Latest news with #BTU
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Boston Teachers Union Celebrates 76 Graduates with $150K in scholarships
This morning, at the Boston Teachers Union (BTU) headquarters, 76 high school seniors were awarded $2,000 scholarships, totaling more than $150,000. The annual scholarship event brought together community members from across the city to celebrate the graduating seniors from all Boston Public Schools. Every student honored plans to pursue higher education, a goal BTU leaders are proud of. 'We're really excited, this is such a celebratory time of year,' said Erik Berg, President of the BTU. 'We want to support our young people as they head off into the rest of their lives with a little something that makes college more manageable. We know it's difficult, and we're proud to support our schools and community in this way.' Among the recipients was graduating senior Shiloh McLeod, who expressed heartfelt gratitude. 'I'm very fortunate and blessed,' she said. 'I'm grateful that [my mom] is a teacher, so that I was able to get the scholarship. I'm just really thankful.' The BTU awards scholarships to both students citywide and to children of union members, making the moment especially sweet for McLeod's mother, Simone, a longtime Boston Public Schools teacher. 'It's totally amazing—the impact of the BTU and all that they're doing,' she said. 'I'm really grateful. I'm a public school graduate myself, shout out to Madison Park High, and to see not only my daughter, but other students in our community receiving this support to prepare for college…it's just beautiful.' With just a few weeks left until graduation, these scholarship recipients have their eyes on the future, with some financial assistance and support of their loved ones. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Amazon knocks £95 off best-selling air conditioning unit
The air con unit can be controlled using a smartphone and has four operating modes, including a dehumidifier setting The current heatwave has brought gloriously sunny weather to the UK, as well as soaring temperatures that can be unbearable when trying to sleep or work from home. Amazon may have the answer, with the online retailer now offering its best-selling Pro Breeze 5000 BTU Portable Air Conditioning Unit on sale. Originally priced at £279.99, the handy gadget currently has a £95 discount, bringing the cost down to £184.99. This is the cheapest price around, with the unit costing £199.99 when bought directly from Pro Breeze and Debenhams. The aircon unit has four operating modes - air cooling, dehumidifier, fan-only and energy-saving sleep mode - to help keep households cool this summer. It has adjustable louvre vents to optimise airflow and comes with two window venting kits to fit the unit on sliding or hinged windows. The Pro Breeze unit has easy-to-use touch buttons and a remote control so that the operating modes, fan speeds, 24-hour timer and thermostat can be easily adjusted without having to move. The smart aircon unit can also be controlled via a smartphone through the free Pro Breeze app. For shoppers wanting to explore more AC units, Argos is currently offering a £60 discount on the De'Longhi Pinguino Compact ES72 Portable Air Conditioner. Now priced at £400, this gadget has three speed settings, a 24-hour timer and comes with a remote control. A more budget-friendly option is the LOGIK L48ACW20 Portable Air Cooler that's currently on sale at Currys for £59. It only offers a seven-hour timer, but has three speed settings and includes a remote control. Over 1,300 Amazon customers have reviewed the Pro Breeze 5000 BTU Portable Air Conditioning Unit to date, awarding it an overall score of 4.2 out of five. One impressed buyer rated it five stars and commented: "As a woman of a certain age, I get a bit overheated on the odd hot day we have in this country. I bought this when the price was reduced, and it arrived on the first day of our four-day summer. Perfect for instant cooling. In the bedroom, it took less than 10 minutes to drop the temperature by six degrees. "I had it on the top landing one day as I work upstairs, and it kept at a steady 20 degrees, no problem. Very loud on full fan, but it didn't really bother me. It does have a sleep mode which is quieter, but we didn't need it overnight... Not used the window fixer yet as we move it around which is really easy on its wheels. Quite heavy so it takes both of us to take it up and down stairs if we ever need to. Has a remote which is great, but I love that it connects to an app on my phone as I am a techy geek." A second delighted shopper wrote: " This product is an absolute game changer, I am so pleased I purchased it and highly recommend anyone else who is considering buying it to go ahead, you won't regret it. I live in a one-bed flat which gets the sun from 3pm onwards and turns into what essentially feels like a sauna. I have Dyson fans in each room, and whilst they too are great, they only cool the specific area it is pointing at. I have not had an air conditioning unit before, and it is simply amazing. My only regret is not taking the plunge and buying it years ago. "It is really quick and easy to set up and operate, and the first time I used it, I was in complete disbelief as it cooled the room down so quickly… It has wheels already attached, and it glides with ease from room to room when you need to move it. 10/10 product, I am forever grateful and cannot live without this now." Unfortunately, one person was left unimpressed due to the noise of the Pro Breeze Air Con Unit, as they explained: "We bought this to keep our bedroom cool. The unit is so noisy even on its night setting, so we had to turn it off. I would not recommend this unit to anyone who wants to keep a bedroom cool. Perhaps it would possibly be ok for an office space."
