Brookline teachers strike shuts down school. Now what?

Also: How Mass. residents are virtually helping Ukraine; turtle migration season is here [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 16, 2022 ⛅ Mostly cloudy, with a high of 81 and possible thunderstorms later. Good Morning Boston, Did you also stay up too late trying to catch [last night's lunar eclipse]( Whether you're feeling foggy or well rested, here's a quick recap of what you need to know to start the week. - A [teachers strike in Brookline is forcing the town's schools to close today]( — and maybe longer — after the union and district failed to reach an agreement on a new contract over the weekend. - Brookline Superintendent Linus Guillory [emailed parents Sunday night]( to tell them there will "simply not be the staffing capacity" to open schools. K-8 school sports are also canceled today and MCAS exams this week will be rescheduled. - For Brookline parents and guardians: officials say you should contact your parent-teacher organization for possible childcare support ([a few after-school programs]( will be open). - Why are teachers striking? The Brookline Educators Union (BEU) says its 1,000 members have been working for nearly three years without a contract. And while the two sides are [close to an agreement on salary]( the BEU said in [a statement Sunday]( that the district refused to meet three demands: - "Guaranteed daily duty free prep time." - "Guaranteed time for colleagues to collaborate weekly." - "Substantive action on attracting and retaining educators of color." - What's next? It's unclear how long the strike will go on. Another negotiation session is scheduled for today and may go late into the night. Guillory says the district will announce if additional school days will be canceled by 6 a.m. Tuesday. School officials say lost school days will be made up in June (at least until June 30 when the school year is required to end). - Public employee strikes are illegal in Massachusetts, though that didn't stop Dedham teachers from taking to the picket line and [shutting down school for a day]( in 2019. However, Brookline officials say the BEU could face fines due to a judge's injunction ordering them not to strike last week. - Amid the specter of state receivership for Boston Public Schools, a [new Boston Globe report]( shows such takeovers haven't helped much in other communities across Massachusetts. - An analysis by the Globe found little-to-no progress in test scores, graduation rates or college enrollment at Lawrence, Holyoke and Southbridge after those communities' school districts were taken into receivership. - Gov. Charlie Baker's administration is currently [conducting a review of BPS operations]( which some worry is a precursor to receivership. Mayor Michelle Wu has said such a move would be "[counterproductive]( - Reminder: Blue Line commuters have another two days of shuttle bus and ferry service this week, after [a construction cart incident delayed MBTA crews from finishing harbor tunnel repair work](. - The suspension of train service means slower commutes for residents taking the ferry or shuttles, the latter of which often get stuck in traffic. State Sen. Lydia Edwards told WBUR she is getting calls about constituents missing work meetings and struggling to schedule childcare: "It's a pain; I'm not going to lie." - The MBTA, which has repeatedly apologized for the delays, says train service is expected to resume Wednesday. - PSA: Watch out for turtles! It's [turtle migration season]( in Massachusetts. And while they're not migrating very far, state wildlife officials are asking residents to drive carefully as our shelled friends look for new nests. - Mike Jones, the state herpetologist (aka reptile expert!), told WBUR that you can move turtles off the road (though please [don't try to pick up snapping turtles](. Just make sure to help them in the direction they're going and don't move them more than 100 yards. P.S.— The Bruins seasons may be over, but the Celtics are moving on to the NBA's Eastern Conference finals. They'll take on the Miami Heat in the best-of-seven series for a shot at the Larry O'Brien trophy. Game 1 is Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. in Miami. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [What we know so far about the Buffalo mass shooting]( Ten people are dead after an 18-year-old white man allegedly carried out an attack at a supermarket in a majority Black district. 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[Read more.]( Anything Else? - ICYMI: Take a look at [these powerful photos from the Boston Common rally in support of abortion rights]( on Saturday. - A new book transports readers back to [when the outer Cape was a mecca of radical thought, avant-garde art and free love](. - Neema Avashia [writes in this commentary]( that Massachusetts school officials "doubled down" on the failures of the past during the pandemic, instead of using the crisis as an opportunity. - Home prices could actually soon start falling in some American cities. Here's [where — and why](.  What We're Reading 📚 - ‘PBS NewsHour’ Sets Succession Plan for Judy Woodruff ([Variety]( - The New York Times Has Badly Lost Its Bearings ([The Nation]( - I Invented Gilead. The Supreme Court Is Making It Real. ([The Atlantic](  Tell Me Something Good [Roxbury Community College graduates receive diplomas — plus $1,000 (CBS Boston)]( The graduates of Roxbury Community College’s class of 2022 walked across the stage to collect more than just a diploma. [Read more.]( [Roxbury Community College graduates receive diplomas — plus $1,000 (CBS Boston)]( The graduates of Roxbury Community College’s class of 2022 walked across the stage to collect more than just a diploma. [Read more.]( Before you go: [Otters]( in the Charles?! (It's as cute as it sounds.) 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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