Given the changes and challenges related to the role of the School Social Worker, we are collecting data, input, and feedback to identify challenges, make suggestions, requests, and advocate for reasonable changes to shift our work back being student centered. Please take a few minutes to take the survey here.
Earn Graduate Credits or PLUs! Register Now for WTU’s Summer Institute!
Interested in earning PLUs or graduate credits this summer? Catch the Early Bird Discount! Register now for WTU’s Summer Institute at only $150 per class.
Enroll in Maternity/Paternity Leave Banks
Open Enrollment for the Sick Leave and Maternity/Paternity Leave Banks is in progress Thursday, June 13, 2024, through Saturday, August 31, 2024! Please use this link to access the change/enroll/cancelation application.
Want a copy of the WTU’s Final Signed CBA with DCPS?
As mentioned in last week’s Brew To-Go, if you are looking for a copy of the final signed 2020-23 Contract Bargaining Agreement between the Washington Teachers’ Union and the District of Columbia Public Schools, please click here.
Upcoming Events, Activities & Meetings
- June 26th - @Noon, Hearing on Truancy and Absenteeism, REGISTER TO TESTIFY
- June 20th – WTU’s Summer Institute Begins!
In the News
- 06/11/2024 – NPR – Some states are seeing chronic absenteeism soar to more than 40% of students
- 06/12/2024 – WUSA – “Mayor Bowser will cater to whoever donates”| DC parents protest losing playground in elementary school
- 06/13/2024 – The Washington Post – Five Winners and Losers in DC’s Budget
LEA Look Forward – Weekly Updates
Monday, June 24–Wednesday, June 26, 2024.
2024 Belfer National Conference for Educators.
This free virtual conference is hosted by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Educators - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (ushmm.org)
June 26-27 Amazon Web Services (AWS) is hosting an AWS Summit, at the Convention Center. This free, AI, Machine Learning and technology-based event is sure to be incredibly insightful! Register HERE!
AFT Summer 2024 Webinars SOL 24 (on24.com)
Membership Update
Make sure you are eligible to vote & receive WTU Communications!
The AM Brew is distributed as a benefit to members of the WTU. In the coming weeks, we’ll be updating our database removing non-members from the distribution for the AM Brew. To ensure that you’re not inadvertently removed from the distribution list, please confirm your personal email address by emailing [email protected].
Your ability to vote in WTU elections and receive WTU Communications depends on our ability to reach you. We must have your personal email address for all communications.
AM Brew News and Notices are archived at https://www.wtulocal6.net/AMBrew.
Be sure to follow the WTU on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up with the latest from your Union.