Words from Grace
Two quotes say it all....
Important Dates
April 19 - Patriot’s Day - No School
April 20 - 23 - Spring Recess - No School
May 31 - Memorial Day - No School
June 18 - Last Day of School
August 16-18 - August Leadership Institute
September 9 - First Day of School (grades 1 -12)
Division of Academics
Equitable ELA/Literacy Instruction PD Opportunities
The BPS Strategic Vision states that "every child in every classroom is entitled to an equitable, world-class, high-quality education" and calls on each of us to commit to systemic change in order to meet the needs of students to ensure equitable outcomes. In 2019-2020 a cross-functional team drafted a vision for equitable ELA/Literacy instruction in BPS. Realizing this vision will require systemic change as we shift many common literacy practices to ones that are grounded in the science of reading and deep equity work.
BPS will be offering a series of professional learning experiences designed to support educators to develop competency in the elements of equitable ELA/Literacy instruction. One upcoming opportunity for educators to learn about current research and research-based practices is listed below. A fuller set of learning opportunities will be forthcoming in May.
Adolescent Solutions for Secondary Teachers (6-12) is a professional learning experience focused on research-based practices for supporting adolescent readers with unfinished foundational skill development.
Dates: 4/30, 5/14, 5/28, 6/11 from 1p - 4:30P
6/22 & 6/23 from 9a - 4p (with breaks)
The registration limit for each session is 40 participants.
Summer Learning Update for School Leaders
In February, 44 schools and 36 community partners were approved to run their own programs this summer through the district’s 5th Quarter Portfolio Initiative. Additionally, 35 schools will host EL Academies in partnership with the Office of English Learners, and the Department of Early Childhood will offer Summer Early Focus at four sites.
The Central Office Summer Learning Teams are working on streamlining communication to schools and school leaders to ensure that you have all of the information you need. If you are running your own program outside of 5th Quarter, ESY, EL Academies, and Summer Early Focus, please reach out to summerlearning@bostonpublicschools.org to ensure you will have access to central office resources.
For student prioritization instructions, K-8 student enrollment, credit recovery registration, and important date, please review the Summer Registration Communication Update.
Credit Recovery Registration Opens April 26
Registration for credit-bearing and competency-based secondary school programs opens on April 26! Schools should select a site location and appropriate courses based on student incompletes. How-to guides will be available on the Aspen homepage. To ensure your guidance counselor has enrollment coordinator access in Aspen, please update this document, and highlight your school’s row in green by April 21.
Office of Health & Wellness: Call for School Wellness Award Nominations
Each year, the BPS celebrates innovative, collaborative approaches to creating sustainable, healthy school environments that advance students’ healthy development and readiness to learn. The awards recognize school wellness councils that have enhanced school health and excelled in implementing the wellness policy.
We want to recognize and award schools that found creative ways to adapt to the challenges of this year and to attend to the health and wellbeing of students, staff, and families. The School Wellness Award is an opportunity to honor school teams’ outstanding efforts to promote the wellness policy’s different areas.
Anyone can nominate a school for their work using this form! Contact: Maryka Lier, Director of Wellness Policy & Promotions.
Trans 101: Supporting Transitioning Students
This OUT for Safe Schools training will provide participants the opportunity to learn about the differences between sex, gender identity, and gender expression. From this training, participants will also understand how to utilize BPS policy and procedures to support transitioning students.
Please see the flyer for more information. Date: April 28th from 3:00p - 4:30p
Contact: Felicia Simmons, ETTH Grant Coordinator
Expanding Inclusion and/or Inclusive Practices at Schools
The Office of Special Education is looking for schools that are interested in expanding inclusion and/or inclusive practices in their buildings. There will be funds available for stipends for planning teams. Please complete the survey and see the brief timeline below:
April 9 - May 1: Schools complete short interest survey
May 1-May 14: Follow up conversations with OSE staff
May 28: Schools will be notified confirming their participation
June/Summer/Fall: Planning committees get to work
NEW: Special Education Micro-Grant Opportunity - For School Leaders
The Office of Special Education is pleased to announce a new micro-grant opportunity to support students with disabilities district-wide recoup learning loss due to COVID-19. These funds are available to support schools in enhancing and reimagining learning opportunities relative to COVID-19. The deadline for applications is April 21, 2021. Please see the attached flyer for more details on the opportunity. For additional information contact Porsche Paulding.
NEW: Seasonal Summer Opportunities for ESY - For School-Based Staff
The Office of Special Education is excited to initiate planning for the Summer 2021 Extended School Year (ESY) program and invites interested teachers and school-based staff to apply. Please see below for a list of openings. The program will operate July 12-August 20, 2021.
