Buffalo school officials and teachers union leaders have met a deadline by sending to Albany, at the 11th hour, a memorandum of understanding concerning teacher evaluations.
Student absenteeism has been a major bone of contention in talks between the two sides. Buffalo can secure several million additional state education dollars, but the district and the union must agree on a rigorous teacher evaluation system whether or not students show up for class.
Absenteeism has plagued Buffalo schools for years. The Buffalo Teachers Federation has balked at including student absences as part of an overall grade for teachers, but it is hoped the MOU signed by Interim Superintendent Amber Dixon and BTF President Phil Rumore will allay Education Department concerns.
Dixon says language was recently added the document to adjust students' expected growth at schools with extraordinary attendance problems.
"We have no verbal commitment or in any way a commitment from Albany about this version. What we have is clear guidance. We have their reaction to the last document. They indicated clearly what they had contention with us over, they told us we could not exclude students from the count, they told us we could not weigh students differently, and they told us that we had to make sure that our document reflected a certain level of rigor," Dixon told reporters outside Lafayette High School late Friday afternoon.
BTF rank and file members will get to examine and vote on the MOU Tuesday at their respective schools. The State Education Department will hold a hearing next week.
