MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   All Buffalo Teachers

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          May 5, 2021

Subject:     Updates – Lack of Paper Towels, Summer School, Safety/Health Conditions

Shortage of Paper Towels?!

Administrators have been advising teachers that there is a District-wide shortage of paper towels and that there is no District plan for restocking.

Some schools were limiting the distribution of existing quantities to restrooms with no hand dryers and teachers were advised to not ask for them for student restrooms.

Yesterday morning we notified the Superintendent of this.

We are now informed that at the Health and Safety reopening meeting yesterday afternoon, the lack of paper towels in the District was discussed. Yvette Gordon, Director of Building Safety & Health, stated that an emergency order of paper towels was placed and expected to arrive within the next few days. Due to the ransomware attack, MUNIS was compromised and therefore supplies could not be ordered. It was stated that MUNIS is now functioning.

Some teachers (no surprise here!) went out and purchased paper towels for their students.

If you did or do, complete a requisition form at your school to be reimbursed. You should provide a receipt. If you no longer have your receipt, indicate that you attest that the amount is what you spent and provide picture/wrapper, etc.

If you are refused, advise your LRS. Hopefully, we will not have to grieve this. (No good deed goes unpunished.)

Summer School

Teachers have been unable to obtain clarity on exactly what will be offered, when, the hours, etc.

Apparently, the District is still making plans. 

Regardless of what is planned, you should know:

• Hiring is first based upon the number of years of summer employment in the Buffalo Public Schools. (XII (G) (1)) pg. 24
• For vacancies, e.g. for those vacancies after all teachers with summer school employment have been canvased, positions are filled based upon contract, probationary, temporary, i.e. seniority/years of service. (XII (G) (3) (a)) pg. 24-25
• If a program, at a site is “mutually agreed” by the District and BTF, to have been developed for the students at a particular school/site, teachers at that school have priority to fill those positions. They are filled in the order outlined above. (XII (G) (3) (b)) pg. 25

We are working with the District to identify and agree on programs designed for students at the school/site and programs designed for students not at the school/site, who are from various other sites and are to be established at the school/site.

The hiring for each is handled separately as above.

We have been informed that some programs may last four (4) hours or more. If you accept a summer school position that is for four (4) hours or more, you must receive 1/200^th of your salary for each such day. (VIII B (2)) pg. 14

Less than four (4) hours, as always, you receive the hourly rate (1^st year - $29.72, 2^nd year - $31.85). These will be increased in our next contract. (Yes, retroactively.)

As soon as we reach agreement with the District on programs “mutually agreed” to be for students at a particular site, you will be notified.

We have corresponded with the District of our concerns relating to the lack of details in the postings. (Click Here)

We will continue to work with the District, so that you can plan.

Stay tuned.

Safety/Health Conditions

Thank you for continuing to report safety and health issues at your schools/sites. They are reported to the District. If they continue, please advise your LRS (Click Here). If the District does not address them, they will be made public.

Please stay well. Take no chances.