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2012 Washington Teachers Union Scholarship Fund
To create a new core of dynamic teachers to contribute and influence education policy, the Washington Teachers’ Union Scholarship Fund will award four $20,000.00 academic scholarships to students who will pursue teaching careers in D.C. Public Schools. Read Article >>
FY 2013 BUDGET FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION
Mayor Vincent Gray’s two percent per pupil funding increase and District funding of IMPACT bonuses included in the FY 2013 budget comes at too high of a price: less teachers, bigger class sizes and fewer services for our students. Read Article >>
VALUE-ADDED DOES NOT SHOW TRUE VALUE OF THE TEACHER
The recent Washington Post article that tells the story of former DCPS teacher Sarah Wysocki, who was terminated at the end of the 2010-2011 school year due to IMPACT, shines a light on glaring flaws in the IMPACT evaluation tool. Read Article >>
Mayor Kevin Johnson and Wife Michelle Rhee bring Students First Education road show back to Sacremento
Mayor Kevin Johnson and his wife, Michelle Rhee, played a hometown gig last Wednesday night. Read Article >>
D.C. Teachers Discuss the Mayor’s IFF Report, Charter School Conversions at WTU General Membership Meeting
The Washington Teachers’ Union held its General Membership Meeting—featuring a nuts and bolts discussion with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education about the recently released IFF report—on Thursday, February 23 at McKinley Technology High school. Read Article >>
Advocacy in Action: IFF Report
WTU Pledges to Fight IFF’s Recommendation to Close or Convert Dozens of DC Public Schools Into Charter Schools Read Article >>
WTU Offices Closed on President’s Day
WTU Offices will be closed on President's Day, Monday, February 20, 2012. Read Article >>
WTU’s Global Impact: Informs Japanese Education Policy; Hosts African Educators
Japanese journalists exploring proposed legislation in Osaka similar to NCLB interviewed WTU President Nathan Saunders to gain insight into the effects of NCLB on educators, teachers, students and the U.S educational system. Read Article >>
Advocacy in Action: WTU Supports the Community Schools Incentive Amendment Act of 2011
WTU President Nathan Saunders testified before D.C. City Council members in support of the Community Schools Incentive Amendment Act of 2011. Read Article >>
D.C. Public Schools Closures: Less Wages, Fewer Benefits and Reduced Pensions for Teachers
As you may know, the Government of the District of Columbia released a report recommending the closure and transformation of 36 traditional public schools into independently operated charter schools in the District of Columbia's most high-needs communities. Click here to view the report, "Quality Schools: Every Child, Every School, Every Neighborhood." Read Article >>
General News
School officials consider proposed graduation requirements
A proposal to increase the number of credits from 24 to 26 – including the expansion of requirements for the fine arts and physical education curriculums – for students attending District public high schools in order to graduate, is up for approval. Read Article >>
D.C. Council member David Catania takes charge of new Education Committee
Two weeks after taking the helm of the D.C. Council’s new Education Committee, David A. Catania walked through the front door of Burrville Elementary School and started asking questions. Read Article >>
Michelle Rhee proud of controversial school reform efforts in D.C.
