MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          December 7, 2020

Subject:     BTF/Teacher Building Representatives / APPR

BTF/Teacher Building Representatives
The most important teacher representative are your Delegates, Alternates and Building Committee members. We can’t thank them enough for all they must shoulder, in volunteering to represent and support you.

The input that they provide to us at BTF headquarters is invaluable.

Thank you to all that have and will be serving.

As you know, the current conditions did not and do not allow for elections to be held as they have been.

A By-law change has been approved to facilitate the elections of these important positions (Click Here).

Any assistance you can provide to the Elections Chairperson and others will, I am sure, be appreciated.

We hope you will consider running or re-running to represent and support not only the teachers in your building/site, but all teachers at our Council of Delegates meetings.

Enclosed, (Click Here) please find a copy of the correspondence is being sent to your current Delegate Chairperson.

It is being sent so that you also have an understanding of the process we are trying for the first (and hopefully last) time.

As always, thank you for your solidarity and support.

APPR
As you know, we have not approved and will take legal action against virtual observations and evaluations.

Believing that a virtual observation of a lesson is a valid measure of a teacher is not only absurd and insulting, but demonstrates ignorance of what teaching is.

States may not have waived APPR’s out of fear that, under the current person in the White House and the current Secretary of Education, vital Federal funding will be withheld.

One would hope someone would stand up and fight this; however, we can look forward to a new President and Secretary of Education, who care about what is really important to ensure that teachers can teach and students can learn.

We will however, fight.

Attached (Click Here) is a document that we have cleared with NYSUT, that should teachers wish, when informed that they will be observed/evaluated, can present to their administrator(s) and provide a copy to them.

If they refuse to sign it, you should complete the administrator’s section and present them with a copy.

Make a copy for yourself. We will be using this information in our litigation and will survey teachers prior to said litigation.

We will continue to fight this attack on our dedication, integrity and competence… now and whenever it occurs.

Latest State Guidance
Here is a copy of the latest information relating to COVID-19. (Click Here)

Please stay safe. Take no chances.