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A Message from WTU President
Good Morning WTU!
I hope you had a peaceful and productive week! Last Thursday, your hardworking Contract Bargaining Team met at the AFT for a bargaining meeting with the District and DCPS that started at 5AM. Although Chancellor Ferebee was not in attendance at this early hour, DC Council Chairman Mendelson and Julia E. Hudson, Chief of Staff from the office of Anita Bonds were. To learn more about what transpired during the meeting, watch WTU’s Contract Negotiating Team’s Weekly Update here.
The following day, DC Chairman Mendelson’s public testimony with Chancellor Ferebee illustrated his annoyance at DCPS’ disrespectful insistence on 5AM meeting times, inability to speed up bargaining by increasing the number of sessions, and unwillingness to make progress on negotiating the contract issues under discussion. To hear more of what transpired, please click here.
We thank DC Council Chairman Mendelson and DC Councilmember Anita Bonds for their attendance at our bargaining session last Thursday as well as the WTU members who testified at DCPS/OSSE’s Performance Oversight Hearings last Wednesday. Your voices MATTER! Thanks to the support of members, DC City Council and the DC State Board of Education DCPS will no longer insist on 5AM meeting times. Hence, moving forward, new bargaining sessions will be scheduled at reasonable times in the day. Again, none of this is possible without your support. When we work together, we win together!
As mentioned previously, WTU is now reaching out to building representatives to share DCPS’s changes to our contract and discuss possible actions each school may take. Please be on the lookout for a visit from the WTU team and loud and proud contract actions around the city. We look forward to seeing you shortly!
Thank you, as always, for your support!
In solidarity,
Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President
Washington Teachers’ Union
Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team (CAT)
Watch WTU’s Contract Negotiating Team’s weekly update here: https://youtu.be/4Npf-8hazZM?si=X4fpqP1gfXCIrKator click on the photo below.
We still need your photos wearing red on Fridays and signatures on our petition. Please encourage all to sign!
C4DC – Coalition for DC Public Schools and Communities Releases FY24 DCPS Budget Analysis soon
FY25 Budget Materials — C4DC (c4dcpublicschools.org) (Spreadsheet of Initial Budgets coming soon)
DCPS local school budgets for next year: The good news is that general education/at-risk per pupil allocations are more equitable than in prior years, see betsyjwolf.substack.com. The bad news is that most schools--even some gaining enrollment--will have to cut staff. Why?
FY25 Initial Allocations - from Mary Levy
Let this World Be Beautiful
Check out DCPS’ Art Teachers work at MLK Jr. Library!
Upcoming Events, Activities & Meetings
- March 4 COPE @ 7 pm Via Zoom
- March 5 @3:45PM, Social Workers meeting with Janice Brown Parker via zoom, INFORMATION
- March 7 @ 6:30 Ward 7 Education Council Meeting, email [email protected] for link
- March 12 @4:30PM Rep Assembly Meeting Building reps and delegates will receive a link to join as a panelist. INFORMATION
- April 3 @9AM Budget Oversight Hearing at DCPS, DC Council Hearing Management Systems, INFORMATION
In the News
- 03/01/2024 – WNBC News Channel 4 – DCPS Faces Budget Cuts Amidst DC Budget Crisis
- 02/29/2024 – The Washington Post – Staff Cuts, Absenteeism, and more DC school issues to watch this spring
- 03/01/2024 – The Washington Informer – At-Large D.C. Council Primary Race Lifts Up a Mandate for Vocational Education
Professional Development and Other Opportunities
WTU’s SPRING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES BEGIN MARCH 9TH!
Check out six exciting PD courses offered online or in-person beginning in March! WTU’s Spring Professional Development Course Catalogue can be downloaded here. Take advantage our WTU-member only discounts by earning graduate credit or PLUs at the low rate of $125 per class. Our early bird special rate ends this coming Friday, March 1st so don’t forget to register online soon!
LEA Look Forward – Weekly Update
Membership Update
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