Click the link here for each job description and application. For additional information, contact: ESY-Hiring@bostonpublicschools.org
FUNDATIONS: Registration and Survey SY 21-22
Please complete this form in its entirety to help us facilitate planning and securing materials for SY21-22. Submissions are due by May 6th, 2021.
The training is for Classroom Teachers, including Resource and ESL teachers, in Grades K2-2 only.
Social Work Hiring Process
The Social Work hiring process is underway! Please share the job posting with prospective candidates who reflect the diversity and lived experiences of your students and families. School Leaders can use this SHEET to keep track of the process and candidates who have advanced to the pool for school-based hiring. Tools for the process will be shared through this sheet. Questions, suggestions and concerns should be shared with Carmen Calderon O'Hara and Ilyitch Nahiely Tábora
FERPA Training Registration for School Leaders
This spring ODA will provide mandatory FERPA training for all School Leaders. You will learn FERPA, State, and BPS regulations about Protecting Student Privacy and Education Records. If you have not attended a previous FERPA Training, register for one of the spring sessions.
Registration form for FERPA Training
Spring MAP Testing Window: Early Administration Possible
Schools may administer MAP early if they wish to complete testing before the MCAS window opens (see updated assessment calendar for all updates for Spring 2021). Spring MAP administration is currently scheduled for 5/24-6/11. Please contact formatives@bostonpublicschools.org if you wish to administer MAP early.
Panorama Weekly Update - Reminder: Help Site Includes Updated Training Materials!
ODA has made major updates to the BPS Student Success Help Site, adding many new resources to the training materials page specifically. The site now offers numerous bite-sized resources, which directly address the most common questions about the Panorama Student Success platform. Choose from resources available in four formats:
Slides: suitable as “off the shelf” training materials for staff teams
Video tutorials: designed to offer staff a quick overview of key features
Help articles: step-by-step instructions that are especially useful as general reference materials
Worksheets: practice and apply your learning, individually or in a group
Division of Equity, Strategy, & Opportunity Gaps
Office of Recruitment, Cultivation and Diversity Programs (RCD)
Thank you to all of the school leaders who have been connecting with us to take advantage of the strong and diverse pool of candidates we have cultivated this year!! We especially appreciate you highlighting the candidates you interviewed but could not hire, so we can share with others! We have created a form to better track and share these candidates below.
Many of you have also taken advantage of connecting w/ candidates through our events. There is only one more recruitment event this season! Please join us if you are looking for Multilingual or High Needs candidates.
Multilingual/ High Needs Educators’ Recruitment Event: In need of candidates who are multilingual or have Special Needs/ Moderate Disabilities/ SEI Endorsement/ Severe Disabilities licenses? Join us via Zoom on Tuesday, 4/27, 5:00-6:30pm. RSVP here. Here is a link to candidate RSVPs which will be updated continuously.
Signing Bonuses for Latinx (new to BPS) Teachers: Through a grant with DESE, there are 50 $1000 Hiring Bonuses available for the hiring of new to BPS Latinx teacher candidates and BPS MTEL prep program completers. Complete this referral form for candidates you want to recommend to receive the bonus. Priority given to Latinx candidates (to close our largest teacher/student diversity gap), and our BPS MTEL prep completers.
Searching for Diverse Teacher candidates? Please complete this request form for leads to candidates for your open and difficult to fill positions. We will respond within 48 hours! Or search the Early Hiring Pool accessible through Talent Ed, or this spreadsheet: Early Hiring Pool.
Emergency Licenses: DESE has extended Emergency licenses validity from June 30, 2021 to June 30, 2022. Any teachers you currently would like to retain on Emergency Licenses should apply in the Educator Licensure and Renewal (ELAR) system. Additionally teachers who do not have a current license, may apply for the Emergency License. See: Update on DESE Emergency Licensure - February 12, 2021 for additional information.
Sharing Promising Candidates: If you have recently met with an excellent candidate of color, but ultimately could not hire them, we would greatly appreciate you completing this form that we can share with all school leaders to learn about them.
Pipeline Programs
Accelerated Community to Teacher (ACTT)
Are you seeking a provisional license in Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary in 2022? RCD’s Teacher Pipeline Programs will soon open applications for the 2022 ACTT Cohort. ACTT is BPS’s community-based program and it is open to paraprofessionals, Bolling staff and career-changers who have a passion for teaching our students in our schools. This is a great, no-cost opportunity to be mentored by expert BPS teachers and receive MTEL support. In 2022, BE ACTT, our bilingual educators’ program will be launched. BE ACTT has been awarded a DESE grant to launch in July 2021. Our students’ need culturally and linguistically diverse teachers. Bachelor’s degree required; see flyer and apply now. The deadline for ACTT is May 10, 2021.
