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11Using Historical Documents in the Classroom

Union TeacherAFT Local 66, AFL-CIO • Democracy in Education • Volume XLI, Number 2 • October, 2008

The Award-Winning Newspaper of the Boston Teachers Union

Vote on November 4th – BTU Endorsed Candidates

3Commentary: Schools, Time & Wal-Mart

Retirees COLA Veto: BTU’s Concern, RTC’s Outrage, Governor’s Response

BTU EndorsesBarack Obama

and JosephBiden for

President andVice President

See pages 5 - 8

BostonBostonVote on November 4th – BTU Endorsed Candidates

Massachusetts AFL-CIO delegates and BTU members Ted Chambers, Martha Cotton,Angela Cristiani, Alison Doherty-Lacasse and Eileen Weir in a Vote No on Question 1Stand-Out in Andover – Photo by Mary F. Glynn

Joseph Biden

Barack Obama

By Richard Stutman, BTU President

Picture this. The family sits down todinner and is about to begin eating

when mom says, “I have some bad newsto report. I have lost my job, but not toworry. We’ll make do on 40% less income.We’ll eat only five days per week, we’ll askthe bank to reduce our mortgage by 40%,and we’ll walk to work every Monday andThursday. We’ll shut off the heat andlights for 24 minutes every hour and take3-minute showers. You kids, can of course,continue to shower for 30 minutes.”

“Mom, how are we going to do this?”“Well, we’ll try it for a while and see

how we do. It might make us moreefficient.” Or it may push the family intoturmoil.

We all know how the above situationwould turn out: either the mother would

have to find another job, or the father wouldhave to get a 2nd job. After all, they’re notgoing to shut the lights off 24 minutes everyhour. What will; happen to the family willhappen to our state, should the voters ap-prove Question 1 on November 4.

Question 1, if approved, will cut thestate personal income tax receipts by 50%effective 1/1/09. The remaining 50% willbe eliminated on 1/1/10. Translated, thismeans that the state’s total income re-ceived each year will drop by 40%. It’sactually quite simple: no one — no gov-ernment, no family, no individual — canwithstand a drop in income of 40%. Itdoesn’t force efficiency. It creates hard-ship and uncertainty. Or it will raise prop-erty taxes. We can look to New Hamp-shire as a good example. There’s no stateincome tax in New Hampshire. Whatthey do have, however, is the highestproperty tax rate as a percentage of per-sonal income in the country. If we cutpersonal income taxes, we’ll either cutservices or raise property taxes. There’sno way around it: it takes tax revenue toprovide services.

We ask that you get involved in thiscampaign to defeat Question 1. Literatureis available in your schools, and you canget more information at http://votenoquestion1.com. This vote isimportant enough that the BTU COPE

Vote No on Question 1 – No Such Thing as a Free LunchIf We Want Services, We Need Revenue

(Committee on Political Education) gave$150,000 to the Vote No Campaign. Ourcontribution is only one small part of whatwe are doing to defeat Question 1. If youwant to get involved, please call the BTUoffice. Thank you.

See more informationregarding Question 1

on page 2

See more informationregarding Question 1

on page 2

Using Historical Documents in the Classroom

Commentary: Schools, Time & Wal-Mart

Retirees COLA Veto: BTU’s Concern, RTC’s Outrage, Governor’s Response

ALL OUT FOR OBAMA / BIDENON NOVEMBER 4th

By Garret Virchick

November 4th 2008 promises to be abellwether day in American History.

There are two things that could happenon that day. The American people couldgo to the polls and elect Barack Obamato the presidency of the United States,making him the first African Americanelected to that position in a country whereslavery was the law of the land when itstarted 232 years ago. Or, the politics offear may once again win out electingJohn McCain, ushering in four moreyears of failed Republican policies. Thechoices are clear, even if the outcome isuncertain.

As teachers, union members, and vot-ers we must be especially clear on thepositions of the candidates. On the issueof public education Obama has stated hisintention of rewriting No Child Left Be-hind so that it is not centered on punish-ing schools and teachers. His promise toactually provide the resources necessaryto meet the demands of NCLB stands instark contrast to eight years of unfundedmandates from the Bush administration.Obama also promises to change the waystudent progress is measured so thatteachers will not be forced to spend theschool year preparing students to fill inbubbles on a standardized test.

In addition, Obama has promised tooppose school vouchers, a Republicanscheme to divert public money to privateschools. He also has pledged to fully fundand expand Head Start early educationprograms and he supports additionalfunds for capital improvements to crum-bling public schools. On educational is-sues alone Obama not only deserves ourvote, but demands that we become activeparticipants in this election to organizeand educate our fellow citizens as to theimportance of their vote and this election.

Where does John McCain stand onthese issues? As much as he likes to paint

(continued on page 4)

2 ❖ BOSTON UNION TEACHER ❖ October, 2008

WE SAY NO!➤ 1199 SEIU➤ AARP Massachusetts➤ ACORN➤ AFSCME Council 93➤ American Federation of Teachers MA➤ American Friends Service Committee➤ Arnold Hiatt➤ Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM)➤ Bay State Stonewall Democrats➤ Boilermakers Local #29➤ Boston Assoc. of School Administrators &

Supervisors➤ Boston Chamber of Commerce➤ Boston DSA➤ Boston Fire Fighters Local 718➤ Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association➤ Boston Plasterers & Cement Masons #534➤ Boston Teachers Union➤ Bricklayers & Allied Craftsmen Local 3➤ Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of

Boston, Inc.➤ Chris Gabrieli➤ Citizens Housing and Planning Association➤ Citizens for Public Schools➤ Citizens for Tax Justice➤ Clean Water Action➤ Coalition Against Poverty➤ Coalition for Social Justice➤ Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU➤ Community Labor United➤ Community Resources for Justice➤ CWA Local 1365➤ Delta Projects, Inc.➤ Early Education for All Campaign➤ Ethos➤ Firemen & Oilers Local 3, Chapter 615➤ Friends of Joe Lazzerini➤ Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO)➤ Greater Boston Labor Council➤ Health Care For All➤ IBEW Local 96➤ Insulators Local 6➤ Iron Workers DC of New England➤ Ironworkers Local 7➤ IUEC Local #4➤ Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA)➤ Jewish Community Relations Council➤ Jewish Labor Committee➤ Labor Guild of the Archdiocese of Boston➤ Laborers’ Union Local 22➤ Laborers’ Union Local 596➤ League of Women Voters of Massachusetts➤ LGBT Aging Project➤ Lynn Business Education Foundation➤ M.O.S.E.S.➤ Marine Engineers Beneficial Association➤ Mass Advocates for the Arts, Sciences &

