MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          February 22, 2021

Subject:     Post Recess Updates

Health and Safety Conditions
Our actions including, but not limited to, the BTF Health and Safety Assessment, correspondence to the Superintendent and Board, court action, and grievances have but one purpose – to ensure that our schools provide for healthful and safe conditions for students, parents, all staff and our community.

Yes, some in the community are angry with us; however, aside from the obvious consequences of COVID-19, can you imagine the impact on a student who had brought the virus home and it resulted in the serious physical harm or death of a parent or grandparent?

The District has begun to address the concerns you have raised and hopefully, over the winter recess, most of the remaining issues have been resolved.

To determine the extent of the corrections and what remains to be done, we have sent our BTF School Health and Safety Assessment to your Delegates and Building Committee. Please feel free to contact them with your concerns.

We may use the information in court before Judge Emilio Colaiacovo on March 9, 2021 at 2:00 pm.

Thank you as always for your cooperation.

School Calendar 2021-2022
Attached is a copy of two proposed school calendars for 2021-2022 (Click Here).

We will be seeking Council approval for one of them at the virtual meeting on February 25, 2021.

Below is an overview of each calendar.

Option A – Requires BTF Approval

• Teachers begin on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 and will also work September 2 & 3, 2021. September 1 and 2 are Professional Development days. September 3, 2021 is the day (“duty free”) to step up classrooms. Students begin on September 7, 2021, after Labor Day.
• Teachers work until June 24, 2022. Last day of classes for elementary students is June 23, 2022. Last day for high school student’s is after Regents exams are completed.
• Provides the February break that most suburban schools/BOCES will have.
• Total of 187 teacher days, one less then contractually required.
• Teachers would get their first check (half check) on September 10, 2021.
• Last check (full) would be on July 1, 2022.
• This option would need a variance from the BTF because it violates the forty-two (42) consecutive weeks provision of our CBS. It was forty-three (43) weeks.
• Incorporates five (5) snow days.

Option B – Does Not Require BTF Approval

• Teachers begin on Tuesday, September 7, 2021. September 7 and 8 are Professional Development days. September 9, 2021 is the day (“duty free”) to set up classrooms. Students begin on September 10, 2021.
• Teachers work until June 24, 2022. Last day of classes for elementary students is June 23, 2022. Last day of classes for high school students is after Regents exams are completed.
• Does NOT provide the February break that most suburban schools/BOCES will have.
• Teachers would not have off February 22-25 but instead would not work September 1-3. This accounts for 188 days vs. 187 days.
• Teachers would get their first check (half check) on September 17, 2021.
• Last check (full) would be on July 1, 2022.
• This option complies with our contract and has forty-two (42) consecutive weeks.
• Incorporates six (6) snow days.

Please stay safe. Take no chances.

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   Dr. Kriner Cash, Superintendent, BPS
                    Members, Buffalo Board of Education               

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          February 23, 2021

Subject:     Unconscionable Denial of Accommodations

Your “Human” Resources Department has refused accommodations, not only for teachers, who in good conscience should be allowed to receive them, but also those with medical conditions that are covered under the CDC guidelines.

Our Labor Relations Specialists have been in contact with your staff in “Human” Resources and Mr. Kuzma for months regarding these issues.

Once again, we are forced to take legal action against the District to protect the about fifteen (15) to twenty (20) teachers, we know of, who have been callously denied an accommodation thereby risking their lives.

What will you say to the family of a teacher, or other staff member, who dies as a result of your callousness, as did the teacher in the enclosed article (Click Here).

PR:su

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          March 3, 2021

Subject:     Updates March 3, 2021

School Health and Safety Concerns
Thank you to the thirteen (13) schools that have, in a short time, returned the post February Recess, BTF Health and Safety Assessment. They will be forwarded (without names) to the District to be corrected.

Since there are many new Delegates and Building Committee members, if you did not receive the link to complete the Assessment for your school, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and one will be sent to you.

We will be prepared to use this information when we are in court on March 9, 2021 and in our arbitrations.

Obviously, your information and the actions we have taken, especially in court, are resulting in some of the critical safety actions taken in many of our schools. Many still remain to be corrected.

While we shouldn’t have to use the courts, grievance procedures, and media to correct serious health and safety conditions, we will continue, with your assistance, to take all possible actions to ensure that our schools are and remain safe for all.

Vaccination
We and our State and National Affiliates continue to work to ensure that teachers and indeed everyone in our schools have access to the vaccine. It is not enough just to place us as essential, teachers and staff must have access to the vaccine.

Movement on that is expected to come from the President soon.

We hoped to have the vaccine available in schools, but that has not as yet occurred.

Now that the vaccine is becoming more readily available, we will continue to work on all levels to make it available and the factor in the reopening of our schools.

We know that not all staff are willing to accept the vaccine; however, we believe most will.

We will be corresponding with the Superintendent and Board to delay any additional reopening plans until at least after the spring recess. (Click Here)

Stay Tuned.

Accommodations
Our Labor Relations Specialists, Jenna, Matt and Rob, continue to work with NYSUT attorneys to overturn the many callous rejections by the District.

Apparently, their actions and our letter to the Superintendent and Board have resulted in additional accommodations.

That is not enough. We will continue to fight for every teacher denied an accommodation.
Please, if you have not already, advise your Labor Relations Specialist if your request for an accommodation is rejected. (Click Here)

Negotiations
Once the additional funding that we fought for is received by the District, we will resume negotiations.

Obviously, resuming negotiations during the pandemic and when the District had scarce funding, would have been foolish and would have played into the District’s hand.

Imagine what a New York State mediator’s and a Fact Finder’s report and recommendations would have been if we would have been and were now in negotiations.

