Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, May 22, 2023

Tragically two more students lost their life to gun violence last week. Please keep the families, friends, teachers and communities of Arianna Davis and Jefferson Luna-Perez in your thoughts and prayers.

The WTU is incredibly concerned about violence in our community and its impact on our students and teachers. We continue to work with the administration and the Council to ensure that our city invests in proactive measures to help prevent violence across our community. On Wednesday, you will receive a survey on violence in our schools and the community. We hope you will take a moment to fill it out. Educators are on the front line and know best how to craft solutions that will work.

Teacher Leaders

Congratulations to Teacher Leaders Tanesha Chang, Ina Slaughter, Shaunta Morris, Chandler Dennard, Candice Pettus, Michael Edgerton, Ana Williams and Celeste Locke who presented their 10 month long research project on Saturday. Special thanks to Nadia Torney and Margaret Thomas who were the facilitators. The leaders presented dynamic and informative research and we hope to have additional opportunities for them to present their work to you. Special thanks to Nadia Torney and Margaret Thomas who were the facilitators. Thank you also to all of our members and community leaders who attended the Teacher Leader Symposium in support.

Retro Pay

Please contact your Field Rep if you weren’t paid the correct amount of retro pay on Friday, May 19^th

• WTU members active since School Year 2020-2021 would receive $3,000.
• WTU members active since School Year 2021-2022 would receive $2,000.
• WTU members active since School Year 2022-2023 would receive $1,000.

Sick Leave Buy-Back

Applications for Sick Leave Buy-Back are now available for use in accordance with the current WTU Agreement. Article 17 Leave Policy and subpart Sections 17.1.11.1 and 17.1.11.2 states: “Teachers who have perfect attendance (no absences and no use of sick leave during a given school year) shall have the right to return to DCPS all of the sick leave they accrued during the year. A Teacher may elect to return to DCPS one half (1/2) of the sick leave days accrued but not taken during the current year at the current daily rate of pay. Unreturned sick leave shall be credited each year to the Teacher’s sick leave balance and shall not be subject to the Sick Leave Buy-Back Plan.”

Applications will be available at school sites for any teacher who elects to participate in the plan. The deadline for submission of the application is June 9, 2023. Additionally, sick leave buy-back applications can be obtained via email from Tisa McGhee at [email protected]. 

For more details, click here. For the application, click here.

DCPS in the news

• 17-year-old student fatally shot outside Roosevelt High School in D.C.
  
• 10-year-old who was shot on Sunday dies (msn.com)
• C. Council Quietly Backtracks On Pulling Police Officers Out Of Schools
• Roosevelt High Student Fatally Shot In School’s Parking Lot
• Hardy Middle School principal leaves after parent complaints - The Washington Post
• C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Congress, crime, and the Commanders
• 7 DC high school students, future marine biologists earn certification in scuba diving (msn.com)

The DME wants your Input for boundary study

Click here to make your voice heard.

Revised DINR Window From DCPS

DCPS is asking us to send this message to apologize for an error which resulted in you not receiving communications regarding the Declaration of Intent Not to Return (DINR) application opening, as well as key dates for the DINR process. The DINR instructions and a revised timeline for any WTU member who did not receive notification follow:

We acknowledge that personal decisions may lead you to depart DCPS. As outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) and DCPS, the DINR process provides WTU members who do not intend to continue employment with DCPS for SY 23-24 an online form to indicate their separation intent. This requirement applies to members who are retiring as well as resigning from the school system. As such, we are reaching out to share a revised DINR application schedule for those WTU members affected by the communication error.

Please note, WTU members receiving this communication who submit a DINR application by May 26, 2023, and do in fact leave the school district of their own accord at the conclusion of the school year, shall be eligible for a one-time $1,000 bonus payable by September 30, 2023. Members receiving this communication who do not submit the DINR application by May 26, 2023, at 5 PM, and voluntarily separate from DCPS during the 2022-2023 school year or at any point before or during the 2023-2024 school year, may be required to pay a $1,000 penalty fine to DCPS.

The DINR application will serve as your resignation letter and the effective date of separation will be June 26, 2023 (10-month WTU employees), July 5, 2023 (11-month WTU employees), or July 7, 2023 (12-month WTU employees). This date ensures you will receive all owed payments.

If you intend to return to DCPS for the 2023-2024 school year, you do not need to take action.

To participate in the 2023 DINR process, please apply online here: Resignations and Retirement Application.  

Questions regarding this process can be directed to the off boarding team at [email protected].

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

Upcoming events

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month.

Council Roundtable on Modernization of Roosevelt HS

Please sign up before 5pm Monday, 5/22 to testify on Thursday May 25 at the Council’s roundtable about the recent Auditor’s report on Roosevelt HS’s modernization. You can submit written testimony to [email protected] for the record prior to June 8^th. The roundtable will be recorded and accessible here: https://janeeseward4.com/live.

Secondary Grading Task Force update - Monday May 22 @ 4:30 (note new time)

Click here to join the Zoom Meeting.

Tuesday May 23 at 7 pm W3EdNet meeting on school nurses!

Dr. Andrea Boudreaux, head of the School Services team at Children's National (also known as the school nurse program) via Zoom on Tuesday, May 23 at 7pm.  Dr. Boudreaux is looking to connect with school communities about the future of the school nurse program.  Please register for the May 23 meeting here.

Tuesday May 23^rd at 7 pm Ward 5 Education Equity Meeting

Register by emailing [email protected]. Help plan Ward 5 Back to School Drive 4th Annual Back-to-School Supply Drive and Giveaway (google.com)

Wednesday May 24 at 5 pm Organizing Committee

Join via zoom

Retirement Seminar

It’s never too early to plan for your retirement. The DC Retirement Board has offered to host another retirement session in June. Day and time of the session will be based on the DCRB’s availability. Please complete this form to indicate your interest in attending a retirement session in June.

Recording of a previous Retirement Session is available here: video1790173078.mp4

Save the Date

• JUNE 26^TH - 30^TH – WTU Professional Development Summer Institute, Kimball ES
• July 20-23 - AFT Teach 2023 - AFT TEACH 2023 | American Federation of Teachers

Professional Development

LEA Look Forward for May 19, 2023: Stronger Connections Grant Competition Now Open, Healthy Youth and Schools Commission Meeting, and More! (mailchi.mp)

GreenKids Schools - Nature Forward

Hosting a series of livestream events aimed at Connecting DC students with environmental professionals to bring awareness to the diversity of "Green Careers" that are out there, teaching young students about local environmental issues.

Click here to learn more.

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