A Message from WTU’s President

Good Morning WTU!

Record-breaking heat temperatures started out this summer. Please stay cool and safe! Last Thursday, we welcomed WTU members to our WTU’s Summer Institute! If you’d like to earn PLUs or graduate credits this summer, there is still time to enroll in the three remaining Summer Institute courses - Reading Comprehension, S.E.L. for Instructors and Reclaiming Assessments.

Next Saturday, June 29^th, please join the WTU as we march alongside low-wage workers at The Poor People’s Campaign. This political, non-partisan, moral march on Washington is intended to challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation, and the nation’s distorted morality of religious nationalism. If you are interested in joining us at 10AM on Saturday, please contact WTU’s Organizer, Mike Roland at [email protected]. Please remember to wear your red WTU tee-shirt to the march.

The DC City Council wants your feedback on truancy and absenteeism issues in DC Public Schools. If you are willing to testify this coming Wednesday, June 26^th at 9AM, please reach out to WTU’s organizer Mike Roland so we can support you. Click here to register.

Thank you, as always, for your support! Stay cool!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

WTU’s Official Facebook Page

Please be aware that the Washington Teachers Union is not affiliated with a Facebook page titled “DCPS Educators Only Network.” The WTU is not responsible for any content posted on the page and is not liable for any consequences arising from a teacher’s participation on the page. Please join the WTU’s Official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube pages for accurate information about our Union.

TWITTER: https://x.com/WTUTeacher
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/WTULocal6/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wtu_teacher/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvrkj6wxtayL6Rs1htHEylA

Want a copy of the WTU’s Final Signed CBA with DCPS?

As mentioned in last week’s Brew To-Go, if you are looking for a copy of the final signed 2020-23 Contract Bargaining Agreement between the Washington Teachers’ Union and the District of Columbia Public Schools, please click here.

Enroll in Sick Leave/Maternity/Paternity Banks

Open Enrollment for the Sick Leave and Maternity/Paternity Leave Banks is in progress Thursday, June 13, 2024, through Saturday, August 31, 2024! Please use this link to access the change/enroll/cancelation application.

A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Father’s Day Weekend and enjoyed the sunny weather! As the year draws to a close, I want to thank every WTU member for your support throughout an extremely busy 2023-24 year filled with school actions, political outreach, community engagement and WTU-member activism. This year, we assembled the largest WTU bargaining team ever with 25 members actively fighting for the changes you told us you wanted to see in our new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Thank you for sharing your concerns with us both in-person, and virtually. Thank you for continuing to testify before the DC City Council and State Board of Education.

It goes without saying that your written and verbal feedback armed with our ongoing conversations with DC City Council and State Board of Education representatives made a difference! With the help of these State and DC City representatives, we influenced DCPS’ decision to change 5AM meetings to times when teachers could attend. It was your Friday Red for Ed photos, and ongoing school contract actions throughout the city that supported our work at the bargaining table. Your school actions and petition signatures told DCPS that DC teachers care about a new CBA that includes the issues that matter. And our work will not stop over the summer. As you know, WTU’s office is open year-round and our Contract Bargaining Team plans to meet regularly throughout the summer with DCPS until we get you a new and fair contract. To keep you informed of our progress, we will send out a shortened version of the AM Brew throughout the summer. Also, please continue to follow us on social media and on the Fall 2023 Contract Page: https://wtu4safeschools.org/ of WTU’s website.

Our union has been working hard this year. One of the things we are most proud of is the fact that we’ve continued to put WTU on sound financial footing by paying off our debt to DCPS and now are working on paying off additional debt. Future payoffs are scheduled for the 2024-25 school year. I’m also pleased to reflect on our action-packed year with pride in the WTU’s focus on literacy for young adults by providing both members and students with opportunities to meet two award-winning authors,  Elizabeth Acevedo, and Sharon G. Flake, and by expanding our literacy outreach work. This year, we partnered with community organizations, handing out thousands of free books of choice to DC children and parents at community fairs, festivals, and events. To see some of the photos from our ongoing events, please click here.

