Here's What's Brewing Today

August 9, 2021

Council Approves Librarians are Essential Amendment – WTU’s on-going work to support a just budget.

We’d like to thank everyone who called, wrote, and tweeted to members of the DC Council asking them to support the Librarians are Essential Amendment to the SY2021-2022 budget. As a result of your advocacy, every DCPS school will have a Full-Time Librarian for the 2021-2022 school year.

DCPS has begun outreach for a NEW school budget model, which will be used to develop SY2022-2023 budgets. We invite you to join the next Legislative Committee meeting (watch the AM Brew for details) to learn more about our work to ensure every student has the resources they need in their school. In the meantime, we hope you’ll get involved in helping shape the next generation of school –level budgets by joining the DCPS New Budget Model Town Hall on August 12^th at 5:30pm. At this event, you’ll learn more about DCPS’ plans and be able to share your initial thoughts on the New Budget Model for Fiscal Year 23 (2022-2023 school year) that DCPS is developing.

Honoring Robert Moses

Math Literacy for All Alliance Family, FIU/FLAME is hosting a Virtual Celebration of Bob Moses' Life, and celebrating his work in Florida, on Monday, August 9th, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. To register, click here.

2021-2022 Open Season for Maternity Leave and Sick Leave Banks

The WTU is adding an Open Season from August 1^st through August 31^st for the Maternity Leave and Sick Leave Banks. To join either bank you donate 8 hours (one day) of the total 96 hours (12 days) that is loaded to your leave balance on October 1, 2021 (to join both banks, you’d donate two days or 16 hours). After enrollment, there is a 3 month wait before you can access the banks (ie, you’ll be eligible on January 1, 2022). Once you join the bank you remain in the bank, until you opt-out. If you have any questions contact Charmaine Wilks at [email protected] or 202 517-1475.

DCPS will not accept individual requests to be removed from either the Sick Leave and/or the Maternity Leave Bank. Please contact Charmaine Wilks at [email protected] before the October 1, 2021 if you’d like to be removed from these banks.

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, August 2, 2021

Reopening Schools

On January 29^th, Mayor Bowser announced that DC will reinstate indoor mask mandate as coronavirus cases rise in the region. It was previously announced that DCPS would require masks for all staff and students when schools open for in-person learning in August.

The WTU is committed to reopening our schools for in-person learning and continues to negotiate with DCPS over terms of a MOA for the 2021-2022 school year. We believe that DCPS must require social distancing, provide detailed information on HVAC systems, and limit simultaneously learning - where a single teacher is instructing students both in-person and via distance learning platforms. The Mayor approached union leaders from across the District last week to engage in a conversation about vaccine requirements (the WTU does not have further information at this time on whether or not the Mayor will institute a vaccine mandate for DC government or DCPS employees).

2021-2022 Open Season for Maternity Leave and Sick Leave Banks

The WTU is adding an Open Season from August 1^st through August 31^st for the Maternity Leave and Sick Leave Banks. To join either bank please click here: https://forms.gle/Q7sAsbViYgsHyXVt7

To join either bank, you donate 8 hours (one day) of the total 96 hours (12 days) that is loaded to your leave balance on October 1, 2021 (to join both banks, you’d donate two days or 16 hours). After enrollment, there is a 3 month wait before you can access the banks (ie, you’ll be eligible on January 1, 2022). Once you join the bank you remain in the bank, until you opt-out. If you have any questions contact Charmaine Wilks at [email protected] or 202 517-1475.

DCPS will not accept individual requests to be removed from either the Sick Leave and/or the Maternity Leave Bank. Please contact Charmaine Wilks at [email protected] before the October 1, 2021 if you’d like to be removed from these banks.

FY2022 Budget

On 8/3, the Council of DC will have the 2nd vote on the Local Budget Act & votes on the Federal Portion & Local Budget Emergency Adjustment Act. During the budget debate, we expect Councilmembers to move an amendment to require DCPS to move $3.5m to ensure there is a full-time librarian in every DCPS school. We expect some opposition to this amendment and its fate remains uncertain. Please watch your email in the event we need to mobilize to support our colleagues before the budget vote on Tuesday.

You can see the latest budget info from the DC Council here: https://bit.ly/3hRTYkl. The Chairman’s Budget Report (which lays out changes from the Mayor’s proposed budget) is available here.

