News, Alerts & Events

MEMORANDUM
 
 
Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers
From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF
Date:          October 24, 2019
 

Subject:      Updates

Negotiations
Our most recent (10/22/19) negotiations involved unacceptable and belligerent behavior by the District’s Chief Negotiator. It also involved an attempt by the District to link a previously agreed to District, yes District proposal, to other BTF proposals.
We will not go into details at this time.
 
As a result, we have again filed, with the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB), seeking their agreement that there is an impasse in our negotiations. Our previous request of PERB was not granted, as they sought more time for our negotiations to proceed, while leaving the door open.
 
We are also filing another Improper Practice (IP) charge against the District.
 
When they are both filed and received by PERB, we will update you.
 
School Safety Concerns
Concerns relating to school safety/learning environment are again becoming an issue. We will once again be surveying teachers relating to the learning environment in your school(s).
 
One issue is that students having behavior issues are not receiving the intervention services they need to correct the behaviors that are detrimental to their, and others’, education.
 
When, in spite of a teacher’s best efforts, a student continues to exhibit behaviors that are detrimental to his/her education, too often nothing is done to correct the behavior.
 
Instead of suspending the student and providing the necessary intervention services to end the disruptive behaviors, too many administrators are ignoring the problem, e.g. not suspending the student, pretending that the student was suspended by listing the student’s suspension as “pending” and of course attempting to blame the teachers.
 
We don’t want a student that has, and continues to engage, in acts of violence, disruptive behavior, bullying, etc. just returned to class, rewarding the behavior and in effect, saying to the class the behavior is acceptable.
 
What we want is for the District to provide intervention services to prevent the reoccurrence of the disruptive behavior.
 
Suspensions must result in District intervention. To accomplish this, we need more School Counselors, Social Workers, School Psychologists, Attendance teachers, etc. and they should not have 800/1 caseloads and be assigned administrators’ duties that take them away from providing intervention services. One hundred to one (100/1) should be an absolute maximum caseload.
 
It is the District’s responsibility to ensure that a student’s suspension leads to intervention services, i.e. Suspension/District interventions.
 
Lesson Plans
Why some administrators have to be so obsessed with Lesson Plans instead of the learning going on in your classroom, I don’t know. Never mind, you’re right.
 
The first sentence in the document approved by the Board of Education “Buffalo Public Schools Lesson Plan Document 2002” states;
 
 “Purpose of Lesson Plans:

Primary purpose of plans is for the teacher. Teachers should make them as detailed as the teacher needs them.” (This is bolded in the document)

 
The document is on the BTF website (Click Here).
 
Coaches - Re-Fingerprinting? Documentation?
Coaches are apparently receiving correspondence from District Human Resources Department advising them that there is no record of a fingerprint clearance in their file even though the teachers were fingerprinted years ago and the District has/had the documentation.
 
The teachers are being told that they “have ten business days from the date of this letter to verify you have completed the certification requirements”.
 
The correspondence refers coaches to two (2) places to get fingerprinted – the cost is over $100!
 
First we will be filing a Federation grievance to:
  • Obtain reimbursement for any teacher who paid to be re-fingerprinted.
  • Retraction of Human Resources demand that coaches/teachers be required to provide documentation that they have already submitted to the District. One coach has already verified that the District has this information on file.
 
Do they just not want to be bothered obtaining it from their files?
 
Note: Fingerprinting of prospective teachers used to be arranged for with the police department at City Hall at a cost of $10.
 
StayTuned.
 
PR:su
MEMORANDUM
 
 
Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers
From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF
Date:          September 30, 2019
 

Subject:     Negotiations Response

In answer to some Board members’ inquiries, as we left negotiations on September 25, 2019, we advised your negotiating team that on the next day, September 26, 2019, we would be meeting with both our Executive Committee and Council of Delegates (representatives of all schools).

Your team was also advised that the Executive Committee and Council of Delegates would want to know about how negotiations were proceeding and of your contract proposals. Without your agreement on the ground rules, I could not, as in the past, avoid providing them to our teachers and having them then circulated to the media.

Your team still refused to agree to the ground rules.

When an overview was presented to our Council of Delegates, members were so angered that a motion was made to distribute an overview to Buffalo teachers. It was passed unanimously.

In reference to a statement made by the District that I misled the teachers on your proposals, since you have supposedly read and approved them, I will be happy to make them public.

Also, please advise me of where I, in the new terminology, have created “Fake News”.


PR:su
 

Click Here to View the District Statement

 

MEMORANDUM
 
 
Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers
From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF
Date:          October 2, 2019
 

Subject:     Updates

WELCOME TO OUR THREE NEW LABOR RELATIONS SPECIALISTS
As you may know, we have 3 new Labor Relations Specialists (LRSs) assigned to BTF.