Former DC Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee says in a new documentary that she is proud of the reform efforts she initiated in 2007, measures that have been heavily criticized since before she left the District in fall 2010. Read Article >>
WTU Members and Staff Wear Red in Solidarity with Chicago Teachers
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 12, 2012)—On Tuesday, the Representative Assembly of the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) voted unanimously to support the efforts of the striking Chicago Teachers Union and its members. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Slams OIG’s ’Crime of Omission’
WTU President Nathan Saunders: "The Inspector General had a unique opportunity to extensively examine cheating as well as the chance to diminish an environment that encourages cheating--and he failed miserably." Read Article >>
WTU Professional Development 2012 Courses Are Now Available
Register Now for the Spring 2012 Courses! Read Article >>
Leadership Needed to Extend DC School Day
Extending the school day consistently improves student performance, as several DC charter schools have proven. Both the Washington Teachers' Union and DC Council agree... Read Article >>
160 Teachers Ordered Reinstated In Past 3 Months
Channel 9 News Story 160 DCPS Teachers Ordered Reinstated In Past 3 Months Please click here to watch a recent news story that highlights recent WTU legal victories on behalf of unfairly terminated teachers. Read Article >>
WTU President Saunders responds to Bill Turque 9/22/2011 Arbitraition article
Please read the Letter to the Editor from Washington Teachers' Union President Nathan Saunders in response to the September 22nd Washington Post article by Bill Turque entitled, Arbitrator's order to rehire 75 D.C. teachers is upheld Thank you. Read Article >>
State Of The Unions
Last September at Vince Gray’s primary-night victory party, amid the line dancing to Chuck Brown’s “Bustin’ Loose,” union officials passed out posters with then-Mayor Adrian Fenty’s picture on them under the word “BYE!” Read Article >>
WTU President Saunders Implores Mayor Gray to Request No Child Left Behind Waivers for the District of Columbia
Washington Teachers’ Union has asked Mayor Gray to request waivers from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) test score requirements. This was on the heels of Monday’s announcement by US Education Secretary Arne Duncan that he will offer waivers to override the requirement of the NCLB school accountability law that 100 percent of students be proficient in math and reading by 2014. Read Article >>
WTU STANDS WITH LABOR PARTNERS, EDUCATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS, TEACHERS, CELEBRITIES AND PARENTS TO
Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) joined educational stakeholders, labor partners, thousands of teachers, parents and community members in front of the White House to protest the need for better schools, improved education and a voice in education policy-making. Read Article >>
WTU PRESIDENT SAUNDERS DISCUSSES RECENT DC CAS TEST SCORES WITH NEWS CHANNEL 4 REPORTER
Some DC schools are not making the grade when it comes to reading and math scores. Several schools currently under investigation for potential cheating scandals suffered massive drops in reading and math scores this year. CLICK HERE to access the complete news story that includes WTU President Saunder's remarks. Read Article >>
Hundreds of calls and emails organized by WTU achieved a change in the Chancellor’s confirmation process.
DC City Councilmembers recently demonstrated good governance and transparency in a modification to the confirmation hearing of Kaya Henderson as DC Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor. Read Article >>
WTU has formally endorsed the "Save Our Schools" (SOS) March & Rally, Saturday July 30th
Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) has announced that it has partnered with local and national labor organizations to endorse the "Save our Schools" (SOS) Movement on Saturday, July 30th. Read Article >>
Spingarn principal: Teacher told special ed student to ‘shut up’ and ‘go to sleep’ prior to attack
Spingarn High School Principal Gary Washington says there is more to the story of the teacher who was attacked in her classroom last month by a special education student. Read Article >>
Was Vicious Attack on Spingarn Teacher Avoidable?