On 8/10, the Council of DC will have the 2nd vote on the Budget Support Act. We do not currently expect any efforts to remove the Robert White amendment that requires DCPS to aggregate and release the results of teacher surveys concerning IMPACT as well as the American University report on IMPACT.

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

July 26, 2021

Last week, President Pogue Lyons and General Vice President Bell spoke before the city council. The WTU continues to call for DCPS to ensure all schools provide acceptable air quality, as defined by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers standard 62.1-2019, and share detailed air quality reports with the public. The WTU also believes that DCPS must ensure mask wearing is universal and that we must meet social distancing requirements, consistent with CDC guidelines. In addition to health and safety concerns, the WTU is committed to prioritizing research -based efforts to help students regain lost learning.

YOU CAN READ PRESIDENT POGUE LYONS' FULL STATEMENT HERE.

FY2021 Budget 

Last week, the DC Council held their first vote on the FY2022 budget (school year 2021-2022).

Councilmember Robert White moved an amendment that will require DCPS to results of a 2020 survey on the IMPACT teacher evaluation system so that we all can understand what teachers think of the IMPACT system. This measure is a step forward in obtaining data around teacher turnover and our work to replace the teachers’ IMPACT evaluation system. Also during the hearing, Chairman Mendelson expressed support for “finding funds within the DCPS budget” to ensure every school has a full-time librarian.

We’re continuing to monitor developments around the FY2022 budget. Watch your email for ACTION ALERTS as we approach the next votes on the budget, currently scheduled for Aug 3 and Aug 8.

Sick Leave and/or the Maternity Leave Banks

DCPS will not accept individual requests to be removed from either the Sick Leave and/or the Maternity Leave Bank. Please contact Charmaine Wilks at [email protected] before the October 1, 2021 if you’d like to be removed from these banks.

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

July 19, 2021

Everyone is anxious for schools to reopen this fall. After more than a year of being away from our school buildings because of the public health pandemic, it’s imperative that students and teachers get back to school.

Read more here.

FY2022 Budget Vote

The City Council will be VOTING ON TUESDAY on the School Year 2021-2022 budget. It is important that you contact Chairman Mendelson NOW ([email protected] or @ChmnMendelson) to ask him to reallocate $3.5m to ensure EVERY SCHOOL HAS A FULL-TIME LIBRARIAN.

Please CONTACT YOUR COUNCILMEMBERS NOW. Make your voice heard now and support your colleagues and our students!

Get Reading DC!

DCSBOE Ward 2 Representative Allister Chang is looking to speak with reading instructors, school librarians, and other interested educators about OSSE's recently released Comprehensive Literacy Plan. Please reach out to him directly at [email protected] if you are available and interested in providing your feedback on the plan. 

The WTU is looking for volunteers to help us analyze DCPS’ response to a FOIA request for information on literacy interventions. Please contact Joe Weedon @ [email protected] if you’d like to help.

The Statewide Data Warehouse Amendment Act

The DC State Board of Education introduced the Statewide Data Warehouse Amendment Act last week which would require OSSE to report annually on the state of teaching & teacher retention. Learn more here: https://lims.dccouncil.us/downloads/LIMS/47658/Introduction/B24-0355-Introduction.pdf

Sick Leave and/or the Maternity Leave Banks

DCPS will not accept individual requests to be removed from either the Sick Leave and/or the Maternity Leave Bank. Please contact Charmaine Wilks at [email protected] before the October 1, 2021 if you’d like to be removed from these banks.

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

July 12, 2021

Get Reading DC

The City Council will be VOTING THIS WEEK on the School Year 2021-2022 budget. We hope that Councilmember Allen will be introducing a budget amendment requiring DCPS to reallocate $3.5m to ensure EVERY SCHOOL HAS A FULL-TIME LIBRARIAN.

Please CONTACT YOUR COUNCILMEMBERS NOW to ask them to support this Budget Amendment.

Make your voice heard now and support your colleagues and our students!

First Lady Visits Payne ES, Updates on Negotiations for SY2021-2022

The WTU was honored to join First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and AFT President Weingarten on a tour of Payne Elementary School last week. We used the opportunity to tell her how passionate teachers are to return to their school buildings – SAFELY.

The MOU signed between DCPS and the WTU in December 2020 will remain in effect until the return to school in the fall. If you have any questions or concerns about facility safety if you’re working this summer, please report to your Field Representatives.

