Words from Grace
Thank you for your participation in professional development yesterday - taking time to reflect, celebrate the learning from your PLCs, previewing next year's focus, and recognize transitions. Getting a preview (slides 22-37) of next year's focus around the instructional core and literacy was inspiring!
As you build out your priorities for 2021-22, use these from yesterday.
Trajectory of Practice Development - Elementary School
Year 1 - Key Priorities | Year 2 - Key Priorities | Year 3 - Key Priorities |
-ILT learning about equitable literacy components -ILT assessment of current state of each element -K2-2 teachers take LETRS training to strengthen foundational skills instruction -Grade level teams planning high quality, CRIOP-aligned implementation of curriculum with “just in time supports” -Develop literacy-focused IF for SY 22-23 & align PL and CPT to it. | - All staff take Equitable Literacy Module 1: Equitable Literacy as an Anti-Racist Act -Grades 3-5 teachers take Reading Fundamentals course -ILT members facilitate CPT to plan instruction and formative data collection in ways that are aligned to IF -Grade level teams review current texts with in the curriculum and identify those that are enabling and identify additional enabling texts aligned to content. | -All staff take Equitable Literacy Module 4: Data Use for Equity -ILT and SST collaborate to develop collective capacity to collect screening and diagnostic data to support tiered instruction. - Grades 3-5 teachers take Equitable Literacy Modules 9-11 and implement SFL writing units |
Important Dates
June 18 - Last Day of School
June 21 - Juneteenth Holiday Observed
July 6 - August 6 - Summer School
August 16-18 - August Leadership Institute
September 9 - First Day of School - Grades 1-12
Division of Academics
Telescope Network Survey
Please share the Telescope Network June survey with your staff. As an incentive, we'll be raffling off a dozen $25 Amazon gift cards to survey responders. Additionally, if your school gets 10 or more responses, we’ll create a custom needs report for your school--detailing the PD interests and needs in your school community.
What are we doing with the answers?
We ask educators what they want and need to learn next in order to best serve the needs of their students. Educator voice on previous surveys helped to shape professional learning offerings from the Telescope Network and other places in the district. See our website to learn more about what we offered this year.
Didn't we already answer this survey? Why are we asking again?
Our needs are constantly changing. We want to hear what worked for you this year, what lessons you have learned, and what you are thinking about next for the summer and fall.
With gratitude,
Tele-Team (Shakera Ford Walker, Paul Tritter, Alison Mosher, & Mark
Lonergan)
2021 Excellence in School Wellness Awards Winners!
We’re excited to announce the 2021 Excellence in School Wellness Awardees. Each year, the Boston Public Schools celebrate innovative, collaborative approaches to creating sustainable, healthy school environments that advance students’ healthy development and readiness to learn. Awards & Certificates were presented in areas of the District Wellness Policy to the following schools:
Blackstone Elementary | Certificate of Recognition for wellness efforts in Physical, Social & Emotional Wellbeing
Boston Arts Academy | Certificate of Recognition for wellness efforts in Health Services & Family Engagement
Community Academy of Science and Health | Two Certificates of Recognition for wellness efforts in Cultural Proficiency and for Nutrition Promotion
Joyce Kilmer K-8 | Certificate of Recognition for wellness efforts in Social Emotional Learning
Murphy K-8 | Certificate of Recognition for wellness efforts in Staff Wellness
James F. Condon K-8 | Excellence in School Wellness Award for Comprehensive Health Education
John Eliot K-8 | Excellence in School Wellness Award for Social, Emotional & Mental Health Supports
David A Ellis School | Excellence in School Wellness Award for Safe & Supportive: SEL
Mary Lyon High School | Excellence in School Wellness Award for Safe & Supportive: SEL
Harvard-Kent Elementary | Excellence in School Wellness Award for Comprehensive Physical Education & Physical Activity
James W. Hennigan K-8 | Excellence in School Wellness Award for Student, Staff & Family Wellness
Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School | Excellence in School Wellness Award for Wellness Council
Mattahunt Elementary School | Excellence in School Wellness Award for Wellness Council
Shaw Elementary School | Excellence in School Wellness Award for Staff Wellness
Checkout the full event program here to learn more about what each school accomplished! Contact: Maryka Lier, mlier@bostonpublicschools.org, Director of Wellness Policy & Promotions.