Humanities➤ Mass AFL-CIO➤ Mass Assoc of Councils on Aging & Senior Center

Directors➤ Mass Assoc. for Community Action (MassCAP)➤ Mass Assoc. of C766 Approved Private Schools➤ Mass Assoc. of Home Care Agencies and Area

Agencies on Aging➤ Mass Assoc. of Jewish Federations➤ Mass Assoc. of School Business Officials (MASBO)➤ Mass Assoc. of School Superintendents➤ Mass Assoc. of Special Ed Parent Advisory

Councils➤ Mass Association of School Committees➤ Mass Building Trades Council➤ Mass Business Roundtable➤ Mass Chamber of Business & Industry, Inc.➤ Mass Coalition of Police➤ Mass Communities Action Network➤ Mass Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice➤ Mass Jobs with Justice➤ Mass Library Association➤ Mass Municipal Association➤ Mass Non-profit Network➤ Mass Nurses Association➤ Mass Organization of Educational Collaboratives➤ Mass Partners for Public Schools➤ Mass PTA➤ Mass Public Health Association➤ Mass Secondary School Administrators’ Assoc.➤ Mass Senior Action Council➤ Mass Taxpayers Foundation➤ Mass Teachers Association➤ MASSPIRG➤ Mental Health and Substance Abuse Corps. - MA➤ NASW➤ Nat’l Alliance on Mental Illness➤ Neighbor to Neighbor➤ New England Joint Board, UNITE HERE➤ New England Regional Council, Carpenters➤ Non-Profit Network➤ North Shore Labor Council➤ OPEIU Local 6➤ Painters & Allied Trades D.C. #35➤ Peabody Chamber of Commerce➤ Peter Meade➤ PHENOM-Public Higher Ed Network of Mass➤ Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO➤ Pipefitters Local 537➤ Professional Firefighters of MA➤ Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts➤ Providers Council➤ Public Policy Institute➤ Retired State, County & Municipal Employees

Assoc. of MA➤ SEIU Local 5000 - NAGE➤ SEIU Local 509➤ SEIU Local 615➤ SEIU Local 888➤ SEIU State Council➤ Southeastern Mass. Building Trades➤ Stand for Children➤ Steve Grossman➤ Teamsters Local 25➤ The Construction Institute➤ UAW Mass State CAP Council➤ UFCW Local 1445➤ Union of Minority Neighborhoods➤ United for a Fair Economy➤ United Steelworkers of America Local 5696➤ USW/Boston Taxicab Drivers Assoc.➤ Vinfen➤ Young Democrats Association of Attleboro

The Boston Teachers Union SaysVote No on Question 1The Boston Teachers Union SaysVote No on Question 1

BOSTON UNION TEACHER ❖ October, 2008 ❖ 3

Commentary: Michael Maguire

Why is filing a class size grievance importantand how is it done?

Data shows that the lower the class sizes the better when it comes to meeting student’sneeds. As soon as class size maxima have been exceeded in your class, file the informationimmediately with the BTU directly on the btu.org website. Refer to the grade and type ofclass you teach (elementary, middle, high, regular ed., SPED, gym, SEI, etc.) in theBTU contract on pages 39 and 40 to determine the appropriate number for your respectiveclass. You should file a class size grievance once the number of children reporting toyour class is in excess of the contractual maxima – it can’t just be the number on yourclass list, the students must have physically attended school at least once and then nothave been officially discharged.

Only in special cases are additional students able to remain in the class thus exceedingthe maxima as negotiated. The contract states; “In elementary schools where there is onlyone regular education class in a grade level, the School Department may exceed the classsize maxima by one or two students. For one student over the class size maxima the teacherwill receive $1,500 and for two students $3,000.” The contract continues; “In secondaryschools where there is a singular regular education course offering, the School Departmentmay exceed the class size maxima by one or two students. For one student in excess, theteacher will receive $300 per class and for two students, $600 per class.” For example, in asecondary school if there is only one physics class offered, this portion of the contractcould kick in. This can not be employed where and when it suits the administrationexcept within the narrow parameters outlined above. Under no circumstanåces can thispassage of the contract be implemented with special education classes. As it states inthe collective bargaining agreement; “Class size for program prototypes 502.2, 502.3, and502.4 shall conform with Regulations published by the State Department of Education.’ It isillegal to increase SPED class sizes.

There is an arbitration award that the BTU obtained which states that even if thesenarrow parameters exist, the teacher thus affected has a right to decline saidstipend and instead may insist on the standard class size being enforced.

Filing the class size grievance puts pressure on the BPS to deal with the issue asquickly as possible or compensate the teacher for this contract violation. Money is amotivator for them to solve the problem. The teacher only gets credit from the day theyfile the grievance until the day it is resolved if it exceeds 15 school days. Let’s focus onchildren with the smallest class size possible. We fought for it – let’s maintain it.

What are the requirements for a syllabus?The syllabus can be an effective tool for the teacher, student, administration, and

parents to all be on the same page, so to speak. The School Department and the BTUhave

negotiated the parameters and timeline requirements for this document, howeverthere is no one specific format required by the BPS. The management/labor contractdictates; “In September of each year all teachers shall prepare a brief outline or syllabus(one to three pages) which includes: the student learning objectives for the year; the curriculummaterials they plan to cover; and any student learning products or projects which studentsare expected to produce during the school year. This outline may be supplemented withinformation about the amount of time students are expected to spend on homework; studentattendance requirements; what students are expected to bring to class (or not to bring toclass); and any other information that the teacher deems appropriate to help parentsunderstand to help parents understand what is expected of students. Teachers shall not berequired to repeat any information which is distributed by the school to all parents, e.g. codeof discipline, homework policy, school handbook.”

You might be surprised to read that the BPS/BTU contract states; “Two copies of thisoutline or syllabus shall be given to parents at the first parent teacher meeting of the schoolyear. One copy must be signed by the parent and returned to the teacher indicating theparent’s understanding of the curriculum and expectations and agreeing to cooperate withthe teacher in meeting the educational objectives set for the year. Parents who do not attendthe meeting shall have copies mailed to them by the principal at School Department expensewith a stamped return envelope to return the signed copy to the school.”

I’ve always found it helpful to include on the syllabus the phrase, “Individual parentteacher conferences shall be held at a time that is mutually agreed upon by the parentand the teacher either in person or by phone.” This paraphrases language in the contractand communicates a willingness to meet by appointment with the consent of both parties.A syllabus is meant to be an overview, an outline – not a tomb. Some administrators arealso requesting ‘curriculum maps’ and the like which an expansion of this outline. If theyare requiring more than what has been detailed above as contractually negotiated, thenthe administration should provide additional administrative time to do so. If theadministration is not willing to do so, perhaps they should reflect on their priorities. Weneed to focus on doing what we do well to best meet the children’s needs. Thatnecessitates prioritizing our time effectively – collectively. Together we can!