Post Covid-19, it was wonderful to see more members attending in-person WTU-hosted events like New Teachers Orientation, WTU’s holiday party, Shared Vision Conference, Legislative Involvement Opportunities, Teacher Appreciation Event, and most recently, the Gay Pride Parade. Don’t miss the opportunity to register for WTU’s Summer Institute if you’d like to earn graduate credits or PLUs. Both in-person and virtual classes begin this coming Thursday, June 20^th!

As plans solidify for New Teachers Orientation in August along with new initiatives in the science of reading for our kindergarten teachers, we will be reaching out to you for support. We hope you will join us as we prepare for another exhilarating new 2024-25 academic year.

Thank you, as always, for your support! Congratulations to all our educators who are retiring! Thank for your years of service to the children of the District of Columbia and to the WTU!  Please rest, relax, and enjoy the time spent with family and friends. Have a wonderful summer!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

Did DCPS Bring Back Teachers Excessed with DC Council Funding?

All schools had a challenging budget season and had to excess several positions. The WTU is collecting data to see if the excessing process was followed. Now that The Council has restored some funding, we want to make sure those funds are used to rehire teachers who were excessed. Please complete the school budget survey here: https://forms.gle/pcB35vWGn1qsXPRZ8

A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU!

This past week was a busy but exciting week for the WTU! Thank you, again, to the members who canvassed for our endorsed DC City Council candidates and showed up at the polls last Tuesday! Our hard work did pay off as we celebrated the re-election of Ward 8 DC City Councilmember Trayon White, DC City Councilmember At-Large Robert White, and Ward 4 DC City Councilmember Janeese Lewis George! Thank you to those members who worked hard on behalf of Ward 7 DC City Councilmember candidate Eboni-Rose Thompson. As President of the DC State Board of Education, she has proven to be a true advocate of WTU and deserved our support.

Last Tuesday, WTU met with DCPS for a Contract Bargaining team session where we advocated again for our school safety and climate change proposals. To learn more, please watch WTU’s Weekly Bargaining Session Update here.

On Friday, we participated in a press conference with national, city and school leaders who announced that after a four-million-dollar investment from the Biden-Harris Administration, Bloomberg Philanthropies is now also investing $9.5 million to expand programming in healthcare at the Advanced Technical Center. National, city, school and labor leaders all came to the table to make this funding possible. We are particularly grateful to the American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten who first planted the seed for this wonderful investment in our city’s children. This funding will create an advanced technical center campus in Ward 8 and help to expand opportunities for healthcare, education, and jobs for our DC students.

Following Friday’s big event, the WTU participated in the Pride Parade and Festival throughout the weekend! We thank the many WTU members who decorated the truck with rainbows, flowers, and butterflies and marched with us at the Capital Parade Festival. On Sunday, the WTU team gave away more than 1000 books of choice to DC kids and their families!

Thank you again for all the support you give to this Union! We wish you another productive week with your students!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU!

I hope you enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather this past weekend! I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the WTU members who showed up to canvass and meet/greet our endorsed DC City Council candidates this past week and weekend. Last Tuesday’s candidate reception allowed members to hear directly from our endorsed candidates Trayon White, Robert White At Large, Eboni-Rose Thompson on the importance of public education. Although Janeese Lewis George could not attend due to an important appointment (she’s expecting), we appreciated the fact that she sent Shannon Talbert on her behalf! Our bargaining team met with DCPS on Thursday. To learn more about the bargaining session, please watch the WTU’s Contract Negotiations Team’s Weekly Update here.

Voting is the word for the week! Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 4^th,  is Election Day and WTU stands to win amazing supporters on the DC City Council if our endorsed candidates win. Please encourage everyone you know to show up at the polls! If you are interested in volunteering at any of the polling stations, please reach out to Mike Roland, [email protected].

Registration is now open for WTU’s Summer Institute! Please register before June 14^th to take advantage of our unbeatable early bird special – only $125 per graduate course.