The WTU is continuing negotiations with DCPS regarding an MOU for the 2021-2022 School Year and submitted a detailed proposal to DCPS last week. At this time, the DCPS request for educators to disclose their vaccination status remains under negotiation and you do not yet need to submit your vaccination information to DCPS. We are committed to ensuring that you will not be compelled to submit your information but we hope to reach an agreement with DCPS that will compensate you appropriately if you choose to disclose your status.

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

July 6, 2021

School Year 2021-2022 Budget Update

It’s not too late to CONTACT THE COUNCIL to ask that every school has a full-time librarian for the 2021-2022 school year. Librarians play an important role in building positive cultures and supporting students and teachers in developing the literacy skills of our students. Make your voice heard now and support your colleagues!  The Chairman will be publishing his changes to the Mayor's proposed budget this week and the Council will be voting on the budget soon.

Supporting Literacy & DCPS Librarians. The WTU has filed a grievance against DCPS on behalf of excessed DCPS librarians, librarians who have been terminated as the result of excessing and teachers who have been denied the services librarians provide as a result of cuts to library programs by DCPS. The grievance alleges that DCPS has violated the WTU contract by eliminating school librarian positions. 

The WTU Welcomes Jannett Lopez & Juan Gonzalez

The WTU would like to welcome Jannett Lopez and Juan Gonzalez to the Field Services team. Regina Bell, the WTU’s general vice president, has also officially joined the WTU office team. Please welcome them.

COVID-19 Leave Extension to August 29, 2021

By Mayor's Order 2021-038, the District’s Public Health Emergency (PHE) was extended to July 25, 2021. Please note that COVID Sick Leave was last set to expire on May 20, 2021 with the expiration of the PHE but is now extended through August 29, 2021.

D.C. COVID-19 Support Emergency Amendment Act (CSEA) 

The CSEA temporarily amends the DC FMLA to create a new COVID-19 job-protected leave category (“COVID-19 Leave”). This entitlement is effective as of March 11, 2020 and expires on August 29, 2021.

COVID Sick Leave 

The provisions of COVID Sick Leave apply until August 29, 2021. Under COVID Sick Leave, the employee is eligible for up to ten (10) days (up to 80 hours) of leave at the regular rate of pay if unable to work (or unable to telework) due to a specific list of criteria.

Questions regarding the different types of leave can be directed to your Field Representative or to the DCPS Leave of Absence team at [email protected]. 

REMINDER: YOU'RE ON VACATION!!!

The WTU wants to encourage you to take time for yourself and your own mental health needs. If you have not already, please remember to set up your out-of-office reply as you are not obligated to read or reply to any email messages sent to your dc.gov email account after June 25, 2021. Enjoy your summer!!!

Attention All Special Education Teachers and Related Service Providers

If you have received any correspondence from your Principal or LEA Representative mandating you continue to complete any assignments or case management responsibilities after Friday, June 25, 2021, please contact Janice Brown Parker immediately at 202-957 9928 or [email protected].

Maternity Leave and/or Sick Leave Banks

Due to overwhelming demand, open enrollment for the Maternity Leave and/or Sick Leave Banks for the 2021-2022 school year will re-open August 1 through August 31, 2021. This will be your last chance to sign-up for the 2021-2022 school year.

To join either bank you donate 8 hours (one day) of the total 96 hours (12 days) that is loaded to your leave balance on October 1, 2021, the beginning of the fiscal year. Please be mindful that if you join both banks you will donate two days or 16 hours. After the donation is taken you must wait three months before you can access the banks. Thus, the first time you can access the bank would be January 1, 2022.  Once you join the bank, you remain in the bank until you opt-out.

If you have any questions about either bank, contact Charmaine Wilks at [email protected] or 202 517-1475. Enrollment links will be sent out again on August 1.

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

June 28, 2021

Thank you for your perseverance during this trying year! As you close up your classrooms for the summer, please ensure that the WTU has your personal contact information on file so you can continue to receive updates from us. While you’re away, our team will continue our work to ensure DC can safely reopen schools for the 2021-2022 school year and to improve the District’s IMPACT system.  And, we hope you’ll get involved in our campaign to close achievement gaps by highlighting your reading lists this summer!

Get Reading DC

The Council will be announcing their first budget marks this week. This process, outlining the changes the Council is making to the Mayor’s budget proposal is our first benchmark to know if we’ve secured funding to ensure EVERY school has a full-time librarian. 

It’s not too late to CONTACT THE COUNCIL. 

Click here to learn more about our campaign to #SaveDCPSLibrarians.

