MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          October 22, 2020

Subject:     Updates

APPR/Evaluations – Observations
Teachers aren’t under enough stress, yet the District is intent on evaluating teachers virtually.

We have not agreed to any modification of our APPR Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to which both the BTF and District agreed (Click Here).

Any change would have to be agreed to by the Executive Committee, Council of Delegates and you.

ISSUE: Rubric did not contemplate virtual observation(s).

Remember, if directed to “submit” to an APPR, there must be a pre-meeting, agreed upon lesson, date and a “waive off”.

We are working with NYSUT to obtain some relief.

NOTE: If you are observed for your APPR or any other reason:

• Take notes relating to the conditions/circumstances, e.g.:
  • The date, time and length.
  • Was it done virtually, i.e. the administrator was/or was not in your room?
  • How could the building administrator “view” all of your students?
  • What did the administrator say during the lesson?
  • What was said at your pre and post meetings with your building administrator?
  • Other information we can use to challenge this.

The directive to do evaluations is apparently coming from City Hall.

Building Elections
A By-Law Change to allow for the extension of terms for Building Delegates, Alternates and Building Committee members will be presented to the Council of Delegates (Click Here).

The BTF Constitution and By-Laws only delineate these positions. Site-Based (SBMT) positions do not require a By-Law change. Site-based positions can be filled at the time of the vote for Building representatives or as agreed to by the teachers at the building.

Procedures for conducting virtual building elections are being formalized using a platform called “Election Buddy”.

Information and procedures will be forwarded as soon as the procedures are arranged.

Pre-K – Grade 12 COVID-19 Toolkit/Other Documents
Below, please find two (2) documents relating to COVID-19 and schools.

• Pre-K – Grade 12 COVID-19 Toolkit (Click Here)
• Erie County Department of Health Guidance for Pre-K – Grade 12 and Higher Education when a Student/Staff has COVID-19 Symptoms or a Positive COVID-19 Test (Click Here).

Please remember these change often.

Building Reopening Plans
Principals have been instructed to develop reopening plans for their building.

• Like in D.C., there have been no guidelines or models suggested, no delineated procedures for entering, exiting, visiting the school, etc. In short, you are on your own and if it doesn’t work and COVID-19 is spreading and students don’t learn, it’s your fault.
• Once again if asked if you would teach 5 days a week in person with students, you can indicate that you do not have sufficient information, e.g. what sanitization procedures will be followed for the entire building, what will be my schedule, how many students will I have, how will movement in the building take place, etc. Teachers want to be with their students; however, there must be delineated and written procedures in place to ensure the safety of students, parents, staff and community.

How important is the voice of teachers, parents, staff, etc.?

What follows is a quote from the October 19, 2020 District Reopening Committee Agenda.

“ 2. Meaningful Engagement? – Edit, rework, add to… the following definition:
Stakeholders (parents/caregivers, teachers, administrators, support staff) working together to support and improve the learning, development, and health of students. Listening, offering suggestions, developing plans that aid in the goal of a workgroup or committee. Acknowledgment and understanding the feedback loop and ensuring representatives speak on behalf of constituents – allowing everyone to have a voice. Meaningful engagement is not the same as shared decision making.” (emphasis added)

In other words, you can talk and we will listen; however, you are not part of any decision making. There is no shared decision making. We will unilaterally make the decisions. All that comes before the last sentence is meaningless verbiage.

What else is new?

PR:su

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          October 8, 2020

Subject:     Updates

“Re-Opening”
We have still not received a proposed delineated re-opening plan from the District, e.g. when, where, what, how, who, etc.

The District Re-Opening Committee is meeting on Monday, October 19, 2020. They have apparently been told that they should not expect a date for the start of hybrid re-opening.

We will continue to work to ensure that our schools are, and remain safe for us now and our students and staff when students return.

BTF Legal Actions

• We are appealing Judge Sedita’s refusal to prevent teachers from being required to enter schools that have not been properly sanitized.
• We have filed an Improper Practice Charge (IP) against the District for basically telling teachers, you are not important. We don’t need to follow the contract and hear grievances when required to do so.
• Grievances have been filed re:
  • Duplicate Lesson Plans.
  • Multiple student attendance reports.
  • Special Education – Unacceptable lengthy reporting/documentation. Note: We believe this has now been corrected.
  • District administrators requiring access to teachers’ Schoology accounts.
  • District’s refusal to allow access to Wi-Fi hot spots for teachers without internet access at home.
  • District directive to principals to not share building safety information (COVID-19) with teachers.
  • Excessive duties assigned to teachers while teaching remotely.