As you know, June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month! The WTU invites all members to join us in decorating WTU’s parade truck, riding/marching in the parade and handing out free books to children as part of our book giveaway. And we are pleased and excited to announce that Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers, will be joining us to march in the parade! Every member who volunteers will receive a WTU pride t-shirt. If you would like to join us, please contact WTU’s organizer, Mike Roland at [email protected]. We hope to see you there!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

WTU’s Informational Meeting for International Teachers

If you are an international teacher in need of getting important questions answered regarding your visa status, please attend this meeting with an immigration attorney and consultant on Wednesday, June 5^th at 4:30 PM. Click here to join.

Important Special Education Survey

If you are a Special Education teacher or related service provider, please take this important survey regarding PowerSchools here.

Join Sick Maternity/Paternity Leave Banks

To join the sick maternity/paternity leave banks, please sign up here.

Sick Leave Buy-Back Program

Applications for Sick Leave Buy-Back are now available. The deadline for submission of the application is June 7, 2024. Click here for more information and application.

Invest a week to add a lifetime of tips and tricks to your teacher toolbox! Check out the Washington Teachers' Union Summer Institute Courses! WTU’s professional development courses are all research-based, peer-to-peer and solution-driven. Network with colleagues in-person or log in online to learn from your peers on topics like testing vs. assessment, effective reading strategies for beginners, or meaningful tech tools and many more! Save your spot now! Download the Summer Institute brochure here! Visit WTU's Summer Institute registration page here.

A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU!

I hope you enjoyed a beautiful and meaningful Memorial Day weekend! We give thanks to the men and women who gave their lives while fighting for our country. Last Tuesday, WTU’s Contract Bargaining Team met with DCPS for another bargaining session. We were grateful that DC Councilmember Anita Bonds or a representative from her office frequently attends our bargaining team meetings. As chair of the DC City Labor Council, we particularly value her oversight and presence. Our team continues to push DCPS to reach a fair agreement as soon as possible. To learn more, please watch the WTU’s Contract Negotiations Team’s Weekly Update here.

Tonight, I’m looking forward to seeing many of you at WTU’s Evening with the Candidates from 3:30-5:30 PM at Busboys and Poets, 2004 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE. Please attend! Complimentary food and beverages will be served.

I also hope you will join us for the last two opportunities we will have to canvass for our endorsed candidates before the election:

• Councilmember Trayon White (Ward 8 endorsed candidate) - Friday, May 31st, from 5:30 PM to 7 PM. Location to be announced.
• Councilmember Robert White (At-Large endorsed candidate) - Sunday, June 2nd, starting at 2 PM at the Ward 8 McDonald’s at 2529 Good Hope Road SE. If you are available, please wear your WTU red shirt and volunteer some of your time to help them out. They need your help!

As you know, June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month! The WTU invites all members to join us in decorating WTU’s parade truck, riding/marching in the parade and handing out free books to children as part of our book giveaway. And we are pleased and excited to announce that Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers, will be joining us to march in the parade! Every member who volunteers will receive a WTU pride t-shirt. If you would like to join us, please contact WTU’s organizer, Mike Roland at [email protected]. We hope to see you there!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team (CAT)

Watch WTU’s Contract Bargaining Team’s Weekly Update here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVsAq4LiCU_mjtJrOcqtlw0_yWg4LxvhE or click on the photo below.

If you have ideas on what contract actions your school should take, please contact your Building Representative and WTU’s organizer, Mike Roland, for support. Together, we must show DCPS we will not tolerate their proposed reduction of our rights!

Washington Teachers’ Union Stands with Peaceful Protestors

The members of The Washington Teachers’ Union voted during the Representative Assembly Meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 2024 to support the following statement on the student and faculty protests at George Washington University and on many other campuses nationwide:

“The Washington Teachers’ Union firmly stands with peaceful student and faculty protests at George Washington University and on multiple other campuses nationwide. As educators, we believe in the power of education to promote understanding, empathy, and solidarity across borders. As a social justice union, we support peaceful protests for the Palestinian people and stand with the world in expressing horror over Hamas’ October 7th massacre and hostage taking of Israelis. Both sentiments can and should co-exist. 

“The student encampments serve as powerful reminders of the ongoing oppression faced by the Palestinian people, including the denial of basic human rights, displacement, and violence by occupation forces. Students and faculty are playing a crucial role in advancing the cause of justice and equality with their protests. The WTU reaffirms its commitment to supporting the rights of students to advocate peacefully for a more just and equitable world.

