MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   Dr. Kriner Cash
                    Member, Buffalo Board of Education

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          March 18, 2021

Subject:     Reopening/Transfer Deadline Extension

In response to teachers’ and some parents’ concerns, we provided a quick survey of teachers to determine the effectiveness of Concurrent Instruction and other similar issues (Click Here).

In just two (2) days, we had over two hundred (200) responses. Within just five (5) days, we had over two hundred ninety-nine (299) responses.

The results from teachers are extremely troubling. For example, of the teachers reporting, the results are that Concurrent Instruction:

• 83.61% (250*) Total - is detrimental to the education (35.45% or 106*) plus (48.16% or 144*) is providing a poor education for students.
• 1.34% (4*) Is providing an excellent education for students.
• 15.05% (45*) Is providing a fair education for students.
• 69.96% (184*) Has caused parents to remove students from in-person learning.
• 30.04% (79*) Has resulted in parent support for concurrent learning.
• 79.5% (234*) Total - has resulted in poor (40.549% or 120*) or very poor (38.51% or 114*) student virtual attendance.

Has resulted in:

• 62.7% (153*) Two (2) to three (3) students leaving in-person instruction
• 14.34% (35*) Four (4) to five (5) students leaving in-person instruction
• 22.95% (56*) More than five (5) students leaving in-person instruction
  
  

Concurrent Instruction, where students move from room to room, has also adversely impacted the education of students by seriously decreasing instruction time because:

• 53.28% (146*) In addition to travel time lost, instructional time is lost due to the time taken to admit the virtual students.
• 16.79% (46*) Of the time taken for students to set-up their devices.

Students moving from room to room also presents serious health and safety issues as a result of:

• 65.93% (178*) Room can’t be sanitized between classes.
• 46.67% (126*) Students do not observe social distancing.

* Responses

We have also included written teacher statements relating to the very serious issues causing the harmful educational impact of Concurrent Instruction (Click Here). Yes, there are many. If you really care, as we hope you will, you will read them all. I did. As you can see these are just from March 12-16, 2021.

Teachers are extremely concerned with the serious detrimental harm Concurrent Instruction is having on our students.

Some other districts have ended Concurrent Instruction in various ways, e.g. having one group provide the virtual instruction and another provide the in-person instruction.

We look forward to working with the District to end what is obviously detrimental to our students’ education.

We and many teachers await your response.

PR:su