New York State Refusal to Allow Instruction
New York State has been preventing instruction for students receiving virtual instruction only (no personal contact), if they had not received required immunizations. This has obviously impacted mostly on our immigrant students whose parents haven’t been able to schedule immunization appointments or who had no knowledge of the problem.

This has impacted mostly on the lower grades but also on some high school students.
We brought this to NYSUT.

These parents want their children immunized, but haven’t been able to have it done. In many cases, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to obtain the immunizations.

The New York State Department of Health, in recognition, has extended the date for students learning “exclusively remotely” to be immunized, to November 12, 2020.

Needed Equipment/Supplies
Our contract requires that you are provided with the equipment and supplies you need (see pg. 21-22 and pg. 2, lines 8-14).

If you need supplies, equipment, etc., you should request whatever you need via email to your principal. Keep a copy. If you are turned down, advise your LRS. We will check and then grieve it.

We have been informed that teachers needing a second monitor for demonstrating lessons should request one by putting in a request to “Team Dynamic”, located on the Buffalo Public Schools website under Staff Resources. They will be distributed on a first come first served basis.

If they are not available you should still continue your request.

More COVID-19 Physical/Cognitive Harm
In reference to questions relating to statements I have made relating to COVID-19 brain damage, please see this article (Click Here).

Please stay well. Take no chances.

PR:su

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          October 22, 2020

Subject:     PAC 2020

Many have said that this may be the most important election of our lifetime!

On or before November 3, 2020, every registered voter will have the opportunity to vote for the next President and Vice President of the United States as well as many state and local offices. It is imperative that as educators, we use our collective voice to elect public officials that are supportive of our views and concerns regarding the well-being of all citizens and that are supportive of public education! We, our families and friends, must vote with the knowledge that the well-being of our country is at stake!

This year, there are several safe ways to vote in the November General Election.

• You may request an absentee ballot through 11:59 pm on October 27, 2020. Your absentee ballot must be postmarked no later than November 3, 2020. To request an absentee ballot, Click Here.
• You may vote at one of the thirty-seven (37) early voting sites from October 24, 2020 – November 1, 2020. To view the locations and hours of the early voting sites, Click Here.
• You may vote on Election Day, November 3, 2020 at any of the three hundred thirteen (313) polling sites from 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• You also can hand deliver your ballot to the Erie County Board of Elections – 134 W. Eagle St, Buffalo 14202.

Please urge your family and friends to exercise their right to vote!

The BTF Executive Committee & Council of Delegates have endorsed the following:

JOE BIDEN and KAMALA HARRIS - United States President and Vice President
Joe Biden is a strong supporter of public education. Joe Biden will replace Betsy DeVos with a Secretary of Education that has knowledge of public education and doesn’t support private school vouchers. Joe Biden will support pay raises for educators and work to reduce student loan debt. Kamala Harris has proposed increasing Title 1 funding to make sure every student has access to a nurse and social worker. Biden and Harris will fund, not starve, public education.

Growing up in a working class family, Joe values unions and will work to support America’s middle class families. Supporting the America Cares Act, Biden and Harris will make sure health coverage is available for all Americans and will ensure that having pre-existing conditions will not prevent you from obtaining health care coverage.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will work with medical professionals to stop the spread of the Coronavirus by developing a national plan of action. They will listen to scientists and health care officials and understand that we must contain the pandemic before we can fully open the economy as well as schools and colleges.

NATE McMURRAY – Congressional District 27
Nate McMurray is a strong advocate for real public schools, not charter schools. He stated that all of us have a duty to ensure that public education is of the highest quality and accessible to all. He believes that community and educator-controlled public education is the way to ensure that we have more equitable results. Nate’s opponent was a member of the Buffalo School Board and was a proponent of charter schools.

Nate stated that teachers across the country are intensely dedicated and motivated and there is much that can be done with the national budget to support them. Students need additional resources when it comes to technology, vocational training and personal economic preparedness. Nate wants government to keep its promises to the children in our communities and help prepare them for the real world.

