Boston Public Schools Statement on the Boston Teachers Union Boycott

* Today's event celebrates the Boston Public Schools (BPS) winning the distinguished Broad Prize for Urban Education as the best city school district in the country. The celebration is completely funded by the Broad Foundation at their request to honor and congratulate everyone who contributes to the success of Boston's education reform efforts - including teachers, principals, administrators, parents, students, partners, and other members of the community.

* More than 100 teachers were invited to this 400-person event, including all Boston Teachers Union (BTU) officers and all former Boston "Teachers of the Year," representing novice and veteran teachers alike from every neighborhood of the city. Union leaders' claim that teachers were not invited is simply untrue.

* The Broad Foundation has invited the Boston Teachers Union all along to join Mayor Menino, the School Committee and the Superintendent in accepting the Broad Prize. The BTU President, as he has been every year, was invited to attend the prize ceremony, and this year he declined. He could have stood side by side with us at the podium to accept the prize on behalf of all Boston teachers, as union leaders from all previous winning districts have done, but he chose not to be present.

* In our public remarks accepting the prize, we joined Mayor Menino in heralding the essential role that teachers have played in Boston becoming a national model for urban education. We are disappointed that as a result of BTU boycott, teachers were denied the opportunity to be thanked and congratulated for their role in Boston winning this national prize, which has brought $1 million in college scholarships to graduates of the Boston Public Schools.

* Contract negotiations with the teachers union began almost a year ago and are ongoing; the next session is scheduled for Monday. The City and the BPS have presented a proposal that continues to make Boston teachers the most well-paid public educators in the state, while calling for additional reforms to accelerate the progress of Boston's students and to transform the lowest performing schools in the district. BPS officials will remain at the bargaining table to negotiate a contract that is both fair to employees and contains the reform measures necessary to ensure the academic success of Boston's students.