Any COVID related leave should not count as an occurrence this year for the purpose of the district’s attendance policy. If your admin incorrectly documents an occurrence, contact your Field Rep. (Some admin do not understand this policy very well.)

The Sick Bank opens in mid-October, and I strongly encourage everyone, but especially early career teachers who have limited leave accumulations, to join.

 

If you’re in a situation where you’re out of leave or nearly out of leave, Human Capital has agreed to individually review cases to issue advance additional paid sick leave. You can email them directly at humancapital@bcps.k12.md.us, and be sure to cc your BTU Field Rep. This is not ideal. Sick Bank is better, and the district should provide additional leaves in general (they’re refusing, like many places around the state).

 

There are also a number of paid leave options for certain scenarios listed below.

(The below is taken from the BCPSS Communications email on 8/23/21)

Employees will be granted paid leave for up to 10 days (outside of their regular, accrued leave) if:

In other cases, if you are sick or must quarantine due to COVID exposure outside of work, you should use your accrued leave time allocated for this purpose.

 

 

As always, when you suspect a violation of our contracts or the health and safety guidelines, contact your BTU Field Rep immediately.

 

 

The BTU will hold its ratification vote for the Teacher Chapter contract during the second half of September, with electronic and in-person voting options. As shared previously, the proposed contract contains a 2.25% for each of the next two years, no changes to this year’s health care, and many other hard fought, historic gains. To learn more, please see this Tentative Agreement Summary, which includes all new additions to the Teacher Chapter contract.

 

The BTU will also be holding a series of Zoom meetings for those interested in learning more about the contract. Some of these meetings will be held as general sessions, while others will be focused on particular job titles that have unique language within the contract. You must be a member and be sure register in advance to participate.

 

 

Tuesday, September 14, 4:00-5:00

Wednesday, September 15, 4:00-5:00

 

Monday, September 20, 4:00-5:00

 

 

Tuesday, September 21, 4:00-5:00

 

Thursday, September 23, 4:00-5:00

 

Tuesday, September 28, 4:00-5:00

 

Wednesday, September 29, 4:00-5:00

 

Wednesday, September 29, 5:00-6:00

 

USE THIS BTU FORM TO REPORT HEALTH AND SAFETY VIOLATIONS

As members volunteer and are mandated to work in person at school sites, the BTU has created an online reporting form in order to document positive and suspected COVID cases. This online reporting form can also be used to report:

• violations of the Teacher and PSRP Contracts
• violations of the MOU we recently negotiated to protect members, and
• violations of the District’s Safety and Health Guidelines.

This form is NOT meant to replace reported violations sent to supervisors, it is a supplement that will allow union membership a single, consistent, and safe place to report to BTU so that we are able to most efficiently and effectively support staff.

We will continue fighting for your safety whether you are working at home, or in a building whether voluntary or mandated. Please email info@baltu.org or your field rep if you have questions about how to fill out this form.

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SEPTEMBER 14TH WEBINAR! LESSONS IN LIBERATION: HEALING JUSTICE PEDAGOGIES

In celebration of the release of Lessons in Liberation, an Abolitionist Toolkit for Educators (September 2021, AK Press), we’re excited to announce a fall webinar series to support the movement for abolition across educational contexts.

Please join us for our second webinar of this series, “Lessons in Liberation: Healing Justice Pedagogies” happening Tuesday, September 14, at 4:00 – 5:30 PM PST / 6:00 – 7:30 PM CST / 7:00 – 8:30 PM EST.

Registration:

To receive a link to view the webinar livestream, please register at http://LessonsInLiberationHealing.eventbrite.com.

Accessibility:

ASL Interpretation will be provided by Certified Deaf Interpreters and Deaf Interpreters. We will also provide CART Captions. Please contact Sheeva (she or they) at abolitionisteducation@gmail.com for any additional accessibility needs or accessibility questions.

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BALTIMORE PARENT PETITION TO BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL LEADERS

Read the full petition and sign here

The reopening horror stories from the southern United States with outbreaks on the first day of school, overwhelmed pediatric hospitals, and deaths of children within days of getting infected are there for all to see. Governor Hogan, Superintendent Choudhury, Mayor Scott, and Dr. Santelises, you have the authority to prevent such a situation in Baltimore City. We are anticipating vaccine approval for the 5-11 age group in the coming months. Until such time as all children can be vaccinated, we, parents of Baltimore City School Children, ask you to meet these demands immediately.

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SIGN THE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS’ PETITION AND TELL THE CDC TO COLLECT BETTER DATA ON BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS AND EMERGING VARIANTS.

In May, the agency stopped collecting data on breakthrough infections that don’t result in hospitalization, blinding us to the full implications of the Delta variant. The CDC’s continued failure to collect this data continues to put people at risk. Now that the science is clear on the dangers of the highly transmissible Delta variant, which is now the dominant strain in the United States, the CDC must do a better job of collecting data and staying on top of new developments. As our kids head back to school, ensuring that we have the correct data and science-based guidance is all the more critical.

Sign here. 

To protect public health, the main thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated. However, we also need to collect essential data on COVID-19 cases and transmission so that we’re able to respond quickly to new developments with smart evidence-based policies.

 

The Pro Bono Counseling Project has an immediate need for a part-time Mental Health WARMLine Associate to provide clinical support services to Marylanders through its warm line. PBCP created its mental health WARMLine to provide brief, telephone based support for Marylanders who are experiencing stress, anxiety, worries, and grief.

 

This is a remote position that requires a LBSW, LMSW, LGPC, or LMFT license (other mental health licenses and graduate students enrolled in counseling programs may be considered). Shifts available are weekdays from 6:00 – 8:00 PM and weekends from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM.

The Festival celebrates the rich and thriving traditions of the African American community, brings together local and national recording artists and entertainers, small businesses, as well as Fortune 500 companies, to engage with thousands of attendees. The Festival continues to be a vibrant and exciting event that has become one of Baltimore Countyʼs proudest traditions. The event is free of charge for attendees, family-oriented and located on the streets surrounding the Towson Courthouse Plaza. Traditionally, the Festival is held on the third Saturday in the month of September. The festival serves as a vehicle to showcase Baltimore Countyʼs vibrant communities and its residents. It also serves as a means of raising funds to support charitable programs charged to the Festival Board, such as scholarships, summer camps, and historical preservation projects. The Baltimore County African American Cultural Festival is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.