MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          May 1, 2020

Subject:     Updates

THOUGHTS FOR TODAY 

• Simply be, rather than do, for a moment.
• Happiness is a inside job.
• One good thing about egoists:  They don’t talk about other people.
• How do they get deer to cross the road only at those yellow road signs?

SCHOOL CLOSINGS
When there is talk about Buffalo School closings, what is obviously meant is school buildings being closed for students and staff.

At this point, especially the conditions in Erie County, many believe it would be an unacceptable risk and danger to have students and staff return to school buildings before the scheduled end on June 26, 2020.

While Distance Learning has been extremely difficult and hard on teachers, students and parents, it would be wrong to expose anyone to the risk of catching the virus.

The Superintendent asked for our support of a letter he was sending to State officials calling on them to keep schools (buildings) closed until the end of the school year.  Attached (Click Here), please find a letter of support that I sent him.  Note I included that if conditions changed, the closure could be reconsidered.  Also attached is correspondence he sent to the BPTO.

If the link is not clickable, please copy and paste the following link in to your web browser. http://www.btfny.org/email/2020/5120_school_closing.pdf  

Hopefully, you agree with my letter of support.  If not, I apologize --  it seemed what is in the interest of all – teachers, students, parents, our community.
 
THE SCHOOL YEAR / OUR CONTRACT
As of this date, we will have worked four (4) days in excess of the 188-day maximum in our contract if we are to report until June 26, 2020.  This would, obviously, require that teachers receive their salary for the four (4) extra days. 

If the “school year”, last day for teachers to report, ends in compliance with our contract (ends earlier), there is no problem.  Be assured, if necessary, we will take appropriate action.

As previously stated, if the District seeks to extend the school year, it would need to modify our contract.  We would insist that any additional service or summer school be voluntary and be at an agreed upon salary.

Once again, any such agreement would have to be approved by the Executive Committee, Council of Delegates and most importantly you.

DISTANCE LEARNING CONCERNS

• We are still awaiting answers to questions you and we have forwarded to the Superintendent many of which relate to privacy concerns.

Copies of all correspondence to the Superintendent, Board and all teachers are on our website www.btfny.org. Click on “Latest News”, ”News & Alerts”.

Please advise me if any of the following are occurring: (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

• Principals (Building Administrators) are requiring that they be included in your Schoolology lessons.

While we understand their interest, we consider it a new term and condition of employment that must be negotiated.

• Building administrators making unreasonable demands.  They don’t have 1/100th the amount of work and pressure that you have.  Some have realized that.  Too many don’t.

MARKS / GRADES
They distributed a document “Buffalo Public Schools – Instruction Guidance during Period of Extended Closure”.

Among the questions raised by teachers are those relating to pages 12-15 “Graduating Guidance for Teachers”.

We are unaware of teacher involvement in this section.  Please review and provide your positives as
well as your concerns (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

We would have hoped that the District would have provided all teachers with an opportunity to provide input prior to publishing this document.  There are excellent parts; however, why not ask
for input from those doing the job?

Sorry, forget where we are.

RETIREMENT
The District had initially refused to accept retirement letters with June 26, 2020 or wording, if earlier.  Don’t ask!       

They have now agreed to accept them.  You need not re-submit them.