Dear Members,
It’s been a confusing and constantly changing couple of weeks back in school. I’d like to take the opportunity with this message to convey some important information about attendance and leaves. Many members are confused about what types of leave they are eligible for, and have reported inconsistent leave practices in their school buildings to their Field Reps.
-
you are instructed to quarantine due to COVID exposure in a school and cannot work from home (for example, if a teacher is a close contact of someone in their class who tests positive), or
-
you test positive for COVID when there has been a recent COVID case at your work site.
In these constantly changing times, staying safe and informed is a major priority. This week, we’re providing members for the first time with the full text of the new Teacher Contract, and connecting you with a new hub for COVID information from the Baltimore City government. We’re also highlighting classroom visiting artist Gayle Danley, and a webinar from the Education for Liberation Network on Healing Justice Peadagogy. I, and the rest of the BTU staff urge you to stay safe, stay informed, and stay in touch with us and your colleagues.
In solidarity,
President Brown
READ THE FULL VERSION OF THE TEACHER CONTRACT TENTATIVE AGREEMENT HERE
VOTING RATIFICATION WINDOW SEPTEMBER 20 – OCTOBER 1ST
Member Updates
- Please be advised that biweekly member dues will be increased by $0.21 to $48.32 starting September 17th, 2021 due to an annual per capita increase by AFT National.
- Please be advised that the modified dues rate will be increased by $0.10 to $24.27 starting September 17th, 2021 due to an annual per capita increase by AFT National.
- Due to increased safety concerns about potential COVID transmission, the BTU Holiday Party will not be held in 2021. The BTU Holiday Party is currently scheduled to resume in 2022.
BTU TEACHER CHAPTER CONTRACT INFORMATION SESSIONS
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.
INTRODUCING! CLASSROOM VISITING ARTIST, GAYLE DANLEY!
.jpg)
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://
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.
BALTIMORE PARENT PETITION TO BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL LEADERS
Read the full petition and sign hereThe 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.
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.