MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          June 14, 2021

Subject:     Updates

Negotiations
The PERB Mediator has suggested June 24, 2021 as a date to resume negotiations. We have advised him that we have cleared our calendars and agree to that date.

We are awaiting the District’s response which we hope will be in agreement.

Attempts will be made to use a facility in which we can meet in person.

We are awaiting a decision (it’s been two months) on our Improper Practice (IP) relating to the District’s refusal to begin negotiations for 2-3 months.

In addition, we are awaiting a hearing date with PERB on our Improper Practice (IP) charge of bad faith negotiations. The District withdrew one of its counter proposals that we agreed to.

For years we have fought for substantially increased funding, e.g. Foundation Aid. We have finally succeeded in securing it, i.e. 50% this coming year, 75% the following year and 100% the next year. Therefore, it will continue.

In addition, Federal Funding is available and must be used by 2024.

Our goal – a contract not just comparable to those in surrounding districts, but better than them.

As per previous emails, teaching and learning conditions – yes; but also, substantial salary (retroactive) increases, continuing to decrease time to reach maximum, etc.

With your continued solidarity, we will achieve our goals.

APPR
The APPR legislation that was signed eliminated the requirement for districts to complete an APPR for contract/tenured and probationary teachers. We will continue to fight their use and inclusion in teachers’ files.

• We did not negotiate virtual APPRs.
• The Document submitted by the District to NYSED stated that they would be done in-person.
• Administrators were not trained in procedures for virtual APPRs.

How pathetic it is to try to inflict an APPR on teachers during these unprecedented, stressful and difficult times.

IEP Time
Article XXIII, I. States, (pg. 42-43)

“Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)
By first using the resources available in the school and other resources if deemed necessary and authorized by the District, the District shall provide planning time for teachers to complete the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) forms. It is understood that such planning time may be full or half days of released time when classes are otherwise is session.

Feel free to show the above to your administration. If you are refused, please contact your LRS (Click Here).

Cyber Attack
We are awaiting a response from the New York State Attorney General to our correspondence relating to the Cyber Attack on the District.

In addition, we have filed legal action against the District for refusing to negotiate the implications to and impact on teachers.

Email – Teachers with Each Other
There has been much discussion relating to a motion that was referred by the Council of Delegates to the BTF Technology Committee.

The committee is to research the following.

• Resolved that the Buffalo Teachers Federation will obtain a quote from the PCA Technology Group who the BTF has already vetted, hired and currently employees in the reconstruction and maintenance of the current BTF website, to create an email system to allow the membership to communicate with each other.
• Resolved the BTF will report to the Council of Delegates the information obtained from the PCA Technology Group by the October 2021 Council of Delegates Meeting.

The concerns related to “to create an email system to allow the membership to communicate with each other.”

Note: PCA did not reconstruct and does not maintain the BTF website. One of our tech savvy secretaries did and does.

Please stay well, take no chances.