Honored Schools Life-Changing Teacher Award!

The WTU would like to congratulate Patricia West and Whittier Education Campus for winning the Winner of the 2021 Honored Schools Life-Changing Teacher Award!

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

Moral March on Manchin & McConnell

June 23 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT

What is happening in state legislatures across the country in terms of passing voting restrictions is threatening our democracy. What extremists are doing in state legislatures is hurting us all. There has been a clarion call coming out of West Virginia, Kentucky and all across the nation. This democracy is not only worth fighting for, but that the people are rising up to defend it. Join us on June 23rd as we stand against voter suppression, the filibuster, and political retrogression.

Here's What's Brewing Today

June 21, 2021

Get Reading DC!

In the Mayor’s proposed budget for School Year 2021-2022, 37 schools across the District do not have a full-time librarian. 17 schools, or 46% of schools, without a full-time librarian are in Wards 7 & 8 (98% of students impacted in those schools are black).

CONTACT THE COUNCIL TODAY TO ASK THEM

TO ENSURE EVERY DCPS SCHOOL HAS A FULL-TIME LIBRARIAN.

Click here to learn more about our campaign to #SaveDCPSLibrarians.

Join the Communications Committee on Tuesday, June 22 at 4:30 PM to help us design our on-going social media campaign to Close the Literacy Gap and #SaveDCPSLibrarians.  Via Zoom. Meeting ID: 829 9103 1620; Passcode: 779042

End-of-Year WTU Virtual Dance Party with Kaiser Permanente (KP)

DJ Chris Styles (Tuesday, June 22 @ 7:15-8pm)

Join the WTU and KP to dance the 2020-21 school year away. Rock your school gear, represent your sorority or fraternity, and/or your alma mater as dancers are spotlighted throughout the hour. Prizes and family fun!!! Register HERE.

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

Here's What's Brewing Today

June 14, 2021

Get Reading DC!

We need your help!  Join the WTU Legislative Committee on Tuesday, June 15 at 4:30 PM to help us plan a campaign to close the District’s alarming reading gaps.  Via Zoom:  Meeting ID: 859 6155 0231; Passcode: 328360.

Achievement gaps across the District of Columbia continue to grow. In 2019, less than 30% of Black students were reading on grade level; we can expect gaps to have further increased due to COVID-19. Yet, DCPS school budgets continue to fall short of the need, forcing schools serving high percentages of students in need to cut staff and programs.

The band-aids that DCPS continue to propose - $14m for high-impact tutoring – will not close the gaps. We need more educators in our classrooms to serve those who are struggling to read. We need to implement co-teaching and collaborative teaching models to connect reading to the world our students live in. And, we need a School Librarian in every school to support educators as well as students.

Literacy is not just the ability to read and write—it is a right. We invite you to get involved and help us plan our campaign to help close the achievement gaps that are plaguing the District’s youngest readers.

DCPS Licensure Update

Given the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) has granted DCPS a final year of licensure flexibility for new hires for SY21-22. DCPS is under special conditions for federal title funding due to longstanding noncompliance with this requirement, and as such, school leaders will see heightened sanctions for employees who do not take steps to come into compliance.

Current Employees

Terminations for licensure non-compliance for SY 20-21 will not be rescinded. However, educators are eligible to apply for a position if they have submitted an OSSE application between June 1, 2020, and May 27, 2021. In addition to meeting this requirement, all other onboarding and clearance requirements must be met for candidates to be selected for rehire.

New Hires

In order to be hired for SY21-22, candidates must meet all onboarding and clearance requirements. All new hires must secure an OSSE license by March 1, 2022, or they will be terminated effective end of SY21-22. To ensure all staff who do not hold an active DC license make progress towards the March 1 deadline, we will implement a progressive discipline action plan that is supported by a comprehensive communication plan. School leaders will be asked to provide oversight and support to staff to ensure all deadlines are met.

Questions regarding this update can be directed to the Teacher Recruitment and Selection team ([email protected]) or the Licensure team ([email protected]).

