The BTF Council of Delegates was so angered by an overview of the contract proposals, apparently approved by the Superintendent and Board of Education, a motion was unanimously passed to forward the overview to all Buffalo teachers.

While most of the Superintendent’s and Board’s proposals were met with anger, a couple involving the education of students stood out.

• Proposals V a) (ii) and VI b)

Removing the mandate for Art/Music/PE in K-6

• VII a)

Eliminating the requirement for teachers to have adequate teaching supplies

• XII b)

Removing “If mutually agreed that the pupil’s behavior cannot be expected to improve another placement will be provided.”

• XXIII b)

Days absent for death in family must be used consecutively and within two weeks of the family member’s death.

Yes, there were many more (almost all) of the proposals that were seen as insulting and as an attack on teachers, who are, under the most difficult circumstances, dedicated to providing our students with the finest education possible.

Although it was not part of the motion, I am including an overview of our contract proposals.

You should note that unlike the Superintendent’s and Board’s proposals that include nothing that addresses improving teaching and learning conditions for our students, our proposals include many to improve the education of our students, e.g.

• Lowering and capping class sizes
  
• For class size purposes counting students years behind in reading and math as 2 or 3 so that they can get increased support
  
• Lowering class sizes and more support for our many ENL students
  
• More school guidance counselors, social workers and attendance teachers to support our students
  
• Increasing Art/ Music and PE in primary grades
  
• Increased money for supplies
  
• Ensuring that psychologists and social workers have time to work with students
  
• Increased library service for students

Oh, and did you notice the Superintendent and Board made no salary proposal?

They said they were waiting to see ours?!

PR:su

Click Here to View BTF Interpretation of Superintendent’s And Board’s Negotiations Proposals

Click Here to View an Overview of the BTF Contract Proposals

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

• 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.

“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.”

PR:su