Office of Special Education
The Office of Special Education would like to recognize all of the work that has been done across the district to support students with disabilities. Though this year has been a challenge for all, teachers, staff and administration have continued to support all youth in accessing the general curriculum. As we close out this year it is important to review which students need an annual review of reevaluation to determine what testing can occur over the summer months to support students and families. Please work with your Coordinator of Special Education (COSE) to identify these youth. If you need support with this process please contact your AD. Special Ed Asst. Director Directory
Teacher and Family Surveys
BPS is administering the annual Family and Teacher Climate Surveys through Friday, June 18. Communications are being sent centrally, however, school based outreach makes the difference for many families! School leaders and coordinators have access to family response rate tracking and completion lists via Panorama's platform, and all survey response rates are regularly updated here. In addition, see the short presentation here that contains all the information you need, as well as a few tips for increasing participation.
Thank you in advance for the work you'll do in supporting your school during the survey administration. If you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to reach out by contacting Panorama at support+bps@panoramaed.com or the BPS survey team at surveys@bostonpublicschools.org
Panorama Weekly Update - Please Ask Staff to Complete Open Plans by the End of the Year
BPS staff have successfully closed out 9,600 plans in Panorama Student Success this school year! However, there are still 15,500 due for completion by the end of the school year next week.
This week we share a final reminder about the key steps for closing out the year in Panorama Student Success. Staff have also received this information via LeadBPS and AroundBPS, and plan “Champions” received a direct email from Panorama on Thursday morning with instructions for completing their plans.
Ask:
As the end of the school year approaches, please ask your staff to close out open plans in Panorama Student Success. This new slide deck walks through the steps your team can take to prepare for the end of the year.
Why:
Completing plans in Panorama and leaving notes about how a student progressed, even if a goal was not met, is a key way to ensure that the students' future teachers will have the information necessary
to support them.
Reminder - Closing Plans in Panorama is Separate from Logging Summer Plans:
Separate from Panorama, all students should have a summer plan recorded in the “Summer 2021 Student Prioritization and Plans” sheet located in your school Data Folder.
Division of Equity, Strategy, & Opportunity Gaps
OPPORTUNITY: School Based Equity Roundtable PD/Working Session
School Leaders are encouraged to attend this event as it is designed to provide support in the implementation of school based equity roundtables which will include:
providing context for the importance of consistent SBERT
sharing best practices
reviewing SBERT data sources
spending time crafting agendas
Please join ESOG for a 2 hour session on June 25th from 10am - 12pm at: Zoom Meeting -
https://k12-bostonpublicschools.zoom.us/j/81277575836 Meeting ID: 812 7757 5836
Office of Recruitment, Cultivation and Diversity Programs (RCD)
Recruitment & Cultivation Team Updates & Events:
(TIME SENSITIVE) BPS Teaching Fellowship (BPSTF) Candidates This is an incredible opportunity to hire highly vetted candidates who will be Fellows in our BPSTF. Each Fellow will receive coaching and professional development throughout the entire 2021-2022 school from a veteran BPS Teacher/Coach. The Fellowship will support candidates in getting their Moderate Disabilities and/or ESL Licenses. Please see these candidates who are graduates of our ACTT and MTEL programs! View BPSTF Candidates and the benefits of hiring these candidates. If you hire 2 or more BPSTF candidates, RCD will prioritize admittance for your staff into the (highly successful) BPS MTEL prep courses for ESL (MTEL for ESL License) and Foundations of Reading (MTEL for Moderate Disabilities).
(TIME SENSITIVE) High Priority & Priority Candidates These candidates have been vetted and assessed as the most talented candidates available. Please be sure to scan the list for potential candidates for your positions. Link to High Priority & Priority Candidates of Color. View Resumes and Talent Ed application in last column. You can find all of these candidates in Talent Ed (go to Closed jobs, and click on Early Hiring Pool 21-22)
(TIME SENSITIVE) 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 TalentEd, or this spreadsheet: Early Hiring Pool.
