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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Terminations for licensure non-compliance for SY 20-21 will not be rescinded.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.
Professional Development
Be sure to check out this week's Professional Development Blog for great PD opportunities and upcoming events about Decolonizing the Curriculum, National Flagway competition, DCPS iDC conference and much more.
Creating a Plan to Thrive with the Kaiser Permanente (KP) Playbook (June 15 @ 5pm)
Join the WTU and KP to use valuable resources to create a robust and reinvigorating wellness plan.
Register HERE.
Please WELCOME and CONGRATULATE our new WTU professional development trainer cadre:
Noel Emilius (CHEC), Angela Gore-Curry (Stanton ES), Tameshia Henry (Roosevelt STAY), Tiffany James (Langdon ES), Renee LaRue (Ballou STAY), Maria McLemore (Cardozo EC), Katie Phillips (Anacostia HS), & Shanice Smith (Barnard ES)
WTU PROFESSIONAL LEARNING - SUMMER 2021 COURSE OFFERINGS
Registration Closes SOON! Registration for The WTU's Summer Institute Closes on June 21, 2021
WTU Professional Development Courses are developed and taught by educators, for educators. Click here for Summer 2021 course descriptions and registration links.
Additional Professional Development opportunities are also posted regularly to the PD Blog at https://www.wtulocal6.net/pdblog.
This week’s events
June 15 – Legislative Committee Meeting, 4:30pm. Via Zoom. Meeting ID: 859 6155 0231; Passcode: 328360
June 17 – WTU Training on the Grievance Procedures, 4:30pm. Via Zoom. Meeting ID: 870 3910 1175; Passcode: 645178
Have you ever felt like something isn't quite right at your school? Maybe you keep missing that planning period to cover lunch duty or your colleague feels pressured by your administrator to report to work at 7:00 am. The WTU Field Staff will provide you with information on the Grievance Process and answer any questions you may have.
At the beginning of each month, a monthly calendar is posted to the AMBrew Blog.
You can see upcoming June 2021 events here.
WTU and DCAEYC ECE Task Force Strategic Planning Meeting
The WTU and DCAEYC ECE Task Force will create a strategic plan to advance our mission and establish our vision for the upcoming year. You are invited to attend our Strategic Planning meeting on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, from 1 pm to 3 pm. Our Strategic Planning approach is to be inclusive, collaborative, and engaging. Therefore, your ideas and feedback are needed and appreciated! This meeting will be held in person, with the option to participate virtually. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees. All in-person attendees should RSVP to Rahshita Lowe-Watson at [email protected]
In-Person Information: 700 Pennsylvania Ave. SE 2nd floor Conference Room #3
Public Transportation: Across the street from Eastern Market Metro Stop
Parking: On street 2 hour metered parking available.
Virtual Zoom Information: Via Zoom. Register here.
Save the Date: Digging into DC, with the Open Government Coalition -- Tuesday, July 20, 6:30 p.m.
Join our friends at the Open Government Coalition for a session on how we can use Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Laws to uncover data about our school systems. The training will explore how FOIA is being use to gather information about Literacy Programs and their effectiveness and Air Quality in our School Buildings. You’ll also learn more about what information is available publicly and how you can file a FOIA.
Partner events and other upcoming events of interest are also posted to the AMBrew Blog.
Reminders:
Are our Buildings Safe?
Report your concerns at http://bit.ly/WTUSafeOpenings
Learn more about the work the WTU is doing to keep our schools safe at: https://www.wtulocal6.net/safe_reopenings. Please contact your Field Representatives should you have any concerns but feel uncomfortable raising them in the reporting form.
2021-2022 Vacancies
Open positions for the 2021-2022 School Year are posted here.
Enrollment for the Sick Leave and Maternity Leave Banks is OPEN
CLICK HERE TO ENROLL IN THE WTU SICK LEAVE AND/OR MATERNITY LEAVE BANKS
Open enrollment will occur from June 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021 and from August 1, 2021 through August 31, 2021. 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. Contact Charmaine Wilks at 202 517-1475 or [email protected] with any questions.
We Need Your Input
Educators - Report your Certification and Recertification Concerns. Click here to let us know about your troubles obtaining your teaching credentials.
Class Coverage Survey – Are you being pulled from your regular duties? Click here to take our quick survey.
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.
Click here or email [email protected] to provide us with updated information.