When are School Site Council Elections & Meetings held?The School Site Council is the central governing body of the school under the school-

based management/shared decision making model. The contract stipulates (pages 14-26); “Elections for new SSC members shall be conducted as early in the school year aspossible, and a first meeting of the new council shall be held no later than October 31st.” Atthe first meeting, a monthly calendar should be agreed upon by the SSC members for theentire school year and be made public through distribution to all staff and parents. Anychange must be approved by the SSC with at least one week’s notice to all staff & parents.SSC Meetings should be at times convenient for all members & times may alternate tomeet this goal.

United we stand – divided we beg.I am fighting for you – let’s stand up together! BTUnity!

The Boston Union Teacheris published

eleven times a yearSeptember - July, inclusive.

President

RICHARD F. STUTMAN

Vice President

PATRICK CONNOLLY

Secretary-Treasurer

EDWARD A. WELCH

Co-Editors

MARY F. GLYNNGARRET VIRCHICK

Editorial Board

Caren CarewAngela CristianiJenna Fitzgerald

Robert JangoMichael J. MaguireMichael McLaughlin

Eileen Weir

180 Mount Vernon Street ❖ Boston, MA 02125617-288-2000 ❖ 617-288-2463 ❖ Fax 617-288-0024 ❖ www.btu.org

EDITORIAL NOTE:The opinions expressed in the BostonUnion Teacher do not necessarilyrepresent the views of the BostonTeachers Union, or those of its members.

WHEN WRITING:All correspondence to the Boston UnionTeacher must be typewritten and signed.All articles must be appropriate to thepublication, and in good taste.

Letters to the Editor should be sent toletters@btu.org.

UnionTeacherPublished by the Boston Teachers Union AFT Local 66, AFL-CIO

DEADLINE:The Deadline for submitting articlesfor the October edition of the BostonUnion Teacher is September 10th.All copy should be e-mailed tomfglynn@comcast.net andg.virchick@verizon.netThis deadline will be strictly adhered to.

Boston

Schools, Time and Wal-MartBuilding a Sustainable Profession

What if for your administrativeduty you were to stand just

inside the main entrance of yourschool wearing a smiley-face pinnedto a blue smock and you were togreet each student who walkedthrough the door with “Welcome tothe Wal-Mart public schools. Have anice day.” Sounds crazy doesn’t it?But for many teachers the Wal-Martexperience is all too real.

Elizabeth Dunbar of theAssociated Press reported on July 1,2008 that a Minnesota judge “ruledagainst Wal-Mart in a class-actionlawsuit, saying the discount retailerviolated state labor laws 2 milliontimes by cutting worker break timeand ‘willfully’ allowing employees towork off the clock.”

Ms. Dunbar also wrote, “DakotaCounty Judge Robert King Jr. onMonday ordered Wal-Mart to pay$6.5 million in compensatorydamages, but Wal-Mart could end

Michael Maguire

up paying more than $2 billion after ajury in October considers civil penal-ties and punitive damages.” Wal-Martplans to appeal, of course, but theaward in and of itself is a victory forthe employees of the nation’s largest,anti-union shopping center. Wal-Martis famous for low prices, and infa-

(continued on page 9)

Before there were Unions! – Submitted by Eileen Weir

4 ❖ BOSTON UNION TEACHER ❖ October, 2008

himself as a maverick McCain has walkedlock-step with George W. Bush. Hethinks NCLB is a “good start” and hasvoted time and again to not fully fund it.He feels threatening sanctions gives edu-cators incentives to succeed. He has re-peatedly voted to provide public moniesfor voucher programs while voting to cutfunding for Head Start. No wonder he hasto try and paint himself as a maverick. Butwhen you look at his record the emperorhas no clothes!

But we are not just teachers and ourinterests are not only centered on educa-

All Out for Obama/Bidenon November 4th…(continued from page 1)

tional policy. We are also Union mem-bers. In the past 50 years, heavily union-ized industries have closed up shop, head-ing first south into so called right-to-workstates, and then across borders in thesearch for cheaper labor. In that time wehave seen a steady decline in wages,health benefits, pension benefits, and thestandard of living of American workers.Obama has co-sponsored and pledged tosupport the Employee Free Choice Act.This act would level the playing fieldmaking it easier for workers to organize aunion. McCain voted to block a Senatevote on this bill.

On so many fronts the choice betweenObama and McCain is clear. Obama isagainst tax breaks for corporations thatmove jobs overseas. McCain supportsmassive tax cuts for corporations, shift-ing more and more of the tax burden ontoworking people. Obama voted for in-creases to the minimum wage whileMcCain consistently voted against them.Obama has called for increasing PellGrants for higher education while McCainis against increasing the grants, callinginstead for higher interest rates, enrich-ing private lenders. Obama is againstprivatization of social security, McCaincalls for it. Obama has pledged to im-prove access to quality healthcare wherethe McCain plan would count employee-provided premiums as taxable income,creating a new tax on workers.

The stakes are high. As a Union and asunion members we must go the extramile in this election. We should not be-come complacent simply because we livein Massachusetts. Call friends and rela-tives living in other states and explainwhat is at stake. Volunteer for a phonebank making targeted calls to get out thevote. Or volunteer one Saturday to godoor to door in New Hampshire, a statethat may go either way, talking to peopleabout the issues.

The Obama campaign has energized anew generation around political activism.Whoever wins this election we will needthat activism and more to change thedirection of this country and promoteprogress rather than reaction. Who sits inthe oval office will help define the possi-bilities for that progress. On November4th, Vote Obama/Biden!

BOSTON UNION TEACHER ❖ October, 2008 ❖ 5

A Special Pull-Out Section to the Boston Union Teacher, Oct. 2008

The Boston Teachers UnionEndorses Barack Obamaand Joseph Biden in the

2008 Presidential Election

Election 2008

REMEMBER TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4th!!!★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

JOIN BTU-COPE!!!

