Demonstration February 10
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Buffalo Teachers Reject Receivership, Demand Smaller Classes and
Equal Rights for All
Buffalo Teachers Reject Receivership,
Demand Smaller Classes and
Equal Rights for All
Buffalo teachers demonstrated against receivership, the anti-student, anti-education state testing, and for a new contract commensurate with the important and difficult job teachers perform. The action was in part response to recent “Orders” by New York State Education Commissioner Elia for receivership schools that dictate significant changes to teaching conditions, which are also harmful to students. These include the power of receiver Dr. Cash to transfer any teacher, any time from 20 receivership schools. Cash has refused to publicly state which schools and teachers will be impacted. This leaves students, parents and teachers with great uncertainty and concerns about the emotional and educational damage this could cause students, classrooms and schools. While it is said the purpose of transfers is to put “qualified” teachers in the given classrooms, there is no public listing of just what such qualifications are.
Many are demanding to know, why the secrecy? How does this assist? The teachers, joined by parents and students, braved the bitter wind and cold to reject receivership and demand smaller classes and better working conditions, which mean better learning conditions for students. Signs also brought out that receivership is increasing inequality, with the students and teachers in these schools being discriminated against, such as through these special powers and “Orders” from the Commissioner.
The demonstration, organized by the Buffalo Teachers Federation (BTF), also came a day after the BTF filed a lawsuit against the state, rejecting receivership as unfair, harmful and unconstitutional. It was brought out that schools are put in receivership based on the invalid state tests, with the government branding students, teachers and schools as failing. It is in fact the state that is failing, by refusing to provide the funding required by law, almost $100,000 million. It is also the state that is failing by continuing to impose the Common Core testing regime. More than 200,000 students refused the state test last year and many more will do so again this year. The widespread rejection of the testing is such that even Governor Cuomo has had to admit it is not valid. Signs and participants at the rally urged all to refuse the state tests and demand an end to the testing as anti-education.
Many participants then proceeded to the school board meeting being held at Waterfront school. People spoke on the need for a new contract for teachers, one that brings their wages and working conditions on a par with teachers in the region. It was brought out that Buffalo teachers have lost tens of thousands of dollars as a result of having no contract for more than 10 years. They contend with large numbers of students in poverty, who are English Language learners (ELL), who have special needs. Yet their wages do not reflect this reality and they and their students are constantly faced with insufficient resources, classes that are too large, and the absence of necessities like music, physical education, full-time librarians, guidance counselors and more.
Speakers also demanded that receiver Cash and the state provide the research and data showing how receivership solves any problem. No such research was provided when the law was put in place in April 2015 and none since. There is considerable data and examples to show that state takeover of public schools do not raise the quality of those schools. Instead, in Newark, New Orleans, Memphis, Philadelphia and elsewhere, it has meant school closings, privatizing through charters, and no improvement for students.
Two speakers brought out that Flint, Michigan, also under state control using a financial manager, saw the government-made disaster of lead poisoning of the water for the 100,000 people living in Flint. The same manager (receiver) responsible for this crime was then appointed by the Governor to be financial manager for the Detroit public schools — which have classes of 35-45, 170 teacher vacancies, poisonous black mold and falling ceilings in the classrooms. This is the data for state takeover!
At the very least, as speakers brought out, the school board should demand a moratorium on receivership and the at least $100,000 million in funding required by law for Buffalo. Public Control of Public Schools, where teachers, parents and students together decide what is needed, can provide a new direction that raises the quality of education for all.
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