Schools in WNY are finding it more and more difficult to balance their budget. Nate wants to ensure that there is a “maintenance of effort” provision that prevents the state or local governments from reducing their share of school funding.

As a strong supporter of organized labor, Nate supports the rights of all workers to unionize and collectively bargain. If elected, he will continue to voice the needs of labor in Congress.

Nate will advocate for transparency in government and work to reform campaign finance. He has pledged not to take donations from corporate PACs and will dedicate his time in office to maximize justice for all, rather than just the wealthy. He understands that the well-being of our region lies in working people, not just a rich few.

TRACY MITRANO - Congressional District 23
As a teacher and a cyber-security expert, Tracy Mitrano is seeking office to represent the residents of Congressional District 23. The incumbent has been in office for ten years and supported Donald Trump in 2016.

If elected, Tracy vows to expand Universal Pre-K and strengthen our public schools by increasing federal funds. Tracy states that teachers should be paid commensurate with their critical importance to our society.
Tracy Mitrano will make sure that all Americans can have access to affordable health care and prescriptions. She also wants to revamp the student loan program in order to reduce the long-term debt that many students are facing.

JOHN MANNION - New York State Senate District 50
John Mannion has been the local union president for the West Genesee Teachers’ Association for the past eight years. As president of a four hundred-person organization, he fought to ensure that his members’ rights were protected. If elected, John will advocate for public education and push to lower class sizes. He would like to expand the pathways to graduation and the return of trades to our public schools.

John Mannion will oppose the expansion of charter schools and is against having different credential criteria for charter school teachers. He will introduce legislation preventing charter schools from removing “selected” students and sending them back to Buffalo Public Schools.

SEAN RYAN – New York State Senate District 60
As a New York State Assembly member for nine years, Sean Ryan has fought for increased funding for our public schools to keep students healthy and engaged whether they are learning in person or online. As the son of a teacher, Sean was raised to value a strong education. Sean has consistently supported the causes important to public school education.

Last fall, Sean Ryan declared his candidacy for the 60th NYS Senate District seat that will be vacated in December. If elected as a NYS Senator, Sean will work to bring additional funding to our area and for our public schools. Sean vows and has demonstrated that he will put our families first and never bow to the special interests.

JACQUI BERGER – New York Senate District 61
Jacqui Berger is currently the Deputy Supervisor and a Councilmember for the Town of Amherst. During her career, Jacqui has served as a teacher, labor leader, advocate and activist. She is passionate about ensuring that children, families, women and people with disabilities have a voice in the communities in which they live.

As a NYSUT member (UUP), Jacqui is a strong supporter of public schools. She continually advocates to fully fund public education including higher education, fully funding foundation aid and freezing and rolling back the number of charter schools. Jacqui wants public school monies to be used for district schools. Charter schools should be funded by the state.

In order to prevent occurrences of violence in our schools, Jacqui stated that schools should be required by law to develop and implement workplace violence prevention programs. She advocates for programs to be developed that address the emotional and behavioral concerns of students. She is recommending that a task force that is made up of administrators, teachers, social workers and psychologists be formed to address school violence issues.

Jacqui also supports increasing NYS revenue by raising the tax rate on ultra-millionaires and billionaires to address budget shortfalls and the chronic underfunding of education.

WILLIAM CONRAD – New York Assembly District 140
William Conrad is a twenty-year Social Studies teacher in the Ken-Ton School District and also a Town of Tonawanda Councilmember. As a NYSUT member, William will advocate for public school funding. He will also fight for an adequate number of mental health professionals, counselors, social workers and school psychologists with a caseload small enough to allow them to help students that need assistance.

As a public school educator, William is supportive of many of our positions. He is against eliminating the Triborough Amendment of the Taylor Law and favors eliminating the current Receivership Law, APPR and the current funding stream for charter schools.

William also supports increasing NYS revenue by raising the tax rate on ultra-millionaires and billionaires.

PATRICK BURKE – New York Assembly District 141
As a two-year NYS Assembly Member incumbent, Patrick Burke has focused on protecting the health and well-being of children. Pat wants New York State to pay its fair share to schools and stop the attacks on public education. He will introduce and support legislation requiring Districts to provide suspended students with “intervention” services by a school counselor, school social worker, school psychologist or an attendance teacher in order to determine the source of the disruptive behavior. Pat will also introduce and support legislation to limit the caseload of school counselors, social workers, etc.