They would have undermined us and put the District in the driver’s seat.

Once the funding is here, we will again mobilize and secure a new contract – one that reflects your importance and which not just matches surrounding contracts but is much better.

With all that you have and continue to encounter, you deserve nothing less. Yes, other districts have had challenges; however, not as many as Buffalo teachers.

Your continued support will ensure that new, excellent contract. Let there be no doubt.

State Legislation/Actions

• Legislation has passed and been sent to the Governor what would provide for a four (4) hour “vaccine leave” (leave to become vaccinated) with pay. Once signed, the details will be sent out, e.g. retroactive?, start date, etc.
• We continue to work with NYSUT and our Regents to have the Regents Exams canceled for this year.
  We (NYSUT) continue to oppose the reduction of social distancing in schools from six (6) feet to three (3) feet.
• Vaccination Data Collection will now be done by the local Health Department.
• We and NYSUT are also working to secure a State early retirement incentive.

School Distancing
Please advise us if your administrator(s) have readjusted the room capacity. We are checking to see if what some are saying, e.g. the posted capacity does not include adults. A teacher, teaching assistant(s) co-teachers, student teachers don’t count!?

PR:su

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          March 9, 2021 Updates

Subject:     March 9, 2021 Updates

Court
We do not anticipate that Judge Emilio Colaiacovo will reverse his decision to deny our motion to keep schools closed until our safe and healthful grievance can be heard by an arbitrator.

We will be prepared to present evidence that many of our schools do not provide “safe and healthful” conditions as required by our contract. (Click Here)

As you know, many of the unsafe and unhealthy conditions have begun to be corrected because we are and we remain in court until they are and remain corrected.

COVID-19
With your continued support, we will continue to leave no stone unturned to ensure that our schools/sites are and remain safe.

We will also continue to work in an attempt to have vaccinations available in schools/sites.

While our actions in court and in public have forced the District to take action, much more needs to be accomplished as you can see from the most recent (see above) BTF Health and Safety Assessment.

While many administrators and staff have worked with teachers to address continuing health and safety problems, there is still much to be done in too many schools.

District COVID Reports/Log
Once again, the District publishes reported cases of Students/Adults by schools.

That site is https://www.buffaloschools.org/Page/96927.

There is sometimes a day or two lag.

We are tracking these and will be reporting them. (Click Here)

You should be careful when utilizing the New York State information as it usually includes students and adults (staff) in private, charter, etc. schools. If an incident occurs at your school, please notify your LRS and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Accommodations
BTF/NYSUT action has resulted in accommodations being granted to some teachers who had been denied previously.

We will continue to fight on all levels – the courts, the NYS Public Relations Board (PERB), publically, etc. to end “Human” Resources’ callous denial of teachers’ accommodation requests.

Please notify your LRS if you have been denied an accommodation (Click Here).

Standardized Tests and Regents
The Board and parent organizations are expected to join in our battle to have the US Department of Education reverse its decision on mandating grade 3-8 standardized tests.

We are also seeking to eliminate any Federally required Regents.

For the most recent Federal Opt-Out information, Click Here. Note: the 95% participation rate has been eliminated for this year.

Federal Funding
While we await President Biden’s signature on the “American Rescue Plan Act”, we must continue to ensure that all education funding reaches the District without any of it being siphoned off by New York State or the City.

Too often, as with the Lottery, all the funding is earmarked for education; however, New York State, for example, has cut back on its share.

Will we go to court if this happens?

You know the answer – Absolutely, as always.

Retirement Seminar
The Buffalo Teachers Federation is offering its annual retirement seminar for all persons considering retirement.

The seminar is scheduled for Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 7:00 PM. It will be held virtually via Zoom. A link will be sent at a later time.

The seminar is designed to give you pertinent information to help you better plan your post-teaching years. A representative from the New York State Teachers' Retirement System will be our primary presenter with time built in for your questions.

BTF staff will also be available to present information on how the BTF contract will impact on prospective teacher retirees. This session will begin at approximately 8:45 PM. for those interested in this portion only.

Those interested in attending should RSVP by emailing Jackie Newton at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PR:su

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          March 9, 2021

Subject:     Court/Vaccine Update

Court Meeting
We met with Judge Colaiacovo, who, as you know, ruled against our motion to close the schools until an arbitrator could decide if our contract had been violated because the schools were unsafe.

While he made no new rulings at this time, he set a further meeting for May 20, 2021 or sooner if necessary.
We will of course be continuing with an arbitration, continue to report health and safety issues in the schools and seek all possible other legal actions to ensure that our schools are safe.

Vaccination
As you know, we have been working to secure more vaccine access for teachers (and also staff). While we have not, as yet, succeeded in having the vaccine available in schools, our and NYSUT’s work has resulted in the vaccine being available to teachers at pharmacies. More will become public soon.

Correspondence to District
We, to bolster our position in court and other legal proceedings, will continue to identify health and safety issues in our schools.

Thank you for taking the time to keep us informed during these stressful times. (Click Here – Letter to Superintendent and Board)

We will continue to fight using all available means to ensure that our schools become and remain safe.

Please stay well. Take no chances.

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          March 12, 2021

Subject:     Serious and Detrimental Harm to Students’ Education/Additional Safety and Health Issues

Teachers are very concerned with the serious and detrimental harm that the District directive requiring concurrent teaching is having on students.

In order to assess such issues as concurrent “teaching”, student/teacher movement, lack of adequate space, etc., please complete the following.

BTF Survey of Serious and Detrimental Harm to Students’
Education/Additional Safety and Health Issues

Names will not be made public.