A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU Members,

I hope you enjoyed a relaxing Veterans Day weekend! As you know, at this coming WTU Representative Assembly meeting on Tuesday, we will vote on a three-year gradual increase to WTU’s membership dues. After careful consideration, the WTU Finance Committee and the WTU Executive Board voted to increase our membership dues. When voted on by the WTU Representative Assembly tomorrow, this increase will take place over a three-year period. This will give our Union an opportunity to fulfill and meet the requirements of the WTU Bylaws and Constitution. Membership dues will increase from the current $36.08 to $39.72 (FY24), $40.81 (FY 25), 43.97 (FY 26). Moving forward, annual dues increases will be effective on October 1^st of every fiscal year as required by WTU’s Constitution and Bylaws.

We understand that any raise in union membership dues is not ideal, but this rate increase is a fiscally responsible decision as the WTU strives to provide members with efficient member services, legal representation, meet arbitration costs, the professional development needs of our teachers, and address the long-overdue building maintenance issues of our WTU Office - a 105-year-old building.

On Tuesday, Nov. 14th, I, along with WTU members, will be testifying at the DCPS Public Budget Hearing. Please consider watching this budget hearing here. I would also like to encourage you to consider testifying at the DC City Council Oversight Hearing on Teacher and Principal Retention on November 28^th. The WTU Contract Action Team will give you the tools to prepare you for the process. Lastly, please take less than a minute to SIGN OUR PETITION FOR SAFE SCHOOLS. It is extremely important to show our power by the number of WTU teacher signatures.

Finally, we are excited to remind you to sign up for a WTU-sponsored Hybrid In-Person and Virtual Members-Only Screening of the highly acclaimed documentary, “The Right to Read.” Please join us for the in-person screening of the documentary on Thursday, November 16^th at Busboys and Poets, 14^th and V Street @5PM. Light refreshments and beverages will be served. To RSVP, email [email protected]. Virtual WTU members may log on from November 16^th – November 18^th, 2023. Invitation Code (case-sensitive and contains a single dash): TRT-WTU. We hope to see you there!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President
Washington Teachers’ Union

Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team

Please click on photo or this URL: https://youtu.be/WgV6Jqi1SyA to view the November 9^th Contract Negotiating Team video!

Thank you to the many WTU members who continue to wear Red for Ed on Fridays! Please keep emailing selfies and photos of members in red to [email protected]! Re-post your photos along with the petition link to your social media accounts. Look for your photos on our website here.

Please watch fellow WTU-members testify at the virtual public hearing below:

• November 14: DCPS Public Budget Hearing (School Yr. 24-25) online @6PM: INFORMATION – (For viewing link, click information)

And please consider testifying at the DC Council public hearing below:

• November 28: DC Council - Oversight Hearing – Teacher and Principal Retention: INFORMATION
  • Interested in testifying? Register before 5PM Nov. 24^th here

School Facility Concerns

Please complete this survey if you have any concerns about your school’s facilities.

Tuition Reimbursement Procedures

To learn more about how to submit eligible tuition reimbursements for payment processing, click here.

School Report Card – OSSE and SBOE

Fill out this survey to give input on the way our schools are seen and evaluated.

In the News

• 11/2/23 – NBC 4 DC - Banned Books Tour Makes Stop in DC - “Mentions AFT/TNR Banned Book Tour and WTU event with Elizabeth Acevedo”
• 11/2/23 – Fox Morning News 5 – DC Students Learn About Banned Books – “Mentions AFT/TNR Banned Book Tour and WTU event with Elizabeth Acevedo”
• 11/11/23 – The Washington Post – Deep reads: The librarian who couldn’t take it anymore – “She loved books. And in a time of spreading book bans in public schools, that’s why this Florida librarian had to quit.”

UPCOMING

Events, Activities & Meetings  

• November 13^th: Virtual Session – How Should the Report Card Display the Summative Score? INFORMATION
• November 14: DCPS Public Budget Hearing (School Yr. 24-25) online @6PM: INFORMATION
• November 14: Representative Assembly Meeting @4:30PM  INFORMATION *
• November 16: “The Right to Read” (WTU’s Hybrid screening In-person & Virtual):  Invitation Code (case-sensitive and contains a single dash): TRT-WTU INFORMATION *
• November 21: DC Council Hearing on Educator Retention and Loan Repayment Assistance: INFORMATION
• November 28: DC Council - Oversight Hearing – Teacher and Principal Retention: INFORMATION
• December 4^th: Virtual Session – How Should Visual Elements and Features be Displayed? INFORMATION
• December 15: WTU’s Holiday Party, MLK Library Rooftop Terrace *
  
  * WTU MEMBERS-ONLY EVENTS

Professional Development and Other Opportunities

Local Education Agencies (LEA) Look Forward for Nov. 9, 2023 DC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Temporary School Exclusions for Immunization Non-Compliance and More! (govdelivery.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.

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