Pat Burke will submit legislation establishing a separate funding stream for charter schools so that they don’t drain money from our schools and will submit legislation limiting the costs and number of charter schools within a single district to 10% of the district budget. He will also introduce legislation preventing charter schools from removing students and sending them back to Buffalo Public Schools.

MONICA WALLACE – New York Assembly District 143
Monica Wallace is a lawyer and a four-year incumbent of the NYS Assembly. During her tenure as an elected official, Monica has been a strong supporter of public education. Being the first person in her family to attend college, Monica continually works to keep our public schools and universities strong in order to provide educational opportunities for all New York residents.

Monica supports teacher developed and supported restorative justice practices as well as more funding for social workers and community resources to address underlying poverty issues that affect our students. She will advocate for requiring districts to provide suspended students with intervention services to ensure that disruptive actions are addressed.

Monica fought against a proposal to open a charter school in her district last year and opposed the proposition to reduce credentials for charter school teachers.

KAREN McMAHON – New York Assembly District 146
As a two-year incumbent, Karen McMahon strives to represent the values of her community in the New York State Assembly. She continually advocates for increased funding for public school education and the expansion of accessible, affordable and quality higher education.

In order to support students, Karen states that mental health interventions are critical. Funding additional school counselors and social workers will help students navigate the issues they face and give them the tools they need to succeed.

Karen McMahon stated that the Taylor Law and the Triborough Amendment are the bedrock foundation of public employment in New York State. She will oppose efforts to undermine the balance provided by the current laws.

JON RIVERA – New York Assembly District 149
Jon Rivera is running for the NYS Assembly to ensure that WNY’s voice is heard in Albany, delivering for working people and providing for a welcoming and inclusive community. Jon states that funding for public schools continues to be inadequate. He will fight to make sure BPS receives its fair share of state aid.

If elected, Jon will advocate for all schools to have a safety plan in place that protects the students as well as the employees of the school. School safety is a not just an educational issue, it is also a community problem. Jon will promote the use of wraparound services such as interventions by school counselors, school social workers and psychologists to play a critical role in assisting the child and his/her family.

Jon stated that he is against efforts to amend the Triborough Amendment of the Taylor Law. He sees efforts to amend the law as a way to take rights away from workers. He will not support amending the law to strip workers of their rights.

JUDGE AMY MARTOCHE – New York State Supreme Court

The Honorable Judge Martoche has received the following Bar Association ratings and the Buffalo Teachers Federation’s endorsement.

Bar Association of Erie County: Well Qualified
Minority Bar Association of WNY: Superior
Women’s Bar Association: Outstanding

We urge you to vote for the BTF endorsed candidates. Remember, BTF is one of the founders of the Working Families Party. It is critical that you vote for our candidates on the Working Families line.

DO YOU HAVE A PLAN TO VOTE?

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          October 27, 2020

Subject:     Updates

District Reopening Plan
Teachers, while looking forward to being with their students in person, have expressed concerns relating to the District’s “Reopening” Plan – Phase I”, due Wednesday, October 28, 2020 that is being completed by the principals.

They are being unreasonably asked for a possible commitment without being provided with critical
information.

We advise teachers to indicate that before being able to answer questions relating to their willingness to work in person with students, at a minimum, the following should be provided to them for a tentative response:

• Written copies of the sanitization procedures/schedules in their building.
• Written copies of the entry testing procedures for all entering and also procedures for those, e.g. students exiting the buildings.
• Written copies of the procedures relating to suspected/confirmed cases of COVID-19.
• Written copies of their schedules, i.e. subject/grade level, reporting times, class size, room assignments, movement of students, i.e. schedules provided and posted as is done currently.
• Copies of Reopening Plan(s) for building(s) to which they are assigned that have been agreed to by each site-based committee, the District and the BTF.

District Disrespect/Disregard for Parents, Teachers and Staff
Enclosed, please find a copy of correspondence sent to the Superintendent and members of the Board delineating just some of the instances of District disrespect and disregard for parents, teachers and staff that you and others have reported to us (Click Here).