6 ❖ BOSTON UNION TEACHER ❖ October, 2008

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

BTU Endorses Five Candidates for U.S. Congress

Boston Teachers UnionEndorses

John Kerryfor U.S. Senate

FOR PRESIDENT and VICE PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES

❏ Barack Obama and Joseph Biden

FOR UNITED STATES CONGRESS

❏ Michael Capuano – 8th Congressional District❏ William Delahunt – 10th Congressional District❏ Barney Frank – 4th Congressional District❏ John Tierney – 6th Congressional District❏ Niki Tsongas – 7th Congressional District

FOR MASSACHUSETTS STATE SENATE

❏ Cynthia Creem – 1st Middlesex & Norfolk❏ Kenneth Donnelly – 4th Middlesex❏ James Eldridge – Middlesex & Worcester❏ Susan Fargo – 3rd Middlesex❏ Anthony Galluccio – Middlesex, Suffolk & Essex❏ Brian Joyce – Norfolk, Bristol & Plymouth

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FOR MASSACHUSETTS STATE REPRESENTATIVE

❏ Willie Mae Allen – 6th Suffolk❏ Ruth Balser – 12th Middlesex❏ Michael Brady – 9th Plymouth❏ Will Brownsberger – 24th Middlesex❏ Christine Canavan – 10th Plymouth❏ James Cantwell – 4th Plymouth❏ Geraldine Creedon – 11th Plymouth❏ Paul Donato – 35th Middlesex❏ Joseph Driscoll – 5th Norfolk❏ Mark Falzone – 9th Essex

❏ Linda Dorcena Forry – 12th Suffolk❏ Sean Garballey – 23rd Middlesex❏ Lida Harkins – 13th Norfolk❏ Kevin Honan – 17th Suffolk❏ Kay Khan – 11th Middlesex❏ Jason Lewis – 31st Middlesex❏ David Linsky – 5th Middlesex❏ Elizabeth Malia – 1th Suffolk❏ Robert Nyman – 5th Plymouth❏ Alice Peisch – 14th Norfolk

❏ Denise Provost – 27th Middlesex❏ Pam Richardson – 6th Middlesex❏ Michael Rush – 10th Suffolk❏ Carl Sciortino – 34th Middlesex❏ Frank Smizik – 15th Norfolk❏ Marie St. Fleur – 5th Suffolk❏ Tim Toomey – 26th Middlesex❏ Marty Walz – 8th Suffolk❏ Alice Wolf – 25th Middlesex

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Michael Capuano8th Congressional District

William Delahunt10th Congressional District

Barney Frank4th Congressional District

John Tierney6th Congressional District

Niki Tsongas5th Congressional District

❏ Patricia Jehlen – 2nd Middlesex❏ Thomas Kennedy – Plymouth & Bristol❏ Michael Morrissey – Norfolk & Plymouth❏ Sara Orozco – Norfolk, Bristol & Middlesex❏ Karen Spilka – 2nd Middlesex & Norfolk❏ James Timilty – Bristol & Norfolk

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REMEMBER TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4th!!!

BOSTON UNION TEACHER ❖ October, 2008 ❖ 7

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Boston Teachers Union Endorses TwelveMassachusetts State Senate Candidates

Cynthia Creem1st Middlesex & Norfolk

Ken Donnelly4th Middlesex

Susan Fargo3rd Middlesex

Anthony GalluccioMiddlesex, Suffolk & Essex

Brian JoyceNorfolk, Bristol & Plymouth

Patricia Jehlen2nd Middlesex

Karen Spilka2nd Middlesex & Norfolk

Sara OrozcoNorfolk, Bristol & Middlesex

James TimiltyBristol & Norfolk

James EldridgeMiddlesex & Worcester

Thomas KennedyPlymouth & Bristol

Michael MorrisseyNorfolk & Plymouth

BTU Endorses Twenty-Nine Massachusetts State Representative Candidates

Willie Mae Allen6th Suffolk

Ruth Balser12th Middlesex

Michael Brady9th Plymouth

Will Brownsberger24th Middlesex

Christine Canavan10th Plymouth

Paul Donato35th Middlesex

Joseph Driscoll5th Norfolk

James Cantwell4th Plymouth

Geraldine Creedon11th Plymouth

JOIN BTU-COPE!!!

8 ❖ BOSTON UNION TEACHER ❖ October, 2008

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Boston Teachers Union Announces Twenty-NineMassachusetts State Representative Endorsements

Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex

Lida Harkins13th Norfolk

Kevin Honan17th Suffolk

Kay Khan11th Middlesex

Robert Nyman5th Plymouth

Denise Provost27th Middlesex

Michael Rush10th Suffolk

Carl Sciortino34th Middlesex

Frank Smizik15th Norfolk

Tim Toomey26th Middlesex

Marty Walz8th Suffolk

Alice Wolf25th Middlesex

Jason Lewis31st Middlesex

Elizabeth Malia11th Suffolk

David Linsky5th Middlesex

Alice Peisch14th Norfolk

Marie St. Fleur5th Suffolk

Mark Falzone9th Essex

Linda Dorcena Forry12th Suffolk

Pam Richardson6th Middlesex

REMEMBER TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4th!!!

BOSTON UNION TEACHER ❖ October, 2008 ❖ 9

September 15, 2008

Governor Deval Patrick

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

State House

Boston, Mass. 02133

Dear Governor Patrick,

Greetings. We wish you well as you enter the mid-point in your term and

we appreciate your support of public education. But we must take issue

with your veto of the teacher’s retirement C.O.L.A. bill this summer.

The bill would have granted our members a token payment of $120 per

year, or 33 cents per day. We are angry at your veto and we feel

betrayed—there’s no other way to put it—and we feel you made a

mistake. What’s more, we believe the veto of this modest increase runs

counter to your obvious commitment to promoting the public good. Let

me explain why.

Teachers who retire under the current law can expect to receive what

is essentially a fixed pension. Years ago, when the span of retirement

was much less, having a fixed pension, though harmful, was not

catastrophic. Today’s world is different. People are living longer, the

ravages of inflation have more time to consume one’s standard of living,

and pensions must last longer. Many of our members, after years of

service and dedication to our children, live their last years in virtual

poverty. Our members, as well as tens of thousands of other public

employees, must subsist on a yearly COLA of $360 which typically

amounts to less than 1% per year. This yearly increase is hardly

sufficient to keep pace with the increased costs.

Our members are not wealthy. We are hard-working members of the

professional middle class who have long been disrespected and under-

paid. We have sacrificed much to serve the public in our teaching life.

Now we are expected to continue that sacrifice in our retirement.

We are not eligible for Social Security unlike the majority of public

employees in the country. True, by not participating in Social Security,

we avoid paying 6.2% of our own wages. But local governments avoid

paying this tax as well. (By the way, Social Security this year pays a 2.3%

C.O.L.A. increase on the full benefit (3.3% last year). Further, unlike

other professionals, we subsidize our employer. We surveyed our

members 10 years ago and found that the average teacher spent $700

in supplies and materials per year for his/her students. In what other

profession does that happen? We have given up a lot to enter this

profession we love, sacrificing much in the way of salaries that other,

less comparably-educated professionals earn. All we ask is to be treated

fairly and equitably. Providing us an adequate C.O.L.A. would be a step

in the right direction. It would also send a message to all public

employees that our government and society value the work we do and

the sacrifices we make.