They are filling the positions of Dennis Licherelli (retired from NYSUT – now working for our Supplemental Benefit Fund at BTF – which he helped start), Deana Fox and Anna Geronimo, who both transferred to other assignments.

They are Jenna Burke, Matt Kibler, and Rob Mueller.

They are all amazing advocates with extensive experience fighting for those they represent. We are very fortunate to have them as part of our team.

As you may know, each LRS is responsible for one-third (1/3) of the schools/sites. In this way, there is consistency and knowledge of what is transpiring at your school/site.

It will take a few minutes for them to become familiar with our contract and the issues in the District so please give them an hour or so to do so. Actually, it is amazing how quickly they have already dug into the issues.

Welcome, Jenna, Matt and Rob.


LESSON PLANS
The Lesson Plan Document adopted by the Buffalo Board of Education starts with:
 

“Purpose of Lesson Plans:

Primary purpose of plans is for the teacher. Teachers should make them as detailed as the teacher needs them.” (This is bolded in the document.)

 

Feel free to advise your administrator of this. It seems that rather than just caring about how well all is going for students in your class, some administrators want to focus on your lesson plans.

Let us know if your administrator has chosen to ignore what the Board of Education has approved. Do they ask the doctor or dentist to see his or her lesson plans to evaluate them before or after they go, or are they judged by their work?


SCIENCE LABS
We are receiving disturbing reports relating to oversized Science Labs. Not only is this dangerous, it is detrimental to teaching and learning.

Please report any Science Labs with over 15 students on the roaster. We are grieving this. Send class sizes to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please include your school, class size(s), subject(s), your name and contact information.


LACK OF ART AND MUSIC IN HIGH SCHOOL
Not only is the District trying to remove Art, Music and PE from the elementary grades, they are violating regulations relating to High School instruction/programs.

We are filing litigation to force the District’s compliance with the regulations.

However, we need a teacher/parent of a child who attends a Buffalo High School who has a child who wants to take Art, Music, Band, Choir, Orchestra, Dance or Theater classes during the school day but it is not offered at their school. If you are or you know of a parent in this situation, please have them contact Associate Counsel, Claire Sellers at (716) 884-1115 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as soon as possible.


MANDATED REPORTERS
As you have read and heard, teachers are what is often referred to as mandated reporters of “suspected child abuse or maltreatment”.

Some aspects of the law include:

  • Includes teachers
  • Must notify person in charge  - e.g. Principal 
  • School or agency cannot take any retaliatory “personnel action” against person reporting.
  • Confidentiality – “for mandated reporters and all sources of child abuse and maltreatment reports”.
  • Mandatory Reporter – Complainant/Plaintiff attempting to take action against a person reporting abuse/maltreated “must show willful misconduct or gross negligence on part of mandated reporters to overcome the statutory presumption of good faith in reporting suspected abuse.”
  • District must provide “All such current and new employees with written information relating to the law.”

 

A copy of the law and an overview are attached (Click Here).
 
In addition to it being the law, as teachers who care about our students, we know it’s the right thing to do.
 
NEGOTIATIONS
No real progress today.
 
Interestingly, the District is now saying that they didn't really want to remove all of X (J) (Art, Music and PE) as their proposal states but, they just wanted to remove the last part dealing with an MOU.
 
Then how do they explain the fact that a separate/different proposal already called for that part being removed?

 

PR:su

 

MEMORANDUM
 
 
Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers
From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF
Date:          October 8, 2019
 

Subject:     Legal Action – Art and Music in High School

We need your help!

The District is continuing its assault on Art and Music not only in the elementary grades but also in our High Schools.

Our High School students are being deprived of the opportunity for Art, Choir, Band, Orchestra, Dance, Theater and many other programs in the Arts.

As such, they are violating New York State regulations relating to High School Instruction/Programs.
We cannot allow the District to deprive our students of these important programs. They are not second class students.

We are filing litigation to force the District’s compliance with the regulations.

WE NEED YOUR HELP FOR OUR STUDENTS.

If not us, who?

We need a teacher/parent of a child who attends a Buffalo High School who has a child who wants to take Art, Music, Band, Choir, Orchestra, Dance or Theater classes during the school day but it is not offered at their school. If you are or you know of a parent in this situation, please have them contact Associate Counsel, Claire Sellers at (716) 884-1115 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as soon as possible.

 

PR:su

 

MEMORANDUM
 
 
Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers
From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF
Date:          October 10, 2019
 

Subject:     Updates

Attention: School Guidance Counselors, Social Workers, Psychologists, Attendance Teachers
Absurd Caseloads/ Extraneous Tasks
In negotiations, the District doesn’t seem to believe the number of students you, as with most teachers, must service, e.g your case load, but also the extraneous duties you have been assigned that impact on the time you have to provide support services to students.