Option 2 VEBA Guidance for Eligible Excessed WTU Members

VEBA Benefit application for SY 2020-2021 is available on the WTU website. The Benefit is available to excessed members of the WTU bargaining unit with 20 or more years of service who have not been able to find placement in another DCPS school. Click here to determine whether you are eligible. To be eligible for Option 2 Benefits, you must not have been awarded another Option available to Excessed Permanent Status Teachers as provided for in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (Option 1, Buy-Out or Option 3, A Year to Secure A New Placement) and you must meet all of the following requirements:

• You were in a unit of Teachers represented by the Washington Teachers’ Union and employed by DCPS in or after the spring semester of 2012 pursuant to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and
• You have 20 or more Years of Service as determined by the DCPS Teachers’ Retirement Plan, and
• You meet the qualification requirements of an Excessed Permanent Status Teacher, and
• In the final year of employment as a Teacher you had a final Evaluation Score of effective or higher, pursuant to the DCPS Effectiveness Assessment System for School-Based Personnel, and
• ·During the sixty (60) calendar days following the effective date of your excess, you are available for employment as a Teacher with DCPS and you made a “substantial effort” to secure a placement within DCPS as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. A “substantial effort” is defined as a good a good faith effort to interview at a minimum of five (5) Schools or a good faith effort to interview for all vacant positions for which you are qualified if the total number of such positions system-wide is fewer than five (5), and
• You agree to waive your right to reemployment as a Permanent Status Teacher with DCPS, and
• You have met all of the requirements for election of an Option for Excessed Permanent Status Teachers as set forth in the Collective Bargaining Agreement

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

Here's What's Brewing Today - Monday, June 7, 2021

Member Assembly - Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 4:30 PM (Via Zoom)

All WTU members are invited to participate in 2021 June Member Assembly.

Please click here to register.

Read In to Save DCPS Librarians; Council Budget Hearing

Many thanks to the librarians that attended last week’s "Read-In to Save School Libraries." As we gained our first detailed look at the Mayor’s 2021-2022 budget proposal, we continue to see an erosion of resources reaching our students; librarian positions are at the forefront of our work to ensure all students receive a rich, well-rounded education and for our city to close the stark and growing achievement gaps that plague our city. We hope you'll all join us in our work to #SaveDCPSLibrarians.

As we look ahead to the fall and plan to reopen our schools for the 2021-2022 school year, President Lyons testified that DC needs to make three key investments to close long-standing achievement gaps. Reduced Class Size. Implement Co-Teaching Models. And a Librarian in Every School.

Read President Lyons statement to the DC Council on the FY2022 budget here: FY22 Budget Testimony - WTU Local 6. 

We encourage you to join us at tomorrow’s Member Assembly to learn more about our work and join the upcoming Legislative Committee and Communications Committee meetings to GET INVOLVED and help us build campaigns to invest in teachers and close the literacy gap.

ESY 2021 Student Snapshot and Academic Work Portfolio

Given the amount of queries the WTU received from members, we met with the Division of Specialized Instruction regarding the ESY 2021 Student Snapshot and Academic Work Portfolio. As a result of that meeting, Special Education teachers should have received updated communications from the ESY Team notifying teachers that the portfolio submissions do not need to be new work that is created or lesson plans, rather, it is a compilation of work that has already been created, completed, and used with the student this SY. You do NOT need to create or develop new materials. That is, you are compiling the relevant work samples that a student has been working on and/or completed during the current SY to address the academic goals where they have met the eligibility criteria for ESY.

If you have been requested to create lesson plans, and/or create and provide new assignments/work for the goal(s) that you have selected for ESY, please contact Field Services Specialist Janice Brown Parker at [email protected] immediately.

AM Brew News and Notices will be archived at https://www.wtulocal6.net/AMBrew. Please bookmark the site and check back for regular news and notices as well as to find items from past editions of the AM Brew.

Here's What's Brewing Today

June 1, 2021

Last week, Mayor Bowser released her Fiscal Year 2022 (school year 2021-2022) budget. Join the WTU on June 2 on the steps of the Wilson Building to #FundOurFuture and support DCPS Librarians and call for small class sizes and the adoption of co-teaching and collaborative teaching models to help our students recover from the pandemic.

Read more about the Mayor’s budget proposal here.

Enrollment for the Sick Leave and Maternity Leave Banks is OPEN.

Open enrollment will occur from June 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021 and from August 1, 2021 through August 31, 2021.

Click here to submit your information or contact Charmaine Wilks at 202 517-1475 or [email protected] with any questions. If you miss the Open Enrollment dates, you will not be able to enroll in "the Banks" until the next Open Seasons in June 2022 and August 2022. This is strictly for the use of the Sick Leave and Maternity Banks and not the Dental/Vision enrollment.

June DCPS and OSSE Licensure Webinar

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