MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          February 24, 2020

Subject:     Reminder - Prescription Co-pay Reimbursement Deadline

The deadline for submitting your 2019 prescription co-pay reimbursement is Friday, March 6, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.

Information relating to the SBF co-pay reimbursement may be found on the BTF website (Click Here) or you may call the Supplemental Benefit Fund office at 881-5462.

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MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          March 2, 2020

Subject:     Celebrating S/Heroes in Education

Helping Families and Children in America, along with the Buffalo Teachers Federation, will be hosting "A Hollywood Style Black-Tie Gala" honoring Buffalo Public School teachers. The event will take place October 17, 2020 at The Grand Hotel. Please consider nominating a teacher from your building.

Click Here for the guidelines and application.

The application deadline is April 15, 2020.

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MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          March 5, 2020

Subject:     Coronavirus

Together we must, and will, be proactive to ensure that Coronavirus does not infect and spread to our students, staff and community.

Attached, please find correspondence sent to the Superintendent and Board (Click Here). You can click on the links for the documents referred to in the email to them.

Please forward any concerns you have, relating to your school, or issue(s) that you would like to bring to our and the District’s attention. Send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We cannot and will not be complacent.

Also attached, please find additional documents referred to on the CDC, World Health Organization, and New York State, websites (Click Here).

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MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          March 9, 2020

Subject:     Updates

Coronavirus

As you have seen from our recent emails, we will continue to leave no stone unturned to ensure that our students, staff and community do not become infected with the coronavirus and if so, its spread is eliminated.

We are forwarding your school concerns relating to the coronavirus to the District for corrective action. Please report them to us and also if, within a reasonable time, they have not been addressed, please follow-up by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Superintendent is following up on the concerns raised in the attached memos (March 6, 2020, Click Here and March 9, 2020, Click Here).

We are all working together on this critical emergency.

Click Here to view The Buffalo News Article, New York now leads U.S. in confirmed coronavirus cases; county can test for virus.


Negotiations

The mediator assigned to our negotiations was in the hospital for a prolonged period and also had his mother pass. He is back to work and scheduling his assignments. We should hear of the proposed dates very soon.

We are scheduling our next rally before the Board meeting on April 8, 2020. Details to come.

BEST – Buffalo Educational Support Team (Teacher Aides/Teaching Assistants Rally)

Our BEST colleagues will be holding a rally for a new contract. Teachers are encouraged to join with them.

When:    Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Time:    4:00-5:00
Place:    City Hall

You are encouraged to wear BTF logo, stickers, etc.

School Safety

As was discussed at our last Council of Delegates meeting, we are going to provide an email means of reporting school climate/safety issues when they occur (on going basis).

In this way we can take immediate action to deal with unsafe teaching and learning conditions while also keeping and compiling records of same.

While we have the incidents by school that were reported on our last School Climate/Safety Survey, we need to ensure that we can demonstrate school safety issues that are not addressed by the administration and/or District.

Once it is completed and tested, the school safety/incident report form will be emailed to all teachers and be put on our website.

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MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          March 10, 2020

Subject:     Meetings

In light of the concerns relating to the coronavirus, we will not be having an Executive Committee meeting, just the Council of Delegates meeting. We will have hand sanitizers available.

If you are concerned or believe you might have been exposed to the coronavirus, we understand and appreciate your concern.

Attendance will not be taken. As always, materials will be sent in the PONY.

Later in the week if circumstances change, we will also cancel the Council of Delegates meeting.


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MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          March 10, 2020

Subject:     Coronavirus Update

We will keep you advised of any issues relating to the coronavirus.

In addition to the copies of correspondence to the Superintendent you received yesterday, the following has also been sent. Hopefully, you and we, will receive responses quickly.

March 9, 2020 - Confusion Relating to District “BPS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Measures and Protocols” (Click Here)

March 9, 2020 - Another Issue that Needs a Quick Response (Click Here)

March 9, 2020 - Another Urgent Coronavirus Issue (Click Here)

As you can see, we are sending all concerns (general and specific) to the Superintendent.

Please advise us of issues and if reported issues are not addressed by the District in a timely manner.


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