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.
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.
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
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 8, 2019
Subject: Updates/Concerns
Negotiations Update
As per the Executive Committee and Council of Delegates briefing, the BTF has filed for impasse in our negotiations, thereby seeking the assistance of the Public Relations Employee Board. A copy of the relevant sections are attached. (Impasse - Click Here)
As per the Executive Committee and Council of Delegates briefing, the BTF has filed for impasse in our negotiations, thereby seeking the assistance of the Public Relations Employee Board. A copy of the relevant sections are attached. (Impasse - Click Here)
We have also filed a second Improper Practice charge against the District – relevant sections attached. (2nd I.P. - Click Here)
Resolution – Unacceptable School Safety and Learning Conditions Passed Unanimously by the Executive Committee and Council of Delegates (Document I - Click Here)
We must no longer refer to “suspensions” but the designation should be “suspensions/District interventions” thereby making it clear that it is the responsibility of the District to ensure that District provided interventions are required whenever a student is suspended.
Survey – Unacceptable School Safety and Learning Conditions
It is only November and we are hearing of serious school safety and school learning condition concerns.
Please complete the School Safety and School Learning Conditions Survey that was emailed to you on November 7, 2019. You can also access the survey by Clicking Here.
Yes, it will take time in addition to all the other, all too often, meaningless tasks you have to perform; however, we need to detail and make known the real issues interfering with our students learning conditions.
We will be issuing follow-ups through-out the year.
Special Education Survey
More and more issues are being raised to students not receiving the special education services they need and are entitled to receive under the law.
Please email us of any lack of services that a referred or currently identified student is not receiving, e.g. student awaiting placement for an excessive period of time, student not receiving requiring additional services (healthcare aide, etc.), required by their IEP.
Please send any such concerns to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Be assured we will act on their behalf. Teachers are encouraged to email us special education issues/concerns as they arise throughout the year.
Teacher Personnel Files
Under the Contract:
XVI. F. pg. 34
No derogatory letters or reports shall be placed in a teachers file without the teacher’s knowledge and an opportunity to make a written statement of defense to be attached to the derogatory statement.
XIII. D. pg. 29
Teachers shall have the right, upon request, to review the contents of their official personnel file, except confidential information supplied at the request of the Administration for the purpose of obtaining employment or promotion.
Also, as per an arbitration decision:
- Teachers also have a right to see what is in their building file, with reasonable notice, to the administrator.
- If a document is placed in either the teachers district personnel file or the school file without their being notified, it must be removed.
Replying to BTF Emails
The email address that BTF emails come from (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) is for outgoing emails only. Please do not attempt to respond (Reply) to email messages as it is not monitored for responses.
The email address that BTF emails come from (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) is for outgoing emails only. Please do not attempt to respond (Reply) to email messages as it is not monitored for responses.
If you have any question or concerns, please contact the BTF at (716) 881-5400.
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
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
MEMORANDUM
Memo To: All Buffalo Teachers
From: Philip Rumore, President, BTF
Date: November 13, 2019
Subject: Updates
“Snow Days”
Also Note: While stating that the schools in your area are closed, in and of itself, may not be used as the sole reason for not being able to report in Buffalo, it can be used as evidence that you could not report in Buffalo.
Evaluations/Observations
Evaluations/Observations
This is the complete document.
You should note, pages 4-7 give an overview:
You should note, pages 4-7 give an overview:
- One (1) announced/one (1) unannounced unless the teacher received an Ineffective in the previous year.
- Announced – Pre-meeting to set date/time and what will be covered – Teacher or administrator can request one (1) additional observation.
- Unannounced – Month during which will take place made known. One postponement allowed.
- No Observations
- Month of September
- Before or After Thanksgiving, on Halloween, Winter (Christmas) Break, Mid-Winter (February) Break, Spring (Easter) Break.
- During the last three (3) weeks of instruction in June.
- Not all indicators must be observed/evaluated (see example pg. 27, 28 & 29)
- There are two different evaluation procedures
- 3012-d teachers (pg. 12, 15, 17, 39)
- non-3012-d teachers (pg. 13, 14, 16, 18, 40)
- Teachers receiving an overall Ineffective (I) rating can challenge the evaluation (pg. 24-25)
- Under the Contract – XIII, C.
“Although teacher evaluation is not subject to the grievance procedure, a teacher may have an evaluation reviewed at a meeting with the Associate Superintendent for Instructional Services and/or the Superintendent of Schools. If the teacher requests, a teacher representative designated by the Federation may accompany the teacher at such meeting.”
Penalizing Teachers for Being Ill
Some principals are attempting to penalize teachers for being ill under guise of rewarding teachers who have perfect, or in their opinion, excellent attendance.
- This is an insult to teachers – i.e. you are not really sick, you are just taking a day off.
- If you have caught a cold, etc. from one of your students (there is usually one who is ill), you don’t get the reward.
- If a member of your family is ill – too bad.
- Pregnant – too bad.
- Come to school with a cold or flu so that your students and staff catch it?
No building committee can agree to this. It is a violation of our contract and something that the District had sought and is seeking in our negotiations.
NO!!
School Safety/Learning Conditions Survey
Thus far, after only three days, we have received 252 responses to our survey.
Teachers have until December 2, 2019 to complete it. We obviously need a significant response for the District and others to accept the results.
Please take the time to complete it. You can complete/take it multiple times to complete your input.
As per #13 of the survey, teachers should be aware of the following contract provisions.
NO!!
School Safety/Learning Conditions Survey
Thus far, after only three days, we have received 252 responses to our survey.
Teachers have until December 2, 2019 to complete it. We obviously need a significant response for the District and others to accept the results.
Please take the time to complete it. You can complete/take it multiple times to complete your input.
As per #13 of the survey, teachers should be aware of the following contract provisions.
- XVIII C. (4) - Regardless of the cause of any pupil difficulty, no teacher or class is ever required to tolerate any act of gross misconduct, including flagrant discourtesy, abusive and vile language, acts of violence, and deliberate insubordination. The teacher has the right to remove any pupil whose behavior repeatedly disrupts the learning atmosphere of the class. The pupil shall not be readmitted until the teacher has conferred with the principal or assistant principal involved. The pupil shall not be returned to the same class until the teacher and administrator have discussed the basis on which improvement can be expected. If it is mutually agreed that the pupil’s behavior cannot be expected to improve another placement will be provided.
- XVIII A. - The teacher involved shall be consulted by the principal before the principal takes action thereunder, and the principal shall inform the teacher of the action taken. If the teacher believes such action to be inappropriate, the matter may be referred for review through the first three steps of the grievance procedure.
- If Applicable - XVIII B. - Upon the menace or assault (as defined in the New York State Penal Law) of a teacher by a pupil, the teacher shall submit a sworn affidavit outlining the facts and circumstances to the Principal and to the Federation. Upon receipt of the affidavit, the principal shall immediately suspend the pupil and request a formal suspension. No such pupil shall be returned to the same classroom against the desire of the teacher if the charges which led to the suspension are upheld in the formal hearing.
Changing Diapers
It is not the responsibility of teachers to change diapers.
The principal/administrator should assign someone other than the teacher.
If the principal/administrator is ordering you to change diapers, ask for the directive in writing. You can inform them that the BTF has advised you to do so.
There are State guidelines for changing diapers (See Attached)
If you are ordered to change diapers, please notify the BTF and submit a copy of the principal’s directive or if the principal/administrator has refused or not done so, indicate that.
Send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
PR:su