Could a brutal assault on a Spingarn high school math teacher by a special needs student last month been avoided if the instructor had access to more of the student's history? Read Article >>
Henderson on track to head D.C. schools
Mayor Vincent. C. Gray's pick to lead the District's public school system received open support from several council members on Thursday, despite mixed reviews from the public and varying opinions about her links to the prior regime. Read Article >>
Go Home Already: Wait For Me
Kaya Henderson appears set to be confirmed by the Council as the city's schools chancellor shortly. Read Article >>
Hot Topics
WTU President Saunders Implores Mayor Gray to Request No Child Left Behind Waivers for the District of Columbia
Washington Teachers’ Union has asked Mayor Gray to request waivers from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) test score requirements. This was on the heels of Monday’s... Read Article >>
Press Releases
Washington Teachers’ Union President Nathan A. Saunders Responds to Low-Wage Workers Strike
Washington, DC (May 22, 2013) - Hundreds of low-wage workers from across DC walked out on strike for the past two days calling for a living wage and benefits. Read Article >>
DC Public School Teachers Wear Blue On National Day of Action To Put " Brakes On Stakes" Of Common Core Standards
WASHINGTON, DC (May 8, 2014)—Washington Teachers’ Union members join thousands of teachers across the country in wearing blue for a Day of Action on Thursday, May 9 in support of a moratorium on high stakes Common Core assessments, similar to the high stakes components of DC Public Schools’ IMPACT teacher evaluation system. Read Article >>
WTU Opens New Teachers’ Center for Professional Development
WASHINGTON, DC (January 30, 2013)—Today Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) President Nathan Saunders announced the dedication of WTU’s new Teachers’ Center—a non-profit organization focused on improving teacher quality in District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)—on Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. at Anacostia High School in Washington, DC. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Responds to DCPS School Closings
Washington, D.C. (January 18, 2013)— District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced the final school consolidation and reorganization plan which will close 15 neighborhood schools, 13 at the end of the 2012-2013 school year and two at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Calls for Critical Examination of DCPS Cheating Allegations
Washington, D.C. (January 9, 2013)—Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) President Nathan A. Saunders statement on media reports of cheating in District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Calls for Critical Examination of DCPS Cheating Allegations
WTU’s Saunders: “With a renewed focus of potential cheating in District of Columbia Public Schools, elected officials must no longer teeter around the edges of education reform without exercising their public responsibility to provide proper oversight and protect public school students.” Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Releases Plan to Address School Closings, Strengthen Public Education
Washington, D.C. (November 14, 2012)—District of Columbia Public Schools announced Tuesday the proposed closing of 20 public schools throughout the city. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Endorses Candidates for State Board of Education
The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) announced the endorsement of candidates for the D.C. State Board of Education. Read Article >>
WTU Members and Staff Wear Red in Solidarity with Chicago Teachers
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 12, 2012)—On Tuesday, the Representative Assembly of the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) voted unanimously to support the efforts of the striking Chicago Teachers Union and its members. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Slams OIG’s ’Crime of Omission’
WTU President Nathan Saunders: "The Inspector General had a unique opportunity to extensively examine cheating as well as the chance to diminish an environment that encourages cheating--and he failed miserably." Read Article >>
D.C. Teachers’ Union Congratulates Members on Hard Work
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 26, 2012)—The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) President Nathan Saunders congratulates the District of Columbia Public School (DCPS) teachers on the significant 2012 D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System (DC CAS) gains. Read Article >>
WTU Scholarship Fund Awards $80,000 to High School Graduates; Cultivates the Next Generation of Educators
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 20, 2012)—The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) hosted its annual WTU Scholarship Fund Ceremony awarding $80,000 in scholarships to four DCPS high school graduates who will pursue teaching careers in D.C. Public Schools (DCPS). Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Announces $10.2 Million Early Retirement Agreement with D.C. Public Schools
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 10, 2012)—Today, the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) announced an agreement with D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) to provide full retirement benefits under Option Two of the 2007 – 2012 Collective Bargaining Agreement for excessed permanent status WTU members whose most recent evaluation score is Effective or Highly Effective and who have twenty or more years of service. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union and D.C. Firefighters Association Endorse Kenyan McDuffie