Retention Updates
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Join us for our next ALANA event sponsored by the ISGM on Thursday, April 29, 2021 at 5:30pm. Register Here. The magic of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum comes to you! Enjoy an immersive, interactive visit to the Gardner Museum. Knowledgeable Museum Teachers will engage you through live conversation and fun activities while also sharing insights and stories about the Museum’s history, collections, and founder. Did you know? BPS teachers always get free admission to the Gardner and free virtual visits for their classes. All event attendees will be entered into a raffle for a $25 Gift at the Gardner gift card, to make your next visit to the Museum even more special.
Educators of Color Monthly Newsletter
Enjoy the newsletter for the month of April here.
Ed Prep Reviewers
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is currently accepting applications for the 2021-22 cohort of Ed Prep reviewers. The Ed Prep Formal Review process was designed to elevate educators’ diverse perspectives and make evaluations about preparation program effectiveness in partnership with PK-12 and higher education professionals. Ed Prep reviewers serve an integral role in evaluating the impact of educator preparation providers across the state. After careful selection and practice-based training, DESE relies on reviewers to analyze evidence of program effectiveness and support evidence-based decisions. All upcoming reviews will be conducted fully virtually. Reviewers will conduct a document review, observe virtual focus groups and interviews, and work in partnership with a team of education professionals in making judgements regarding program performance relative to Program Approval criteria. Please visit DESE’s website to learn more about the opportunity via FAQs and access the application and nomination form (https://www.doe.mass.edu/edprep/review/reviewers/) or reach out to EducatorPreparation@mass.gov with questions. Make sure to apply by the May 2nd deadline!
Seeking Representatives for the Kaleidoscope Community Council
The Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning, a pilot program out of DESE, is seeking applications from Massachusetts public school students, family members, educators, and interested community members to serve on its new Community Council. The Community Council will meet on four Wednesdays this spring starting on April 7 and will advise Kaleidoscope on its developing work around Deeper Learning by examining the tools, resources, and strategies being developed by the pilot. Kaleidoscope is specifically seeking to center the voices of applicants from historically marginalized communities. Please apply online, and email kaleidoscope@mass.gov with any questions.
Northeastern’s MacFarland Fellows Scholarships
Becoming an elementary or secondary school teacher requires passion, energy, and drive to positively impact Boston schools. We see those qualities in teachers across the Boston Public School system, especially as educators step up to the challenges of today’s ever-changing educational landscape. Dedicated educators are invaluable, and Northeastern wants to help you achieve your educational goals. If you want to earn your initial teaching license—and are committed to teaching in urban areas—you may be eligible for Northeastern’s MacFarland Fellows Scholarship and receive up to $20,000 to help you earn your graduate degree and endorsement for a Massachusetts' Initial Teaching license. For more information, click here.
Division of Human Capital
Updated Waiver Guidance
If you are submitting a waiver for an unlicensed educator, you do NOT need to include reasons that you did not select a candidate who is teaching on an Emergency License. For the purposes of a waiver, these educators are considered unlicensed. For full guidance on submitting a waiver, please see: For School Leaders/Department Heads: OHC Waiver Guide
Family Liaison Positions
We are excited to announce that the Family Liaison positions were posted this week! There have been some significant changes to the positions, so please read through this one pager here to understand what has changed and what hasn’t.
Please ensure strong candidates apply here and are screened through the central screening process.
Reach out to your HC Manager for any questions.
Social Worker Waivers
As we mentioned last week, in order to hire a Social Worker, they will need to go through the screening process at the central office, and you will be able to choose from a list of approved candidates (list forthcoming). Candidates may apply here.
Please know that this screening does not mean that they have a DESE License--you may still need to fill out a waiver in order to hire your candidate of choice.
Attendance Monitoring
As schools prepare for 4/26, we wanted to reshare resources regarding Attendance Monitoring and the Disciplinary Process. If staff are not following the school's established attendance policy, please initiate Attendance Monitoring to address these issues and hold staff accountable.
Division of Student, Family, and Community Advancement
Exam Schools Update
In an effort to keep our BPS community informed about the exam school admissions process, we want to make you aware of the letter that was sent to our eligible exam school families this week. The letter is also posted on the Exam School webpage in additional languages.
On Thursday, April 15, the judge affirmed our temporary exam schools admissions process. This communication is going out to families regarding next steps.
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