BTF Releases Disturbing School Safety and Unacceptable Learning Conditions Survey - Calls For Mandatory Intervention Services For Suspended Students To Prevent Future Suspensions

“The very disturbing response from hundreds of teachers (749), from 61 of the 76 schools/sites over a short period of time, is an urgent call for immediate action by the Superintendent and Board of Education to ensure that suspended students are provided with intervention services to resolve and correct the issues that gave rise to the suspension”, stated Phil Rumore, President of the Buffalo Teachers Federation.

The questions and teacher responses were as follows:

• Disruptive Student Behavior in my school is:

17.01 % - Dealt with quickly and appropriately.

42.82 % - Dealt with inconsistently and as such is problematic thus leading to continued disruptive student behavior and unacceptable learning conditions.

18.33 % - Is not dealt with appropriately leading to increased disruptive student behavior and unacceptable learning conditions.

14.08 % - Is almost out of control leading to increased disruptive student behavior and unacceptable learning conditions.

07.77 % - Out of control.

Please Note:

* Only 17.01 % of the respondents report that disruptive student behavior is “Dealt with quickly and appropriately”.

* 83.00 % of the teachers responded that disruptive student behavior is leading to unacceptable learning conditions for the students seeking to learn.

*  21.85 % of the respondents report that disruptive student behavior “Is almost out of control leading to increased disruptive student behavior and unacceptable learning conditions” and disruptive student behavior is “Out of Control”.

• I Believe that Discipline and Suspensions are Underreported in my School.

71.79 % of the respondents agree.

28.21 % of the respondents disagree.

• An Administrator Discusses how a Student's Behavior Can Be Expected to Improve Before Returning the Student to the Teacher's Class.

31.00 % of the respondents agree.

69.00 % of the respondents disagree.

There is apparently a directive from the District to lower the suspension rates. As one can see from the survey, where 71.79% of the responding teachers believe that this directive is being implemented by some administrators not reporting suspensions, not suspending students for serious and disruptive acts.

The survey responses can be found at www.btfny.org/pressrelease/2020/dis_survey_responses.pdf.

While lengthy, the public is encouraged to read some of the very troubling and disturbing incidents that are detrimental to the education and safety of Buffalo students and staff. Note: in most cases nothing was done by the administrator to correct the issue.

Note: Many teachers were hesitant to report incidents because they suffered reprisals by administrators; therefore, other teachers with firsthand knowledge of the incidents have reported some of the very troubling incidents.

A program called Restorative Justice/Practice has apparently been implemented in other school districts and has apparently been found to lessen disruptive student behavior and the suspension rate in some schools.

It has begun to be implemented in the Buffalo Public Schools; however, teachers are concerned that there is insufficient training, insufficient principal support and insufficient time in the day to implement it with fidelity.

However, this program is just one part of a comprehensive action plan needed to reduce the incidents of disruptive student behavior.

“Everyone wants to reduce suspensions; however, just sending a student back to class after the student has started a fight, threatened to hurt a student, bullied a student, cursed at the teacher, hit the teacher, continued to disrupt the class, etc., sends the message to the other students that the behavior is acceptable. This invariably leads to other students adopting the disruptive behavior and most feeling unsafe. Ultimately, someone gets hurt – usually a student.”

“We must work together to ensure that our students’ learning environment and safety are not compromised by disruptive student behaviors while also working with the disruptive students to find the cause of and how to correct the disruptive behaviors and we must begin in the early grades.”

“The Superintendent and Board of Education must immediately approve and  implement a policy requiring that suspended students receive the intervention services of trained pupil personnel, e.g. school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, school attendance teachers, etc. and community/government partners.”

“In order for our students to receive said intervention services, additional pupil personnel must be hired so their caseloads are no more than 100/1”, Rumore concluded.

In reference to the issues raised, the BTF Executive Committee and Council of Delegates (elected school representatives), unanimously passed the following resolution:

WHEREAS, Buffalo teachers are seeing a significant increase in student behaviors that are detrimental to student learning and school safety; and

WHEREAS, Suspension alone, in most cases, does not address the underlying cause of the detrimental student behavior; and

WHEREAS, The District, in order to reduce suspensions, must not focus on the number of suspensions, it must focus on the behavior(s) that resulted in each suspension; and,

WHEREAS, Buffalo teachers, while being very concerned about the student behavior that is detrimental to student learning and school safety, also believe that to end said student behavior, suspensions must require District-provided intervention(s); and

WHEREAS, Said intervention(s) involves the resources of trained pupil personnel, e.g. school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, school attendance teachers, etc. and community/government partners; and

WHEREAS, The caseload of trained pupil personnel employees is, instead of 100/1, often 800/1 or more; and

WHEREAS, It is the District’s responsibility to ensure that suspension necessarily entails intervention(s).

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Buffalo School Board/District will ensure that every student suspension requires the student to receive the intervention services of school counselors, school social workers, school attendance teachers, school psychologists and/or other trained providers to work with that student, and if necessary, his/her family, so that the behavior that led to the suspension ends, and the student and other students can succeed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board of Education, to ensure that the required intervention services are provided to suspended students, establish caseloads for the above named District providers of no more than 100/1; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board/School District will continue and expand its outreach to city, state and local agencies that can provide said intervention services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That henceforth the designation “Suspension/District intervention(s)” will be used and implemented. 

Recommended:      Philip Rumore
Moved:                       Rebecca Pordum
Seconded:               Joseph Montante

BTF Calls for Legal Action Against Erie County Interscholastic Conference

“The ‘call’ by the Erie County Interscholastic Conference denying the Buffalo Public Schools’ football teams entry into the Erie County Interscholastic Conference will not go unchallenged.