UPDATED: 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. NOTE: Principals that need Candidates to be dual licensed in Moderate Disabilities and their primary license such as elementary early childhood or secondary can apply for two emergency licenses as long as they do not hold a prior license. Candidates can apply for multiple emergency teacher licenses if they do not currently hold a Temporary, Provisional (Preliminary for Vocational), Initial, or Professional teacher license.
- Support Meeting your Diversity Hiring Goals We are very excited to see the results of your commitment to diverse hiring thus far. Preliminary numbers are showing a significant increase over last year!! Many of you are committed to using available RCD support to help you reach your goals. As a reminder, here they are. If you have not yet been able to meet your goals, please be sure to refer back to this sheet to access the tools and supports available to help you to find diverse candidates (see row 3 for links).
- Promising Candidates of Color Have a great teacher of color you can’t retain? Met a great candidate you didn’t hire, but think someone else should? Share their info using this form. See your colleagues’ recommendations on this sheet.
- Reminder: 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. More information here.
BPS Teacher Pipeline Programs
BPS Teaching Fellowship: As you are considering new colleagues to join your school community, please consider our candidates who are graduates of our ACTT and MTEL programs! View BPSTF Candidates and the benefits of hiring these candidates. Retired BPS teacher and a friend to ACTT, Dr. Amika Kemmler-Ernst writes about one of our current candidates, Ayesha James, who is realizing a life-long dream of becoming a teacher.
We are committed to having all our candidates in the BPSTF hired as full time teachers. Our candidates started with us in July of 2021 and will continue through the end of next year, when they earn their Initial License in Elementary, Moderate Disabilities or ESL. This year, we provided them with MTEL support, and with a pre-practicum seminar that meets 2-3 Saturdays per month. We have expert BPS teachers providing them with support and coaching in CLSP and culturally responsive teaching, in partnership with the MIT Teaching Systems Lab. Once hired, we will provide CAP support and regularly scheduled practicum seminars and site based observational rounds conducted by school-based supervising practitioners, and our own BPSTF Specialist, Ailis Kiernan, and Dr. Abdi Ali, Director of Teacher Pipeline Programs.
If you hire 2 or more BPSTF candidates, RCD will prioritize admittance for your staff into the (highly successful) BPS MTEL prep courses for ESL (MTEL for ESL License) and Foundations of Reading (MTEL for Moderate Disabilities).
Questions and requests for additional information, please email: diversity-ACTT@bostonpublicschools.org.
Sign up for our Teacher Pipeline Programs newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/BPSpipelinenews1
Division of Human Capital
Eval Reminder: Less-Than-Proficient Next Plan Notifications (EOY 2021)
School Leaders and Evaluators:
The memo linked HERE is a reminder that educators who received an overall rating of Unsatisfactory or Needs Improvement must be issued letters in writing designating next year's plan type and length within one calendar month of issuance. For educators who receive their overall rating in May or June, the new plan length shall be designated on or before the last day of school.
Please contact your school’s assigned Performance Management liaison (listed here) with questions and for guidance on specific cases. Thank you for your work on evaluations!
SPC School Partnership Interest Survey
The SPC School Partnership Interest Survey is back! If you are interested in hosting a SPC educator in SY22, please read the linked memo and 2-pager thoroughly, and fill out the survey via Google Form. Contact: internalcandidatesupport@bostonpublicschools.org
Paraprofessional Reasonable Assurance Letters
Letters were issued without job titles (i.e. paraprofessional, one to one, surround care paraprofessional) and instead included specific position coding, which has led to some confusion. Please reassure paraprofessionals that if they received a letter, they will remain in position at your school next year.
July 1 Deadline for Lateral Transfers
In order to prevent unanticipated vacancies late in the hiring season, BPS will not approve the lateral transfer (hire) of BPS educators who hold current positions after July 1.
Program Area Closures
As you know effective June 8th, the following program areas became subject to limited hiring of Excessed Educators: Physical Education, History, Guidance, Computer Science/Instructional Technology, Music, and Visual Art. This includes any position that requires certification in these selected program areas, such as Inclusion History or SEI History.
School Leaders with vacancies in these areas will be emailed a list of eligible educators. To access the resumes for those educators, search for the “LIMITED_CHOICE-SY2122” job posting in the Application Manager in TalentEd.
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