Incidentally, many or our members were not even covered under the

vetoed legislation. They, members of our municipal retirement sys-

tems, are ironically among the lowest paid of public employees. They

are paraprofessionals in our schools, cafeteria workers, and public

works employees, just to mention a few. They need an adequate

C.O.L.A. as well.

Thank you for your consideration as we go forward. Our retirees

deserve better treatment than they have been accorded, and you are in

a unique position to provide that help. Respectfully, we hope and expect

that you will take a lead role in correcting this injustice.

Sincerely,

Richard Stutman

President, Boston Teachers Union

President StutmanExpresses BTU’s ConcernRegarding GovernorDeval Patrick’s Vetoof Retiree COLA Bill

Richard StutmanBTU President

See the BTU Retired Teachers Chapter’sOutrage and Governor Deval Patrick’s

Response on page 10

In a 1980’s BTU contract dispute thenPresident Ed Doherty announced at a

general membership meeting that CityHall was not responding to his phonecalls. The gentlemen in the audiencestanding next to me rhetorically asked,“What kind of union president do we havethat can’t even get his phone calls re-turned from Ray Flynn.”

“An honest one” was my reply along

One Member’s Opinion:“Boston Teachers, We Have a Problem”

with, “Would you rather that we get abunch of B.S.?”

Well, eventually we did receive a fairand decent contract; even though theroad to its arrival may have been a bumpyone and surely modern day spinmeistersand political advisors would caution aunion leader against such veracity. I can’thelp but think that President Doherty

mous for paying low wages, for providingpoor health benefits, and for aggressivelykeeping its employees from unionizing.In the case just settled in Minnesota, theemployees were not paid for all time theyworked and were forced to take short-ened lunch breaks. It’s these last twoitems that I want you to be mindful of thisyear.

Are there times you perform BPS workwithout compensation? Do you take anabbreviated lunch? I’m willing to bet thatthe answer is yes to both of these ques-tions. Fortunately the situation is withinyour control. We need to set a healthybalance between work and our privatelives. This year, make it your goal to leaveyour building at sign-out with no paperwork each day and to eat your lunch in theteachers’ lounge. Impossible? Not at all, butit may require work and dedication. Let’slook at the alternative:

Ms. Lee Palmer was a teacher atAnother Course to College. Over a yearago she quit teaching at ACC to attendlaw school. The following is how shedescribed a typical teaching day: “Icouldn’t believe the amount of work thatwas required. It was relentless. I’d wakeup at 4:00 AM to prep, and then go intoschool to teach until 2:30 PM. After schoolI’d stay to help students until 4:00 PM,and then head home for a quick dinnerand into bed by 7:30 PM.” Sound familiar?Ms. Palmer describes a twelve-hour work-day. We aren’t even paid for seven hoursof our time and Ms. Palmer felt obliged todonate five more a day. Could you imag-ine what the uproar would be, if the BPS,like Wal-Mart, required us to work off theclock? Sadly too many of us are voluntar-ily giving that amount of time to the schoolsystem and in the long run it hurts us asindividuals and as professionals.

Let me point out here and now that Iam not advocating that we fail to assist astruggling student. If a child comes to mydesk and asks for some assistance afterschool, I’ll give that child some one-on-one instruction. The key word here issome. I will not stay after 90 minutes eachday for uncompensated private tutoring.I urge the rest of us not to either becausethen that time becomes a continuation ofthe school day. Continuous extra helpmorphs into a longer day for both theteacher and the student, neither of whomwill benefit in the long run: the teacherwill become burnt out and the student willdevelop the bad habit of not picking upthe material during class time since heknows that he can just come by after classfor “clarification.” At parent-teacher nightsI am often asked what day(s) I stay afterfor extra help. I reply that I do not staybeyond the school day and that class timeis the appropriate time for a student to askme questions. If more time is need forbetter instruction, or if class sizes are toolarge for proper learning, then the bestway to solve the problem is throughcollective bargaining. For if hundreds ofus supplement a bad situation with ourfree time, why should the BPS make anychanges?

So what to do? First of all, we as

unionists and professionals need to standtogether for the benefit of our professionand our students. When our contractualday ends, we should leave the building.The key to completing our work withinthe school day is to be efficient with ourPlanning and Development time.Remember, planning comes first in P&D.Plan wisely so that the end of the schoolday is the end of your workday.

Vary your assessments. When I was arookie teacher my (unofficial) mentortold me that the measure of a good examis this: you should be able to correct a setof exams in the length of time it takes astudent to complete that same exam. Thatway you can correct a set of exams whilethe next class is taking theirs. Not everyexam needs to be a three-page essay.Short quizzes are often a better gage ofstudent mastery than long tests. Mixthings up in order to reduce your time onpaperwork and to help students by notfocusing on the same thing all the time.

It is also important to assist strugglingcolleagues. When you walk out of thebuilding each afternoon, notice those whofrequently stay late. During the schoolyear, strike up conversations with thesepeople. Find out what’s taking up theirtime and offer your suggestions on howto remedy the problem. You’ll make afriend and help save a colleague’s sanity.

Speaking of sanity, lunchtime isimportant for one’s mental health. Resistthe urge to get one more thing done. Youneed a break from your hard work, take it;eat with a friend, go to the teachers’ loungeto have an adult conversation, or take awalk around the school to stretch yourlegs. Above all, don’t turn those preciousminutes into Wal-Martesque time.

Perhaps most importantly, don’t beafraid to say “no.” If you are asked to domore than you are able, if that request willintrude into your personal time, politelysay that you’d love to help but that yousimply don’t have the time. If pushed byan administrator, politely point out thedifficulties in complying with the requestand offer an alternative. Perhaps acompromise can be worked where youtake on the new task but have an old onetaken away. Just saying “yes” to everyrequest will leave you without the time,energy or strength to fulfill any of yourcommitments.

If we don’t take care of our professionalhealth, who will? Wal-Mart makes billionsof dollars at the expense of its workersand its community. Don’t let the GreatCity of Boston do the same to you. Soremember: leave the job at school. Gohome and spend time with your familyand friends. Enjoy your evenings andweekends. You’ll be more rested andmore enthusiastic come Mondaymorning. You and your students will beall the better for it.

(Michael J. Maguire is a ClassicsTeacher at Boston Latin Academy and is aBTU Executive Board member.)

Post Script: In 2006 our statewide union,AFT-Massachusetts, began a boycott of Wal-Mart. Please spend your money at busi-nesses that are friendly to unions.