Attention Delegates to New York State Teachers Retirement System Virtual Delegate Meeting
As you probably know, the 100th Annual Meeting of delegates to New York State Teachers Retirement System will be virtual this year. The format has changed and the sessions as well as the election of a teacher delegate will all be held on Monday, November 9, 2020. Further information should be sent to your District email from NYSTRS.

Please complete the attached (Click Here) personal leave form and submit to your school clerk for your absence on November 9th. The form is an editable PDF and can be printed and submitted or electronically signed and submitted. It has come to our attention that clerks at some schools are asking teachers to provide fund numbers when away on Board Business. All clerks have been informed that when substitute teachers are required for the absence of teaches due to attendance at this meeting, NO fund number is required. Instead, the substitute teacher days are charged to each school’s fund number.

If you have any difficulties with this process, please contact us at the BTF, (716) 881-5400.

Also:

• When emailing the BTF, please indicate your school and contact information so that it can also be forwarded to the appropriate staff person. The information is kept confidential.
• When being asked/directed to take an action that you question, advise the administrator in writing (email) that the BTF has advised teachers that the requested action be made in writing so that there are no misunderstandings. If told that the action/directive came from “City Hall”, that you have been advised by BTF to ask for a copy of the directive.
• In answer to questions, when voting, you don’t have to be a registered Working Families Party member to vote on its line in this election. When primary elections are held, then you must vote on the line of the party for which you are registered.

PR:su

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          November 4, 2020

Subject:     Updates

The Election
Will it ever be over? For the sake of all Americans, let us all not only hope so, but also work to make it so.

Yes, we have relatives, friends and colleagues with whom we disagreed on candidates; however, as teachers, we have to, while we disagreed, continue to work together in the interest of our students and in our commitment to each other – our unbreakable solidarity.

While it doesn’t seem this path will be taken everywhere; hopefully, ultimately it will be.

We, as always, will set the example for our most important people, our students, who will ultimately assume responsibility for helping shape the future of our community, and our country.

After all, that is why we are teachers.

District Reopening “Plans”
Although teachers have not received necessary information, some are being advised that they have been selected to teach in person. If you have been or are so advised, please contact your Labor Relations Specialist (LRS) (Click Here) and the BTF (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and/or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Please remember to include your school and contact information. We do not disclose these.

As per our recent “Updates”, if you are notified or asked to volunteer, you should advise your administrator (preferably in “writing”) that you have been advised by the BTF to obtain the following:

• Written copies of the sanitization procedures/schedules in their building(s).
• Written copies of the entry testing procedures for all entering and also procedures for those, e.g. students exiting the buildings.
• Written copies of the procedures relating to suspected/confirmed cases of COVID-19.
• Written copies of their schedules, i.e. subject/grade level, reporting times, class size, room assignments, movement of students, i.e. schedules provided and posted as is done currently.
• Copies of Reopening Plan(s) for building(s) to which they are assigned that have been agreed to by each site-based committee, the District and the BTF.

The Governor’s Latest COVID-19 Guidance
The most recent guidance from Governor Cuomo relates to what he has referred to as “Hot Spots”.

While this changes almost daily, here is a copy (Click Here).

Negotiations
Obviously, with the Buffalo District and all school districts facing huge funding shortfalls, we would not like a mediator’s recommendations at this point. The mediator is in agreement with putting mediation on hold for sixty days.

The District has also agreed with us.

We will be asking the Executive Committee and Council of Delegates to approve a Memorandum of Understanding providing for same.

The MOU is attached (Click Here). It has been signed but must be approved by the Council of Delegates.

Denial of Accommodations
We have been informed that teachers are receiving notification that their request for an accommodation has been denied.

If your request for an accommodation is denied, please send a copy to your LRS (Click Here) and to BTF (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and/or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Selection of Schools for In-Person Instruction/Special Education Evaluations
We have been advised that some schools have been tentatively selected for in-person instruction and/or special education meeting evaluations.

If your school is selected/mentioned for in-person instruction and/or in-person special education evaluation conferences, Delegate Chair and/or Building Committee member(s), please complete the attached survey (Click Here).

PR:su

MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          November 5, 2020

Subject:     Cancellation of January Regents

As you may have heard, the New York State Board of Regents, today, cancelled the January Regents Examinations.

Here is the information that is currently available on their website (Click Here).

We will keep you advised of any changes as well as any impact on APPRs.

PR:su