MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          August 12, 2020

Subject:     Urgent Teacher Concerns

You are amazing – not surprising but you are. Three thousand, one hundred and fifty-five (3,155) Buffalo teachers responded to our survey!

That’s 86% of those for whom we have an email address!!

You sent a message!! We will not be silent! We are united!

Attached, (Click Here) please find a copy of the correspondence sent to the Superintendent, Board, and Reopening Committee delineating the urgent concerns you sent to us.

Hopefully, I have included all of your concerns. Thank you, for the hundreds who took the time to respond.

If I missed some, please forward them as we will continue to send them to the District (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

We are preparing a resolution calling for virtual instruction until such time as teachers, parents, and staff have approved a reopening plan as being safe for teachers, students, parents, school staff and the community and are also educationally sound for our students. 

PR:su

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          September 8, 2020

Subject:     BTF School/Site Health and Safety Assessment/Update

To ensure that our schools/sites are safe for you now and our students when they return, we have developed a “BTF School/Site Health and Safety Assessment” that we will be asking your Delegate Chair/Building Committee to complete based on your and their assessment of your building/site (Click Here).

To avoid duplication and to ensure accurate tabulation, the “Assessment” link will be sent to the Delegate Chair/Building Committee in a separate email when it is operational.

Attached is a copy of the assessment which we are asking you to work with your Building Committee to complete. As you know, your Delegate Chair leads your Building Committee.

Please remember the Building Committee from last year remains in place until November 30, 2020. We will advise you of any changes.

We are asking that the assessment be completed once a week initially, or as often as needed.

We are hearing that the engineers/custodians have not received all the safety equipment they need. Please check with them as well.

Needed Supplies

It is the District’s responsibility to provide you with the equipment, supplies and materials you need (Article XI, pg. 20-22).

If you need a laptop, internet service, supplies, etc., you should request/order what you need from your principal in writing (email).

We all know that distance/virtual instruction will present issues and that there will be “glitches” in the system as we proceed.

Although some in the District like to resort to bullying, personal attacks, unrealistic expectations, etc., we continue to work with those we can as we continue our battle to ensure that our schools are safe and that our students have the best education possible.

Opening Issues

We knew there would be opening issues; however, if you have encountered one/some of which we should be made aware, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Court – September 21, 2020

We will be in court again on September 21, 2020 seeking to prevent the District from mandating teachers to report to their school/site.

Once a school/site has been determined to meet all State/Federal health requirements, we are willing to enter into an agreement with the District to allow those teachers, who wish to (not pressured to) teach from their school/site, to do so.

BTF Headquarters Reopening

As you know, we have been working virtually. The headquarters will be partially staffed on a rotating basis. Please be patient if someone does not immediately answer the phone.

As with you, the safety and well-being of our secretaries and staff is very important.

For concerns, please continue to contact the Labor Relations Specialist assigned to your school (Click Here).

Thank you for your understanding.

Please stay well. Take no chances.

PR:su

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          September 3, 2020

Subject:     Denial of TRO / District Statement

We are obviously disappointed that Judge Sedita denied our request for a Temporary Restraining Order to prevent teachers from having to report, despite what we consider the lack of “safe and healthful conditions” (our contract). A full hearing on our request for an injunction will be held on September 21, 2020, where we will provide testimony.

However, we heard Nate Kuzma, the District’s General Counsel, state to the court, that everyone who needs an accommodation because of their own condition or their family members’, will get one. While a request is pending, a teacher does not have to report and can work remotely. Interesting, we have never before seen this in writing to us or to teachers. I wonder why now?

We will be verifying the exact wording by obtaining the transcript; however, based on what we heard, the above is District policy. So, base your decision on that and advise us of contradictory decisions.

If you have applied for an accommodation based on the above, please advise your administration that you will be working remotely. If ordered to report, do so, but advise your LRS immediately.

If you have been or are denied, please advise us via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

If you have not applied for an accommodation, unless you are taking a sick or personal day, if told to report, you should.

We hope that no teacher, or employee, is harmed as a result of the Board’s actions.

Stay tuned as we continue our fight for the safety of teachers now and our students when they report.

Be Safe. Take no chances.