Washington, D.C.—(May 9, 2012) The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) and the District of Columbia Firefighters Association today announced the endorsement of Kenyan McDuffie for the D.C. City Council Ward 5 seat. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union President Nathan A. Saunders Responds to the D.C. Public Schools Five-Year Strategic Plan
Washington, D.C. (April 18, 2012)--Mayor Vincent Gray and District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Kaya Henderson today released a five-year strategic plan, A Capital Commitment, designed to improve the traditional public schools. This plan outlines five goals: increasing student achievement, graduation rates, enrollment, and student satisfaction. The Chancellor believes the strategic plan will guide DCPS spending and programmatic decisions through 2017. Read Article >>
D.C. Parents and Teachers Tell Local Lawmakers “DCPS Budget Cuts Hurt Kids & Public Safety!” at Wilson Building Rally
Washington, D.C. (April 9, 2012)— The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) announced today that over 100 committed parents, education advocates, and teachers will gather on Monday, April 9 at 12:00 p.m. on the steps of the John A. Wilson Building to express concerns to D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and D.C. City Council members about the FY 2013 Budget for Public Education. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Sounds Off Against D.C. Councilmember Catania’s Proposed Changes to Pensions for City Workers
Washington, D.C. (March 30, 2012)—D.C. Councilmember David Catania (At-Large) introduced the Pension Protection and Sustainability Amendment Act of 2011 to make several changes to the District’s pension system for D.C. teachers and city employees. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Secures Furlough Repayments For D.C. Teachers and City Workers
Washington, D.C. (March 30, 2012)—The Washington Teachers’ Union announced today that D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray will designate a portion of the recently projected revenue increase to compensate D.C. teachers and other city employees who were furloughed during four legal public holidays without pay during the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union and Firefighters Association Endorse D.C. City Council Candidate Tom Brown
Washington, D.C. (March 29,2012) The Washington Teachers’ Union and the District of Columbia Firefighters Association today announced the endorsement of Tom Brown for the D.C. City Council Ward 7 seat. Read Article >>
Statement of the Washington Teachers’ Union President Nathan A. Saunders on the DC Employee Repayment Act 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 21, 2012)-D.C. Council member Vincent Orange introduced the D.C. Employee Repayment Act of 2012 to repay D.C. government employees who were furloughed during four legal public holidays without pay during the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Endorses D.C. Council Member Vincent Orange
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 13, 2012)—The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) announced today the endorsement of D.C. Council member Vincent Orange for the D.C. City Council At-Large seat. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Endorses D.C. Council Member Jack Evans
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 12, 2012)—The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) announced today the endorsement of D.C. Council member Jack Evans for the Ward 2 seat. Read Article >>
WTU President Nathan A. Saunders Responds to OSSE, DCPS Independent Testing Integrity Investigation
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 8, 2012)—District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced today DCPS will support an Office of the State Superintendent of Education led independent investigation into 2011 DC CAS results to be conducted by Alvarez and Marsal Public Sector Services, LLC. Read Article >>
WTU Wins Favorable Ruling in Writ of Mandamus Case Filed on Behalf of D.C. Teachers
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 31, 2012)—The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) announced today that the D.C. Court of Appeals has ordered the D.C. Office of Employee Appeals to address extensive delays assigning administrative law judges in 20 days, concluding that budget constraints are not an extraordinary circumstance warranting unreasonable delays. Read Article >>
WTU President Nathan A. Saunders Responds to 36 Recommended D.C. School Closures, Charter School Transformations
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 27, 2012)—The Government of the District of Columbia released the report “Quality Schools: Every Child, Every School, Every Neighborhood,” produced by the Illinois Facilities Fund (IFF), that recommends closing and/or transforming 36 traditional public schools into independently operated charter schools. Read Article >>
Washington Teachers’ Union Recovers Long-Lost $1.2 million Teacher Annuity and Aid Distribution Fund; Provides One-Time Disability Cash Benefit for Teachers
WASHINGTON, D.C.--Today, the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) announces the recovery of a $1.2 million Teacher Annuity and Aid Distribution Fund that was originally established exclusively for white teachers in 1894 by the Teachers’ Annuity and Aid Association of the District of Columbia to provide one-time financial assistance to teachers with permanent and temporary disabilities and help off-set medical costs. Read Article >>
Retirees News
Annual Retiree Membership and Benefits Open Enrollment
Starting September 2011, the WTU Retirees Chapter will meet every 2nd Wednesday at 10:00 am at Howard University Divinity School located at 14th and Taylor Street, NE in Washington, DC. Read Article >>