Buffalo Teachers Federation request to block reopening of schools denied by judge
WKBW
and last updated 2021-02-01 15:52:53-05
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) â A judge has denied the Buffalo Teachers Federation request for a temporary restraining order aimed at blocking the reopening of schools in Buffalo.
The lawsuit was filed by the BTF Friday and alleges Buffalo Public Schools are not safe enough to reopen for in-person learning.
According to the lawsuit the BTF says it has not seen proof that, any building modifications or other precautionary health and safety measures have been made that would sufficiently change their facilities from the self-described volcano of December 2020 to a safe and healthy school environment by February 1, 2021.
Buffalo Public Schools officials dispute the teachers union claim that schools are not clean and safe. Author: Ron Plants Updated: 8:49 PM EST January 28, 2021
BUFFALO, N.Y. There is now a legal battle set for the scheduled partial reopening of Buffalo schools, which is set for Monday morning.
The Buffalo Teachers Federation President Phil Rumore released a statement Thursday evening that stated to ensure that our school/sites provide for a healthful/safe return, the BTF will seek court action to prevent the unsafe return of students and staff until such time as the serious safety and health issues have been and remain corrected.
There was an article in The Buffalo News on Dec. 12 that told how Judge Frank Sedita ruled against a suit parents and teachers filed because the Buffalo Public School District does not comply with state Education Department requirements for music instruction.
My understanding is that Sedita did not rule on the merits of the case but instead decided he did not have the authority to make the district comply.
I am the former supervisor of music for the district. In May 2013, the BPS chief academic officer, Fran Wilson, asked me to review the districtâs compliance with state music regulations. After such review I informed her by memo that the district was out of compliance with Part 100 regulations for required seat time and the requirement that all high schools offer both art and music classes. However, there was no response and no action was taken to meet these Part 100 requirements.
Five teachers and two parents who sued the Buffalo Board of Education over the district s music and arts offerings lost in court Thursday.
They asked for a finding that the district has not complied with state education regulations and that art and music courses are not offered equitably throughout the district s high schools. The district, they added, failed to provide all of its students with the opportunity to complete a three- to five-course sequence in the arts during the 2019-2020 school year. High school is a lot more than just math and reading, said attorney Claire T. Sellers, who represented the five teachers.