Schools, Time and Wal-Mart…(continued from page 3)

(continued on page 11)

10 ❖ BOSTON UNION TEACHER ❖ October, 2008

October 2, 2008 Mohegan Sun Trip

October 5, 2008 RTC Executive Board Meeting – 10:00 AM

October 16, 2008 General RTC Membership Meeting

October 21, 2008 “Turkey Train” Trip to New Hampshire

November 3, 2008 RTC Executive Board Meeting – 10:00 AM

Retired Teachers Chapter – Calendar of Events

By Sandra M. Carle andLawrence J. Connolly, Co-Chairs

RTC Legislative Committee

After much hard work, we finally were able to get the legislature to take one

small step toward providing a decent Costof Living Adjustment (COLA) to retirees.Despite the constant newspaper articlesabout how the additional $10 per montheach retiree would receive, would causebridges to collapse from disrepair, prisonsto have to release killers and rapists, andschools to have to terminate educationafter grade 6, we were sure the governorwould do the decent thing and sign it intolaw. After all, didn’t he just give one billiondollars to the biotech industry to financetheir operations here? Certainly, since wehave state money to pay 24% of the salaryof all the movie stars shooting inMassachusetts, he wouldn’t have trouble

Governor Deval Patrick Stiffs RetireesVetoes Cost of Living Adjustment for Retirees

Retired Teachers News

length during the 2006 Retirees TeachersFall Luncheon. Surely, he wasn’t trying todeceive us!

Unfortunately, in August the real DevalPatrick made his appearance and he letus know that despite the positive influenceteachers had upon his success, it was notworth 33 cents per day. Not only did hereturn the COLA bill unsigned – aneffective veto – but he went out of his wayin a letter to legislators to single out theinclusion of Boston teachers in the COLAincrease as a reason for his veto. A copy ofthe letter is enclosed for your information.

Also included in this article is a copy ofa letter we have sent to the governor. Weencourage all BTU members, active andretired, who have not already done so, towrite to the governor and express your

Governor Deval PatrickState HouseBoston Massachusetts 02133

Dear Governor Patrick:We write you not only to express our disappointment but also our indignation

at your veto of the miniscule COLA increase voted by the legislature for publicemployee retirees, including teachers. Less than two years ago, in a lengthyaddress to over 850 members of Retired Teachers’ Chapter of the BostonTeachers’ Union, you repeatedly expounded on the positive effect teachers hadon your success in life and assured them that, when elected, a decent COLAwould be the hallmark of your administration. As is typical for teachers whoalways come to the table with a barrel of idealism and a thimble of cynicism, theytook you at your word and strongly supported your candidacy. However, whenyou were presented with your first opportunity to make good on your promiseto them, you seemed to have cavalierly thrown them under the bus and vetoeda COLA increase of a mere 33 cents per day!

While your public relations spokesperson tried to put the spin on your actionby saying you really wanted to help those making under $40,000 per year, thisis just a red herring. The fact is no retiree, regardless of pension, would receivemore than $120 per year in additional benefits and the approximately 13,000retirees over $40,000 would only represent an added cost of $1,560,000 orapproximately fifty-five ten-thousandths of one percent (0.0000552) of the$28,233,000,000 budget. While your spin on trying to help those most destituteretirees is somewhat charitable, those above the poverty level who worked longand hard in the public service should not have to slip into poverty or meet ameans test before receiving a COLA.

Massachusetts is one of a handful of states where retirees do not receiveSocial Security benefits in addition to their public pension. While this saves thestate and its municipalities several thousand dollars per year per employee inFICA payments, the retiree loses out on up to $27,000 (over $40,000 if married)in benefits at full retirement age. This Social Security benefit is adjusted annuallyon the full amount, with this year’s COLA expected to be 6.1% (higher if inflationfor the last quarter continues at its current pace). This means a couple receivingthe maximum Social Security based on one worker’s earnings will receive aCOLA of over $2400 as opposed to the Massachusetts COLA maximum of $360.Do you honestly feel that we should be satisfied with a COLA that is 15% of theprojected Social Security COLA maximum?

We are tired of hearing of the unfunded liability of the public retirementsystem. Massachusetts, unlike every other state except New Jersey, has takenthe fiscally irresponsible position of making no mandatory matching contributionsto its public employee retirement funds. It has for many decades paid currentretirees with the contributions of current workers perhaps in the hope that theformer die before they use up too much of the latter’s contributions. It workeduntil modern advances in medicine increased life spans and now the piper hasto be paid or Wall Street drops the ratings. The problem has been furtherexacerbated by the practice of using the pension fund as a source of revenue forstate needs totally unrelated to retiree pensions, much as you recently sug-gested when you tried to bail out M.E.F.A. with a $50,000,000 infusion from theretiree pension fund into low returns M.E.F.A. bonds!

To suggest that current retirees wait until 2024 or 2028 when the investmentreturns on the retirees own contributions fully fund the pension system andmake up for past and present fiscal irresponsibility on the state’s part we believeis unconscionable. Many fiscal experts contend that at a contribution of 9% publicemployees fund their own retirement. (Boston Globe – September 26, 2006 –Steve Bailey). Most teachers now contribute 11% so they over fund the system!

We fully intend to continue our campaign for a fair and decent COLA to ourpensions as it is the only way to ensure the retirement our long years of publicservice owes to us. There is no reason Massachusetts cannot afford to provideas decent a COLA as the federal government and the majority of the other statesprovide to their retirees. At election time we will heed the memorable exhortationof Samuel Gompers and remember to ‘reward our friends and punish ourenemies.” We sincerely hope you will rectify this grave misstep and will continueto count yourself among our friends.

Sincerely,Sandra M. Carle

Lawrence J. ConnollyCo-chairs of the RTC Legislative Committee

Governor Deval PatrickExplains His Vetoof Retiree COLA Bill

giving 33 cents per day to retirees whoworked 35 to 40 years for the citizens ofMassachusetts. Don’t forget thosesoothing words of praise he bestowed at

indignation. This was a slap in the face toour organization that gave him so muchsupport in his campaign and he shouldnot go unchallenged!

November 6, 2008 Fall RTC Luncheon

November 16-18, 2008 Atlantic City Trip

December 1, 2008 RTC Executive Board Meeting – 10:00 AM

December 2, 2008 “Chez Joseph” Trip

Compiled by Anne Broder, RTC Treasurer

BOSTON UNION TEACHER ❖ October, 2008 ❖ 11

Using Historical Documents in the ClassroomHistory Comes Alive When Students Read Primary Sources

By Marjorie Duby

For those of you constantly looking forresources that will provide both

meaningful PDPs and primary sourcematerial that complements and broadensclassroom themes and subject matter,look into the collection available at theNortheast RegionalOffice of the NationalArchives and RecordsAdministration (NARA)in Waltham.

