Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, November 22, 2021

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

DCPS has begun distribution of Office Depot cards. We did ask, but DCPS is not able to reimburse teachers for purchases already made. If you haven’t received your Office Depot card, please reach out to your Field Representative.

Members Amber Terry, Anthony Allard and Faith Wang attended the signing of the Infrastructure Bill at the White House with AFT President Randi Weingarten.

OSSE is offering LETRS training. 

LETRS, Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, a new science of reading training. ELA educators invited to participate include: instructional coaches, reading specialists, classroom teachers, special education teachers, English Learner (EL) teachers and instructional leaders. 

Please follow the link to this Google Folder to see the relevant information: 11.2021 LETRS Info Session

There will be an information session on Monday, Nov. 22 at 4:15 p.m. Interested participants can register here. We will be accepting up to 70 participants across 2 cohorts. The application for the OSSE LETRS cohorts is due Sunday, Nov. 28 at 11:59 p.m. The application can be found here.

All are welcome to the WTU IMPACT meeting – November 30 at 4:30
We’ll be discussing the pros and cons of the Danielson and Marzano frameworks for teaching and the teacher observation process. Via Zoom. Meeting ID: 873 0146 8847; Passcode: 755793.

Dental and Vision Open Enrollment 

DC government has announced its open enrollment to run from 2022 for Monday, November 8 through Monday December 13, 2021. This is an annual opportunity to review your current benefits elections and make changes. This is also an opportunity for you to make any changes to your dental and vision benefits. Click here for details on your dental and vision coverage or if you have any questions regarding these benefits, contact Valerie Kilby at [email protected]. 

If you have questions regarding enrollment into the plans, contact DCPS benefits at [email protected]. 

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

Professional Development

Additional PD highlights are posted to the PD Blog at https://www.wtulocal6.net/pdblog

Strategies for Student Success (FREE!)

Instructor: Laurine Kennedy

Tuesdays: November 23 and 30; December 7; 4:15-7:15pm

The following modules will be offered in this section: Dimensions to a Better Life; Navigating the Journey Between Stress and SEL, Electrifying Online Learning, The Game Factor. Participants will receive 4 PLU’s for each session. RSVP HERE: https://www.wtulocal6.net/fall_2021_strategies_for_student_success

WTU Tech Tuesdays Are Back!!!

Next session is Tuesday 11/30 @ 4:30-5:30pm, coordinator Sarah Elwell for a session on Electrifying Instruction with Online Tools.

Register HERE.

Black Lives Matter at School: December and January curriculum fairs

• Please register for the D.C. Area Black Lives Matter at School Virtual Curriculum Fair for Saturday, December 11th from 10am - noon.. Apply to present a workshop, here, by this Sunday, November 21st.
• Learn more and register for the national Black Lives Matter at School Virtual Curriculum Fair on Saturday, January 8th from 10am ET - 12:30pm ET. Apply to present a workshop, here.
• The fifth annual Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action is January 31st - February 4th, 2022. Learn more and sign up to participate, here.
  • If you’d like to participate in a 1 hour planning meeting around Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action on Saturday, January 22nd from 1pm - 2pm, RSVP here.

Upcoming Events

Council Hearing – Tuesday, November 23 at 11AM

The Committee of the Whole will hold a Public Oversight Hearing on the following:

• School Librarians in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)
• Bill 24-443, “Students’ Right to Read Amendment Act of 2021”

We encourage you to tune in and amplify our message via social media that ALL DCPS Schools Should have a Full-Time Library and Media Specialist.

Council Hearing -- Register To Testify about teacher and principal turnover in DC. Thur. Dec 16th, 1 pm

Sign-up here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHNnzH4QfA3KGISnwl7vDoAlVXlMDX3zsG81hjraEbnl2Wwg/viewform

Partner events and other upcoming events of interest are also posted to the AMBrew Blog.

Reminders:

Report unsafe conditions at http://bit.ly/WTUSafeOpenings

As part of the MOA, the WTU and DCPS teams will meet weekly to review and find solutions to any violations of the #ReopenStrong: School Building Readiness Checklist. If you see something out of compliance, please report it at http://bit.ly/WTUSafeOpenings. As you click on an area of the form, a drop-down box will appear to allow you to enter comments. Or simply complete the text box at the end of the form. All reports will remain confidential and no identifying information will be provided to DCPS.

IMPACT

Thank you to everyone who completed the IMPACT survey. The WTU is working with the AFT to create a teacher development and evaluation system that is fair to teachers and good for students. We are looking for members who would like to be part of a team that is writing the strands for Teacher Observation, Student Performance and Professional Growth.  If you would like to help with this effort, please email Regina Bell at [email protected] 

ICYMI: DC Educator Wellness Center

In partnership with EVERFI, a social impact educational technology company, the WTU is pleased to share with you the DC Educator Wellness Center. The funding for the DC Educator Wellness Center is provided by Johnson & Johnson. In the DC Educator Wellness Center you will find access to a prevention-forward, self-guided, digital microlearning experience designed to provide you with on-demand content related to mental health. The growing list of topics includes Mental Health Basics, Managing Mental Health Challenges, Developing Resilience, Supporting Loved Ones With Mental Health Challenges, and Mindful Living. You can read more here.

We’re continuing to update our database.

Please help us ensure we have your current personal contact information on file. Email [email protected] to provide us with updated information.

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