Here's What's Brewing Today

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

The WTU is incredibly concerned about violence in our community and its impact on you and on our students. 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. And we need to hear from you about the extent violence impacts you in our classrooms.

Please share your experiences around violence in our schools here

WTU Membership Meeting - June 13, 2023

Registration is required WTU Membership Meeting. Please click here to register and join us.

Update from the Contract Negotiations

The WTU Contract met for the second time this week to prepare for negotiations with DCPS in June. Click here for an update from the negotiating team.

DC Council Hearing on “Out of School Time Special Education Inclusion and Standards Amendment Act of 2023”

Monday, June 5^th is the deadline to sign up to testify at the COW hearing on Bill 25-36, “Out of School Time Special Education Inclusion and Standards Amendment Act of 2023.” Click here to sign-up.

Sick Leave Buy-Back (from last week)

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

Revised DINR Window From DCPS (from last week)

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].

DCPS in the news

• Mayoral Control: How D.C.’s Education Governance System Is Failing (washingtoncitypaper.com)
• Social Media and youth mental health: Surgeon General Issues New Advisory About Effects Social Media Use Has on Youth Mental Health | HHS.gov

The DME wants your Input for boundary study

Click here to make your voice heard.

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

Upcoming events

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month.

Legislative Committee Meeting - May 30^th 4:30

Click here to join.

Ward 7 Ed Council Meeting - June 1^st 6:30-8:00

Email [email protected] to attend.

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

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

Professional Development

WTU Professional Development Summer Institute

PD and other opportunities

LEA Look Forward for May 26, 2023: Home and Hospital Instruction Regulations, Menstrual Health Education Day and More! (mailchi.mp)

Register for the 2023 Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Educators

This free virtual conference hosted by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum will take place from Monday, June 26–Wednesday, June 28, 2023. Designed to support accurate, meaningful teaching about the Holocaust, this year’s free virtual conference will address two critical themes: teaching with evidence and antisemitism. Belfer National Conference for Educators — United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (ushmm.org)

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