PR:ls

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          August 31, 2020

Subject:     State & Federal COVID-19 Related Leave Entitlements

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          September 2, 2020

Subject:     Requests for Accommodations

The District has finally provided information on the procedures for teachers/employees to apply for (request) an accommodation/leave, “Accommodating and leaves requests related to the COVID-19 pandemic” (click here).

If you chose to apply/request, please make a copy of your request and any correspondence from the District.

If you are denied, please contact you LRS immediately.

Also, so that we can keep track of the number of teachers who are applying for/requesting an accommodation/leave, please advise us that you have - email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Your names will, as always, be kept confidential.

Attached (click here) is the NYSUT developed chart of the New York State and Federal leave programs that we have previously posted.

We should be hearing soon from the court regarding our legal action.

We are seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the District from implementing its mandate that teachers report to schools that are unsafe, until such time as there is a hearing as to whether the judge should issue an injunction until an arbitrator makes a decision on our grievance.

We are grieving on behalf of teachers now and students when they return.

Please stay safe. Take no chances.

PR:su

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          September 21, 2020

Subject:     Updates

You aren’t now and never do receive the acknowledgement and thanks you deserve and earn.

The stress of:

• Using programs and procedures that fail and of which you have been inadequately (if at all) trained.
• Doing your best spending many hours before and after “school” to reach out to your students and their parents.  
• Having students without proper equipment and internet connections.
• Dealing with the unrealistic demands of administrators and City Hall.
• Getting little, if any, support from administrators and City Hall.
• Not receiving necessary supplies, equipment, etc.
• and much, much more

Yet, in the interest of your students, you persevere. We all know why -

Because you are teachers.

Please take a moment to allow yourself to reflect on and appreciate all that you do and to allow for the feeling of pride, satisfaction and hope to be felt. You deserve that and much, much more.

COURT UPDATE

Our virtual court hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 2:00 pm. You will hear from us and no doubt hear the results of Judge Sedita’s decision via the media. We have included the many issues you have forwarded to us, as well as a copy of the District’s memo directing principals not to talk to teachers relating to serious safety and health issues in your school/site. It’s nice to know how much the District cares about our and our students’ well-being.

Remember, we are asking for the court to prevent the District from mandating teachers’ attendance at schools/sites until such time as an arbitrator decides on our grievance relating to safe and healthful conditions and also the education of our students.

Once all parties agree that a school/site provides safe and healthful conditions for teachers now and our students in the future, if a teacher wants to utilize their building/site, that’s fine.

However, we will take no chances.

BTF SCHOOL/SITE SAFETY AND HEALTH ASSESSMENT

Thank you for finding the time to complete our Safety Assessment. We know you are enduring very stressful and difficult times.

Although the District has directed that principals should not provide you with information relating to the safe and healthful conditions in your school/site, you can continue to report them to us as often as circumstances warrant.

ACCESS TO TEACHERS’ LESSONS/CLASSES

We are working with several teachers to develop procedures in an attempt to protect access to teachers’ lessons/classes.

Stay Tuned.

TEACHER EVALUATION (APPR)

Although administrators have agreed to be evaluated virtually, we have not. Any such (unlikely) agreement would require a modification of our APPR agreement and a vote of the Executive Committee and Council of Delegates. As always, any such vote would require your input and if necessary, your vote. My recommendation is that if there is such a document, it will be voted on by all members in addition to the Council of Delegates and Executive Committee.

VIRTUAL MEETINGS/VOTING

Obviously, we must codify the ability to meet and vote electronically/virtually. Our BTF constitution should be amended to allow for this.

This amendment/addition is being prepared and will be presented to the Executive Committee and Council of Delegates.

We will be working with our State Affiliate, NYSUT, to set up procedures to facilitate such school/BTF meetings.  

BTF OFFICE HOURS

The BTF office is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm except for Friday. On Fridays, our office (Headquarters) closes at 2:30 so that it can be sprayed (sanitized).

Our secretaries are reporting to the office on a rotating basis unless they have been granted an accommodation to work at home to ensure their well-being.

You can always contact the Labor Relations Specialist (LRS) assigned to your school (Click Here)

If you are coming to Headquarters, if possible, please make an appointment or call ahead.

Your temperature will be taken at the door.

Masks and sanitizing wipes are available for you and our staff’s safety.

Please stay well. Take no chances.

PR:su