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ukrainian beats Kasatkina and honours Aussie's courage
Daria Kasatkina's switch from Russian tennis to play for Australia has been given the ultimate seal of approval from her Ukrainian conqueror at the Italian Open. Marta Kostyuk, one of the women's tour's in-form players, has made a high-profile point along with many of her fellow Ukrainian players of never shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents after matches in protest at the invasion of her homeland. But after defeating her for the first time since the world No.15 switched allegiance to Australia last month, Kostyuk was quick to offer her hand at the net on Friday after her 6-4 6-2 win before praising Kasatkina for what she believed was a courageous stand she had taken against Russia. 🇺🇦Marta Kostyuk defeats No. 14 seed 🇦🇺Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 6-2 to reach the third round in Rome!Kostyuk came back from 2-4 down in the opening set and ended a four-match losing streak in their head-to-head — her first win over Kasatkina since April equals her best… — Ukrainian Tennis • BTU (@ukrtennis_eng) May 9, 2025 Kasatkina took permanent Australian residency a month ago, having criticised Russia's anti-LGBTQ+ laws as well as the war against Ukraine. "It's always nice to shake hands with someone I respect," said Kostyuk after the match, adding that she hoped Kasatkina would continue to speak out against the war now she had the "freedom" to do so. "When someone not only tells the truth - calling Russia the aggressor - but also acts on it, that deserves respect," the 22-year-old had also noted in an Instagram post before the match. "Daria Kasatkina has clearly spoken out against the war and made the decision to give up her Russian sports citizenship. "This takes courage - and I acknowledge it. "I hope this is not the final step but part of a deeper commitment. "I stand with Ukraine. I stand for truth, for dignity, and for those who choose to speak and act - when staying quiet would be easier." 🇺🇦Marta Kostyuk made a statement ahead of today's match against 🇦🇺Daria Kasatkina in Rome:"There are times when silence means pretending nothing is war against Ukraine is not just ongoing — it's painful, unjust, and deeply real. It shapes lives, futures, and… — Ukrainian Tennis • BTU (@ukrtennis_eng) May 9, 2025 Kasatkina has constantly said how much she has appreciated the support she's had from everyone since her switch, but now playing in her third tournament as an Australian, she hasn't had much joy on the court, with her record in the green-and-gold now reading two wins and three defeats. Elsewhere around the Foro Italico courts on Friday, world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, fresh from her Madrid Open triumph over Coco Gauff, opened with a 6-2 6-2 victory over Anastasia Potapova, while Gauff herself had to work hard for a 3-6 6-2 6-1 win over Canadian qualifier Victoria Mboko.