“As I related to Buffalo Board of Education President, Sharon Belton-Cottman, the Buffalo Teachers Federation will join with the District and parents in legal action against what appears to be discrimination against our students.
 
Whether it be the courts or charges under the Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and religion in public schools, the Buffalo teachers will be there to support our students.” stated Philip Rumore, President.

Click Here to View the Buffalo Public School Football Teams’ Petition to Join ECIC Denied Article in The Buffalo News


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BTF to Organize and Identify BPS Parents Whose Children May Be Adversely Impacted By Decision To Exclude BPS Students From Erie County Interscholastic Conference

DAY OF SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT FOR BUFFALO STUDENTS, JANUARY 31, 2020

The BTF Council of Delegates, comprised of elected teachers from all schools, unanimously adopted a Motion calling for “BTF to begin identifying & working with the parents of students that will be adversely impacted by this or similar exclusionary actions.”

On Friday, January 31, 2020, all Buffalo teachers will be demonstrating their support and solidarity by wearing/displaying BTF “Support BPS Football” stickers provided by the BTF.

BTF Calls For Buffalo Public School Change in Grade Policy

“Nonetheless, Buffalo decided to grade students work to be able to provide clear, concise, encouraging, and honest feedback to students and parents about their child’s work and work effort during this extended closure time,”

Superintendent Kriner Cash said.  “That is part of our job as educators.”  The Buffalo News – March 27, 2020

In response to the District’s statement that the Buffalo Public Schools instructing teachers to grade students, BTF President Philip Rumore stated:

“While Buffalo teachers are committed to providing their students with instruction during these difficult times, they are strongly against grading their students as the circumstances of each student is not the same.  For example:

• Not all students have access to a computer/device.
• Some households have multiple siblings at different grade levels with one computer/device.
• Some households have young children requiring much attention.
• Some households have no room in which a child can concentrate.

Being in a classroom is not the same as being home with insufficient learning materials, equipment, and distractions.

It is not only unfair to grade students during this crisis, it can be damaging to their self-esteem.

You can’t give every student an “A” for attending one session.  You don’t know what has prevented a student who wants to participate, but can’t”, Rumore concluded.

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Buffalo Teachers to District - There Must Only Be Remote/Distance Learning When the School Year Begins

The BTF today made public a resolution passed by its Executive Committee and Council of Delegates, (representatives from all schools/sites)  for “remote teaching and learning to be continued and in-person instruction to commence only when:

• medical professionals have agreed that it is medically safe to resume.
• the reopening plan(s) have been approved by the Board of Education, Board-Approved Parent Organizations and Employee Unions.”

The Resolution cited a recent BTF survey completed by 3,155 Buffalo teachers (86%) showing that:

86.56% DO NOT think the “Buffalo Public Schools 2020 Reopening Plan” provides for a safe reopening for Buffalo students, parents and staff.

71.95% DO NOT support the two (2) day/three (3) day hybrid rotation schedule.

90.24% DO NOT support face masks being encouraged but not mandatory.

81.12% DO NOT support the delineation of how health screenings will be conducted.

76.66% DO NOT support the delineation of procedures to be followed once a person is possibly infected or found to be infected with the virus.

70.14% DO NOT support how parents/staff will be notified of suspected/actual virus incidents.

83.22% DO NOT support the delineation of how incidents of non-compliance with established health/safety protocols will be handled.

78.89% DO NOT agree with the delineation of how many nurses will be assigned to each building.

The BTF also made public correspondence that was sent to the Superintendent, Board of Education, and Reopening Committee listing over one hundred (105) unclear and unexplained critical concerns raised by teachers and parents but unanswered by the District relating to:

• students
• students with special needs
• concerns of parents
• buildings
• protocols if someone is or may be infected
• classroom setup
• scheduling
• instruction
• additional important issues
• teacher personal concerns

“While Buffalo teachers very much want to be back with their students, they do not believe that the District has put forth a plan that ensures the safety of our students, parents, school staff and community as well as one that provides for a sound education for our students.

We can not and will not risk the lives and well-being of our students, their families and our community. Nor can we become Florida, Texas or similar communities.

If you make a decision that causes the loss of a life or physical harm to people, you should have to explain your decision to their families in person”, stated Philip Rumore, President of the Buffalo Teachers Federation.


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Click Here to view the resolution passed by the BTF Executive Committee and Council of Delegates as well as the correspondence sent to the Superintendent, Board of Education and Reopening Committee.

BTF CALLS BUFFALO “DISTRICT-WIDE ALL TEACHER MEETING” A SHAM AND AN INSULT TO TEACHERS

The Buffalo School District’s correspondence sent to Buffalo teachers advising them of the Buffalo “District-wide all teacher” meeting sign-in and guidelines on Tuesday, August 18th,

• wasn’t apparently sent out until August 17, 2020 at 4:36 pm

• limits teacher participants to 100 participants who register between 2:30 – 2:50 pm, whichever occurs first, i.e. if only 50 at 2:50, too bad.

• “Follow-up details” (what does that mean?) will be provided prior to all questions being answered

• Must refrain from mentioning the school(s) or administrator(s) name

“The Buffalo ‘District-wide all teacher’ meeting is not an unexpected sham and an insult to teachers, as was their parent meeting.

It is obvious that the District, with all its trained technological experts, picked a platform that is so limited on access, has no interest in hearing and addressing (taking action on) teacher and parent concerns.

Unfortunately, as with the District’s refusal to provide parents, teachers, staff and the community with copies of its reopening plan before submitting it, this dictorial behavior is its modus operandi,” stated Philip Rumore, President of the Buffalo Teachers Federation.


Click Here to View the 08/17/2020 District Email

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