Please complete the attached form and send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We will not use your name. If you have concerns, we will block your school(s) when reporting the information.
 
Please list extraneous duties assigned that adversely impact the time available to perform your student support services.

 

Late School Buses   
Apparently there are, even at this late date, problems with the arrival and departure times of school buses.
Please advise us of the continuing late arrival and departure problems at your school.

 
Support for Auto Workers
The United Auto Workers’ battle is also our battle.

Teachers have walked the line with our brothers and sisters. We have distributed cases of water, sandwiches and twenty $30 gift cards.

We will continue to provide more support. We ask that the Delegate Chairs or any other teacher who wishes to do so, collect checks made out to the BTF and send or deliver them to the BTF Headquarters (271 Porter Avenue, Buffalo, New York 14201). There are apparently issues involving direct contributions to the striking workers.

We will convert the donations to gift cards.
 
In addition, we ask that all teachers wear something red on Wednesdays as that is what the Auto Workers are apparently doing each Wednesday.

Let’s send the message:
 
On Wednesday Wear Red
to
Condemn GM Greed
and
Provide Auto Workers’ Families what they Deserve and Need


Thank you in advance – Their battle is our battle.


PR:su
MEMORANDUM
 
 
Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers
From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF
Date:          November 7, 2019
 

Subject:     School Safety/Learning Conditions

In order to determine the extent, areas of concern and locations of unacceptable school safety and learning conditions, we have combined two recent surveys. We need your assistance to determine the issues giving rise to unacceptable learning/safety conditions as well as the physical/communication issues leading to unsafe conditions in the school/site, e.g. doors unlocked/unlockable, lack of notification of emergency conditions, unauthorized non-board people in the building, etc.

We can not and will not allow unacceptable school safety and learning conditions in our schools/sites.

Once the surveys are completed, we will provide the information to the Superintendent and Board with our offer to work with them as well as take necessary actions to ensure that the concerns/issues are corrected.

We realize that this survey will take time; however, we need responses in sufficient numbers to demonstrate the severity of the concerns/issues.

Please try to have your surveys completed by December 2, 2019.

Thank you in advance for your continued solidarity and support.


PR:su

Please Click Here to Take the School Safety & Unacceptable Learning Conditions Report Form

Important Information

  • The Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) Information 

    The APPR is a process by which teachers are evaluated in NYS. The intent of APPR is to assist educators to improve the quality of instruction in schools and to improve students' performance for colleges and careers. District APPR plans must meet strict state guidelines and be negotiated with local unions. Under state guidelines, APPR takes into account classroom observations and student performance. Teachers across NYS receive an overall effectiveness rating every year.

     

    APPR is complex and can often be overwhelming.  Click here to keep up to date on all the current APPR information.

  • Opt-Out Information 

    Teachers and parents share deep concerns about the standardized tests used by NYS for accountability purposes that include; stress on students, in-appropriateness and lack of validity of the Common Core-aligned tests, loss of learning time, and lack of transparency on state test content. Parents who decide it is not in their children’s best interests to take these assessments are part of an “Opt-Out” movement. BTF fully supports parents’ right to choose what is best for their children.

     

    Click here to keep up to date on the "Opt-Out" movement and other information.

  • COVID-19 Information

    For our members, BTF has collected COVID-19 resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, as well as our affiliates, NYSUT, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. Together we must, and will, be proactive to ensure that Coronavirus does not infect and spread to our students, staff and community.
     
    Click here to view recent information and writen correspondence. The BTF will post more information as it becomes available.

Buffalo Teachers Federation

 officers 2023
 
The Buffalo Teachers Federation is the professional union that represents over 3800 contract, probationary and temporary teachers of the Buffalo Public Schools.

 The BTF is proud to be a member of New York State United Teachers and affiliated nationally with the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers.
          
 We invite you to explore our website for information and resources specifically for our members and retirees.

Calendar

 March 2025
 13   Executive Committee Meeting - 5:30 pm
 13    Council of Delegates Meeting - 7:00 pm      
 25   BTF Retirement Seminar
 
 April 2025
  11   BTF Office Closed at 4:00 pm
14-21   Spring Recess       
  24   Executive Committee Meeting - 5:30 pm   
  24   Council of Delegates Meeting - 7:00 pm      
     

Office Information

Mailing Address:
Buffalo Teachers Federation
271 Porter Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14201
Phone: 716-881-5400
 
Supplemental Benefit Fund:
Phone: 716-881-5462
Fax:     716-881-0580
 
Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Guests Online

We have 65 guests and no members online

        Did your home address, email address or phone number change? Please let us know!                           Update Here