Boston Globe
21-03-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Boston's educators could see pay hikes with proposed contract
Advertisement 'This is a historic wage increase for our paraprofessionals, who are our lowest paid members,' said It's unclear exactly how much the new BTU benefits will cost, as few details have been released by the union. Representatives for the city, BPS, and the School Committee on Friday did not respond to questions about the contract. If ratified by the BTU and approved by the School Committee next month, the new contract will be retroactive to last September. Martha M. Walz, the interim president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, said details of the proposed contract not only don't reveal the total cost, but also remain murky about how many new positions would be required to meet the new staffing requirements for the inclusion services or how many classes would benefit. The proposal also doesn't reference any new initiatives for English learners, she said, a group that makes up roughly a third of Boston's 48,000 students. 'The questions are whether this contract is financially sustainable and whether it will lead to better academic performance for students,' Walz said in a statement. In February, Superintendent Mary Skipper proposed a $1.58 billion budget for the coming year, which is During Thursday's School Committee meeting, Skipper hailed the tentative deal. Advertisement 'We have prioritized inclusive education [and are] making further progress to ensure that we're supporting our students with disabilities and our staff who support them in the classrooms,' Skipper said. The proposed contract includes provisions in areas that BPS is required to improve upon, like special education services, Related : Union and district negotiators were in talks for more than a year on the deal, and negotiations at one point were stuck on issues around teacher and paraprofessional pay, according to the union earlier this year. Boston's educators demonstrated and held 'informational pickets' — which included marching with signs outside their schools —but never went on strike, unlike many other Massachusetts teachers unions that walked picket lines before reaching new labor agreements with school districts. The stalemate prompted the BTU to plan a demonstration outside Mayor Michelle Wu's Wednesday night while Wu delivered her State of the City address, but it scrapped those plans the night before her speech when the tentative deal was announced. The Trump administration's pursuit to dismantle the US Education Department and withhold funding from schools that align with policies the president opposes, such as those that support transgender student rights and immigration, as well as direct criticism of Wu, played a role in getting a tentative deal done this week. 'I think both the political climate and the economic climate did provide a sense of urgency for us to make sure that we could put any differences we may have behind us,' Berg said. Advertisement According to details of the proposed contract released by the union, inclusive pre-K classrooms will be capped at 15 students. Teachers in kindergarten through Grade 6 will have the help of a fellow teacher licensed to work with students in special education if there is a high concentration of students with individualized education programs. And an additional special education teacher will be assigned to any class in Grades 7 to 12 that have more than eight students with IEPs, according to details released by the union. In addition, other employees, like family liaisons and health paraprofessionals, will see pay increases as high as 12.5 percent over the contract's term, while sign language interpreters could see increases as high as 15 percent. The agreement also includes quality of life issues for BPS employees, including launching a joint BPS/BTU Climate Change/Climate Justice Curriculum Committee, a program for staff to have free parking at city meters during the workday, and $1,000 per year of tuition reimbursement. Gregory Maynard, the executive director of the non-profit Boston Policy Institute, raised concerns about the contract's costs as the city faces an uncertain financial future, and called on city and school leaders to be more transparent about the financial details. 'There's just no effort ... to help the public understand what's going on with BPS,' Maynard said. John Hilliard can be reached at
Axios
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
What to expect from Wu's address
👋 Mike Deehan here, back with Spill of the Hill, my column unraveling Massachusetts politics. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is set to deliver her annual State of the City address tonight. It's her first big opportunity this election year to outline her coming campaign in front of voters and to respond to building criticism of the way she runs City Hall. Why it matters: Any big speech from an incumbent on the ballot will be scrutinized as a campaign moment, so expect clear goals to be outlined tonight in addition to the normal victory laps of a first-term mayor. Between the lines: Wu has a couple fires burning that voters may want her to address, but don't expect the mayor to spend too much time on the trickier issues: The pressure from community groups to stop the renovation of White Stadium into a home for a new professional women's soccer team. Her recent 180 on some city bike-lane protections and admission that her administration was hasty about them. Her opponent, nonprofit leader and billionaire's son Josh Kraft, and who's campaigning against what he's characterized as Wu's regnant leadership style. Then there are the real big problems in Boston: schools, housing affordability, and a recovering economy facing uncertain support from Washington. Wu has made affordability a cornerstone of her tenure, but national economic trends have mostly overwhelmed anything a mayor could hope to accomplish in one term. What we're watching: Wu has some political wins that have flown under the radar. She was endorsed for reelection by health care, public service and property service workers this month, partially solidifying her support on the left as she prepares to take on more moderate interests in the campaign. The intrigue: One dissatisfied union plans to be very vocal tonight at Wu's speech: the Boston Teachers Union. The BTU is in negotiations over a new contract and increased wages. Teachers will be out in front of the MGM Music Hall to "rally" — not protest — for Wu to accept their asks for higher pay. The big picture: Wu's speech probably won't vary much from previous addresses: a progress report and a vision for the future.