From July 28-August1, 2008, I participated in“Primarily Teaching: Us-ing Historical Docu-ments in the Classroom.”I was curious aboutNARA’s collection’sconnections to thecurriculum content andclassroom activities of a5th grade classroom.Additionally, as a retiree,I planned to apply the 40 PDPs toward mynext licensure renewal.

Knowing that NARA’s mission is toarchive and share access to the originalfederal documents for federal agenciesoperating in the Boston area andmicrofilmed copies of other federaldocuments that did not originate inBoston, I focused ontheir federal recordsabout the contributionsof Deborah SampsonGannett during theRevolutionary War, theinvolvement of LewisHayden in theabolitionist movementof the 1850s, theChinese Exclusion Actof 1882, and the Bostondesegregation schoolcase of the 1970s.

In the classroom,students read fictionalaccounts of how Deborah SampsonGannett disguised herself as a man andunder the name of Robert Shurtleff,fought in the Revolutionary War. Shesuccessfully hid her identity until she waswounded, found out during her treatment,and received an Honorable Discharge asRobert Shurtleff in 1783. Later in life,when she applied for a pension, she hadto provide witnesses with documentedevidence that she was Robert Shurtleffand eligible for it. There on microfilm washer original processed application and

her husband’s subsequent appeal forwidower’s benefits after Deborah’s death.

Pursuing the theme of fugitive slaves,I checked the 1850 U.S. Censusinformation for Lewis Hayden, a second-hand Boston clothes dealer active inabolitionist activity. I hit upon an

unexpected jewel of a classroom resourcewhen I found William and Ellen Craftlisted as living with the Hayden family! In1848, Ellen Craft, a light-skinned slavefrom Georgia and her husband William,escaped to the North and settled in Boston.These documents showed the creativityof a people fighting for freedom. During

the escape, Ellen disguisedherself as a male slave ownertraveling to Pennsylvaniawith his slave, William, formedical care. I rememberedstanding in front of Hayden’shouse on Phillips Street with5th graders as we immersedourselves in the history ofthe north slope of BeaconHill under the guidance ofthose rangers from BostonAfrican American NationalHistoric Park (BOAF). Weheard of Hayden standingon his front stoop and

confronting slave catchers with a matchin his hand, ready to ignite kegs ofdynamite hidden below rather thanallowing them entrance. This censusinformation was a definitive primarysource and a perfect complement to thecollective biography Two Tickets toFreedom, a book easily read by 5th graders.

Seeking additional primary sourcesrelated to activity on Beacon Hill duringthe 1850s, I requested and was broughtthe original Federal indictment for LewisHayden’s involvement in the Shadrach

Deborah Sampson Gannett

Ellen (Craft) disguised herself as a male slave ownertraveling to Pennsylvania with his slave, William, formedical care.

Minkins episode. Shadrach Minkins,a fugitive slave from Virginia who hadsettled in abolitionist Boston as a waiter,was the first escaped slave captured inNew England under the 1850 FugitiveSlave Law. Federal marshalsarrested and detained him atthe Federal Court House inBoston. Members of theBoston Vigilance Commit-tee, an anti-slavery group,rescued him from the CourtHouse and directed him toCanada. Lewis Hayden, amember of the committeeand known for harboringfugitives in his house, wasindicted. My studentsreenacted the Shad-rach Minkins escapein the African Meeting House with BOAFrangers.

Chinese immigrants worked in goldmines and on the railroads. Anti-Chinesesentiments grew when white labor unionsblamed the Chinese for lower wages anda scarcity of work. This sentiment led tothe passage of the Chinese Exclusion Actin 1882 that continued until 1943 whenthe Supreme Court ruled the lawunconstitutional.The act prohi-bited Chineseimmi-gration.When the SanFrancisco earth-quake and fire of1906 destroyedlocal publicrecords, theChinese createdthe “paper son”that would allowlarge number ofChinese to im-migrate to theUnited States inthe early 1900s.While viewingd o c u m e n t srelated to “paper son” legal cases, I reliveda trip to Boston’s Chinatown andremembered questions 5th graders askedas they soaked up the history.

In NARA’s Research Room, holdingsome of the original Morgan vs. Henniganpaperwork, I had flashbacks of life at thenewly opened Joseph Lee School. Morganvs. Hennigan was the law suit that led tothe desegregation of the Boston PublicSchools. The Lee School was built inresponse to the Racial Imbalance Act of

1965 that denied state funding to schoolsystems that did not have plans in place toeliminate schools deemed to be raciallyimbalanced. With the opening in 1971,Lee’s teachers, students, and their parents

lived through Boston’sdesegregation case thatbrought improvementsin hiring and promotionopportunities for blackteachers; improvededucational offeringsfor students includingthe option of attendinga magnet school;improved opportunitiesfor parental involve-ment in the schools; and

improved partnerships between theBoston Public Schools and areauniversities.

These were but a few primary sourcedocuments netted. My objective ofmaking real life connections to thecontent 5th grade students studied andliterature they read was a success. Thearchivists and staff at NARA weresuccessful in sharing their specificholdings of local history through

Federal records. Theyalso infected us withtheir energy andpassion for handling,analyzing and usingprimary sourcesstarting in elementaryclassrooms.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

NARA is located at 380Trapelo Road inWaltham. There is a hugeparking lot and free ad-mission. In addition totheir original documents,they have an extensivemicrofilm collection, andfree access to ancestry.comand footnote.com online.

NARA provides genea-logy lectures and workshops for educatorsthroughout the year. If you would like tobecome familiar with their resources inorder to discover how they complementyour classroom themes, visit NARA onlineat www.archives.gov/northeast or contactAnnie Davis, Education Specialist(Annie.Davis@nara.gov) at 781-663-0126.

(Marjorie Duby, a BPS retiree, spentthe bulk of her professional career at theJoseph Lee School in Dorchester, MA.)

Lewis Hayden

One Member’s Opinion: “Boston Teachers, We Have a Problem”…(continued from page 9)

sensed that in the long run, telling thetruth would work (it did), and that forevery voice that arose criticizing him fornot being able to get his call returnedfrom City Hall there would be one toadmire his courage and candor.

Knowing that we would be under at-tack and in for a tough fight on the con-tract, and other career issues, we werepsychologically prepared for this battleand very aware of whom our enemies were.

I recall then that the Boston Herald ranan editorial attacking teacher tenure inwhich they said, “imagine if professionalbaseball players had a tenure system?” tothe Herald’s credit they printed my op-edresponse which was that, in fact, MajorLeague Baseball DOES have a tenuresystem that mandates any player with fiveyears with a team and ten years in theleague can’t be traded without said play-ers permission.

