BTU QuEST Conference

The Baltimore Teachers Union held their 35th annual QuEST Conference and Health Fair. There were a number of breakout sessions, panels and conversations that all worked to give BTU members tools and resources to help them better serve their young people. The keynote speaker was Robert Jackson. He is a nationally renowned speaker, educator, consultant, and owner of Lavelle Publishing and Robert Jackson Consulting. Mr. Jackson has created positive change in school systems nationally, working to bridge the gap between parents, educators, administrators, and students.

The federation’s political coordinator Todd Reynolds was also a featured presenter at the conference. His presentation on the Kirwan Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education filled in attendees on the specific goals of the Kirwan Commission. Those goals include how to best allocate fair funding for students in Baltimore and throughout the state. The BTU has a representative and an alternate represented on the Commission. Reynolds stressed the importance of fair and equitable funding for Baltimore City Public Schools. He also shared the need for an additional $2.6 billion in additional education investment for Maryland to be fully funding schools.

The entire event was a culmination of the tireless efforts of the members of staff of the BTU. The opportunity to serve the membership with valuable and resourceful content that was both informational and instructional is a hallmark of both the union and the state federation.