“We call on university administrators to engage constructively with student activists, listen to their concerns and work towards creating a campus environment that is inclusive and supportive of all communities.”

WTU’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month Activities

Please join us in celebrating Pride Month in June! From 4-7 PM on June 7^th, WTU will be decorating our Pride Parade truck outside the WTU’s office. On June 8^th, meet us as we line up to prepare for the parade from 12-2 PM! On June 9^th, sign up for a shift to help us as we give away one free book of choice to kids at WTU’s festival table.

A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU!

I hope you enjoyed a productive week, full of learning for your students!  This past week, WTU’s Contract Bargaining Team prepared for tomorrow’s negotiating session with DCPS. Many of our DC State Board and DC City council members have been supporting our goal to get a contract as soon as possible. Now, it is our time to support our endorsed candidates by volunteering to canvass for their campaigns. We know this is a busy time for all teachers as we have less than a month before the school year ends. But we are close to 6,000 strong! We hope you can find time to come out to meet the leaders we’ve endorsed at our WTU’s Evening with the Candidates on Tuesday, May 28^th from 3:30-5:30PM at Busboys and Poets, 2004 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE. Please attend! Complimentary food and beverages will be served.

Thank you to the WTU members who joined us this weekend to canvass for the re-election of Ward 4 DC City Councilmember Janeese Lewis George and the election of Eboni-Rose Thompson for Ward 7 DC City Councilmember. Two more opportunities to canvass for our endorsed candidates are coming up:

• Councilmember Trayon White  (Ward 8 endorsed candidate) Friday, May 31st, from 5:30 PM to 7 PM. Location to be announced.
• Councilmember Robert White (At-Large endorsed candidate) - Sunday, June 2nd, starting at 2 PM at the Ward 8 McDonald’s at 2529 Good Hope Road SE. If you are available, wear your WTU red shirt and volunteer some of your time to help them out. They need your help!

As you know, June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month! The WTU invites all members to join us in decorating WTU’s parade truck, riding/marching in the parade and handing out free books to children in our book giveaway. Every member who volunteers will receive a WTU pride tee-shirt. If you would like to join us, please contact WTU’s organizer, Mike Roland at [email protected]. We hope to see you there!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team (CAT)

The WTU Contract Bargaining Team is busy preparing for our next bargaining session with DCPS tomorrow - May 21^st, 2024.

If you have ideas on what contract actions your school should take, please contact your Building Representative and WTU’s organizer, Mike Roland, for support. Together, we must show DCPS we will not tolerate their proposed reduction of our rights!

WTU’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month Activities

Please join us in celebrating Pride Month in June! From 4-7PM on June 7^th, WTU will be decorating our Pride Parade truck outside the WTU’s office. On June 8^th, meet us as we line up to prepare for the parade from 12-2PM! On June 9^th, sign up for a shift to help us as we give away one free book of choice to kids at WTU’s festival table.

May 16th, 2024 - The Washington Post - DCPS chancellor slams Mendelson plan to shift central office funds to schools - The proposal would threaten the district’s ability to run important programs, he said. 

"The chancellor of D.C. Public Schools has fired back against a proposal that would move $25.4 million from the central office budget into individual schools — a measure that would allow campuses to stave off cuts but that he says could threaten other programs, such as security and swim lessons for third-graders. The proposal from D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) comes as the body pores over a budget plan released by Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), and marks the second year in a row that Mendelson has proposed shifting millions from central services to campuses. This year, however, the city’s budget is tighter and the school district cannot use federal pandemic aid — which expires in September — to fill gaps." Read the full story here.

May 13th, 2024 - The Washington Informer - "Once again, the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) and D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) have yet to finalize a new contract, due to what union members describe as delay tactics by central office leadership and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D)." Read the full story here.

A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms, Grandmothers, Stepmoms, Aunties, Godmothers and Sister-Friends! I hope you and your families had a wonderful day and to all those who are missing Moms… may the memory of good times together fill you with far more joy and laughter than tears.