We had a strong and vibrant union thatwas able to put over 4,000 active andretired BTU members on the bricks of

City Hall Plaza at a contract rally. Wemade national news during that disputein the year 2000 when we stormed the citycouncil chambers with our educationalconcerns... Within days we were pre-sented with an excellent contract thatwon near unanimous BTU membershipapproval.

Now fast forward to the spring of 2008...And The Boston Union Teacher’s Juneedition has a front page story headliningthe retired educators who stormed theState House. Retired BTU members builtthe BTU and deserve to be treated withHonesty, Dignity and Respect. We shouldreward and promote those elected offi-cials who treat us fairly – and take to taskthose who do not.

However, when you turn to page five ofthe June, 2008 paper BTU paper, you seeGovernor Deval Patrick being celebratedat an annual dinner. Why? This is thesame Governor who promised to be ourfriend when seeking office, but has DONENOTHING to live up to the promises he

made to our membership. In fact, his vetotook the pittance $120 per year C.O.L.A.+from retired members’ pockets!

With the 2008 inflation rate the highestit has been in the last 27 years, thingshave never been worse for retired mem-bers! (Not to mention their health Insur-ance increase in our last contract.)

Picturing any individual in a positivelight with respected BTU members sendsa false message that, “All is well with ourfriend” when, in fact, nothing could befurther from the truth!

Perhaps it is time that the BTU leader-ship took a good look at how they allowedthemselves to be used and then thrownaway by a governor who spends moremoney on entertainment for his last Chinajunket than it would cost to fund theC.O.L.A.+ for 2,000 retired BTU mem-bers per annum? (Roughly $250,000).

Deval Patrick does not even pretendto care; Boston Teachers are less impor-tant to him than hors d’oeuvres.

Yet this is not happening in a union

whose motto could be, “NEVER is hearda discouraging word.”

The wisdom of President John F.Kennedy stills rings true, “Without de-bate, without criticism no administrationcan succeed and no republic can survive.”

In the movie about the Apollo XIIIspace flight we saw how the “groundtroops” at mission control responded toTom Hanks’ honest assessment that,“Houston, We have a problem.”

Everyone pulled together and, in unity,amazingly solved an incredible dilemma.

This summer we saw the request for asmall increase in the pension of verydeserving educators’ crash and burn on abarren surface known as The Massachu-setts state house dome.

Just because this was not supposed tohappen does not mean that it should beignored by burying our head in the sand.Nor that more bad news for teachers isn’tsure to follow.

Boston Teachers, We have a problem.(Submitted by John Glynn.)

12 ❖ BOSTON UNION TEACHER ❖ October, 2008

Photos courtesyof Amika

Kemmler-Ernst,Frank Pantano,

and Garret Virchick

By Kathy Aldred

Approximately 300 new teachers, as well as veteran teachers new to Boston Public Schools enjoyed three days together at the New Teacher Institute which was held at

UMass Boston on August 19, 20, and 21. The teachers received a warm welcome fromRichard Stutman, President of the BTU, Mayor Thomas Menino, and Dr. CarolJohnson, Superintendent of Schools. The BTU also maintained a welcome and informationalpost for all three days, staffed by volunteers.

Dr. Denise Patmon, of UMass Boston was the keynote speaker. Her commentscentered on Culturally Relevant and Responsive Practices, which, incidentally was oneof the major workshops offered to the new teachers and one of the most popular.

The group of full-time New Teacher Developers and other teacher leaders in ourschools played a key role in this year’s Institute, as they designed content and structureand delivered instruction in several workshop areas such as Classroom CommunitiesI and II, Community Resources, and Family and Student Engagement. Experiencedteachers and BTR (Boston Teacher Resident) grads were able to explore othertopics such as an Introduction to Technology in Boston Public schools. Theteachers also heard from a group of very polished BPS students as they engagedin a workshop titled ‘Student Voices and Perspectives’.

There was a great deal of excitement and interest over the three days as the newteachers got to know one another and began to build a network to keep in touchthroughout the school year. The New Teacher Developers, on hand for all three daysof the Institute immediatelynoticed the strengths and skillsthe new teachers are bringing tothe job. Whether a beginningteacher, fresh out of the collegeclassroom themselves, anexperienced teacher fromanother district, or a careerchanger from another field, theirvoices were strong, spirits high,and energy levels were soaring.

We welcome all teachers newto Boston Public Schools andhope you will have a veryproductive year as you strive to make a positive impact in the lives of our students.

(Kathy Aldred, veteran teacher in the Boston Public Schools, currently serves as a NewTeacher Developer.)

2008-2009 School Year Opens withSuccessful New Teacher InstituteTeacher-Led Professional Development Gets High Marks From Participants

New Teacher Developer KathyAldred facilitating a workshopon Culturally Relevant andResponsive Practices

Ani Mwalimu from Boston International HighSchool prepares his entry plan for the first fewdays of school

Konstantinos Petmezis (L), Curley School and MichaelCabrera, Sarah Greenwood

(L-R) Darcell Hunt (Urban Science Academy), GeoffGailey and Michelle Karp (The Engineering School)

Barbara Gates from LeeAcademy enjoys both herapple and a passage fromRethinking Schools’ NewTeacher Handbook

Ellen Tuite will teach at theMarshall School

(L-R) Ivalisse De Jesus(Noonan Business Academy),Laura Castelli (English HighSchool), and RachelBradshaw (Josiah QuincyUpper School) discusssetting up rules andprocedures in the classroom

Theresa Haddad Nealy,Haley School

(L-R) Natasha Huggins (Urban Science Academy),Trina Renee Bryant (Social Justice Academy), andTravis Y. Kelly (Parkway Academy of Technology andHealth) share ideas during their workshop

After interning at FenwayHigh School, RicardoValencia will be teachingUS History at BostonCommunity LeadershipAcademy

(L-R) Melodie Miranda, Edgar De Leon, and Viet Nguyenwill be working together at Urban Science Academy

Bristol Konjoian willbe teaching at TheEnglish High SchoolAshley Johnson, Orchard Gardens

Victoria Barbato, (Brighton High School) and VicenteVallejo (Charlestown High School) brainstorming at theBuilding Classroom Communities workshop

Jennifer Stone did her student teaching atNoonan Business Academy and will beback as a 1st year teacher this year

Human Resources Director Bill Horwath (L)and BTU Vice-President Pat Connolly

Mildred Avenue Middle School teachers Emily Bathan (L) andKatisha John discuss a point during the New Teacher Institute

Darcell Huntparticipatingin the ClassroomCommunity workshop