Last week marked a week of action in our efforts to get a contract. On Monday, while many of us were celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week, DCPS cancelled our planned contract bargaining session on Tuesday and instead, filed a legal complaint against the WTU for speaking with DC City Council officials. It is not against the law for WTU to speak to elected officials about union concerns. To file a lawsuit against the WTU for exercising our legal right to free speech on the first day of a nation-wide week celebrating teachers struck us as an intentional slap in the face to all DC teachers. Teachers and building representatives at Coolidge HS, Whittier ES, Eliot Hines MS, Eastern HS, Dorothy Heights ES, Roosevelt HS, and MacFarland HS protested this decision Wednesday through Friday of last week by walking out of school at 3:30PM at the end of their tour of duty to rally against the District and DCPS’ unfair negotiating practices. DC State Board of Education President Eboni-Rose Thompson, Ward 4 DC State Board of Education Representative Frazier O’Leary, Ward 1 DC State Board of Education Ben Williams, and DC City Councilmember At-Large Robert White Jr. showed up to our protest rallies to lend their support.

As we move into the last few weeks before June elections, I ask you to please consider volunteering for all the candidates we are supporting and consider donating funds to their campaigns. We need to continue to ensure that those in political office will support us just as we have supported them.

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team (CAT)

The WTU Contract Bargaining Team is busy preparing for our next bargaining session with DCPS on May 21^st, 2024.

If you have ideas on what contract actions your school should take, please contact your Building Representative and WTU’s organizer, Mike Roland, for support. Together, we must show DCPS we will not tolerate their proposed reduction of our rights! To learn more, please download WTU’s two-page summary of WTU’s Contract Negotiating Team’s 10 Proposals and 3 Memorandums of Agreement

A Message from WTU President

Good Morning WTU!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Thank you to all who kicked off the start of Teacher Appreciation Week at WTU’s BBQ party with a live band who played Go-Go music, the awesome dee-jay crew, delicious food from a BBQ food truck and the Koni Hawaiian Icee truck. Ward 8 DC Councilmember Trayon White (running for re-election) attended along with Eboni-Rose Thompson (running for Ward 7 Councilmember). I want to remind all members that these two leaders have supported the WTU, consistently, in its effort to get a fair and timely contract. In fact, Ward 8 DC Councilmember Trayon White was the first councilmember to speak out against IMPACT. As you know, American University in a study found IMPACT to be racist and biased against black and brown teachers in underserved communities. Under Eboni-Rose Thompson’s leadership as the current president of the DC State Board of Education, the State Board of Education was the first to pass a resolution for an on-time contract for the WTU this school year. I ask you to please consider volunteering for all the candidates we are supporting and consider donating funds to their campaigns. We need to ensure that those in political office will support us just as we have supported them.

We’d also like to take another moment to celebrate Beth Barkley, 2024 DC Teacher of the Year. We’d also like to congratulate Missy Testerman who was named 2024 National Teacher of the Year. A big shoutout to First Lady, Jill Biden, for holding the first-ever State Dinner to celebrate teachers.

Last Wednesday, WTU teachers marched alongside hospitality professionals of Local Union 25 to show support in their fight for a new contract. On Thursday, the WTU supported early childhood educators in their Rally to Save Childcare to restore the pay equity fund. We stood together to demand the funds needed to educate our youngest children of the District.

As you can see, we are committed to making alliances with other unions and community groups with whom we share a common interest. We stand by all workers in the fight to get what they deserve. Next week will be a call to action for WTU members around the city schools because the best way to appreciate teachers is to give them a contract!

I hope you enjoy a wonderful Teacher Appreciation week filled with little and big acts of kindness and appreciation. You deserve it!

In solidarity,

Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, President

Washington Teachers’ Union

Weekly Update - WTU’s Contract Action Team (CAT)

The WTU Contract Bargaining Team is busy preparing for our next bargaining session with DCPS on Tuesday, May 7th.

If you have ideas on what contract actions your school should take, please contact your Building Representative and WTU’s organizer, Mike Roland, for support. Together, we must show DCPS we will not tolerate their proposed reduction of our rights! To learn more, please download WTU’s two-page summary of WTU’s Contract Negotiating Team’s 10 Proposals and 3 Memorandums of Agreement