Buffalo Teachers Federation At It Again

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

The Fruit Belt wants to come back to life!

One of the best opportunities for a revived neighborhood in Buffalo might be blocked by the Buffalo Teachers Federation and Philip Rumore.

Planned in the 36 block Fruit Belt are 150 homes, two senior citizen complexes and a hospice facility to go along with the proposed Aloma D. Johnson Fruit Belt Community Charter School.

This area of Buffalo and more specifically the East Side has the most potential to make a comeback. If you look at a map, the "Fruit Belt" is locked on the East by the new medical complex. To the West and the South is the 33 which provides a buffer of sorts. To the North you have North Street and the nationally recognized City Honors High School which will be seeing some capitol improvements in the next few years.

Now Rumor, horns and all, claims that new charter schools should not be allowed because "“a severe financial impact on the Buffalo Public Schools” would happen. Of course this is BS. What charter schools do is take money away from his contracts because his teachers are not getting the job done.

Not only should this school happen, the city should focus is 5000 in 5 years program on this neighborhood. Clear as many houses as possible to allow for redevelopment of the ones with a future and to eliminate the eyesores on the block.

I just hope that St. John Baptist Church and Rev. Michael Chapman have the skills to see this project through.

[Sock Puppet]

Phil's comments are lip-service for the teachers. That plant will happen. Phil has no say.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

The plant?


This would be an elementary school.

I also think you are underestimating the power of Rumor. The Buffalo Teachers Federation is one of the most powerful forces HOLDING BACK the city of Buffalo.

[run4it]

It's news that the teachers' union (not to mention a sizeable portion of the populace in general) is against charter schools? Where have YOU been?

[Sock Puppet]

I meant to type plan, sorry. I don't think Phil is all that. In fact, It is my belief that he has a partnership with Williams. After all, what hasn't gone Williams way?

I'll just say it. I think Rumore is on the take.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

It's news that the teachers' union (not to mention a sizeable portion of the populace in general) is against charter schools? Where have YOU been?

Really. Please provide some supporting information on where you arrive at that conclusion. Just what is a sizable portion. 10%, 20% 60%. Please clarify.

Furthermore, I have stated on other threads that the charter system in the US is a bastard brother of what a real charter system looks like. Most of this is due to the "clauses" that the teachers lobby has forced on the system.

[Cgoodsp466]

It's news that the teachers' union (not to mention a sizeable portion of the populace in general) is against charter schools? Where have YOU been?

Only Union teachers are against charter schools. I am for charter schools.
Why are you against charter schools?

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Still waiting on your backup info on Charter Schools.

[WNYresident]

It's news that the teachers' union (not to mention a sizeable portion of the populace in general) is against charter schools? Where have YOU been?

Where did you read that the populace in general is against charter schools?

[WNYresident]

Really. Please provide some supporting information on where you arrive at that conclusion. Just what is a sizable portion. 10%, 20% 60%. Please clarify.

Furthermore, I have stated on other threads that the charter system in the US is a bastard brother of what a real charter system looks like. Most of this is due to the "clauses" that the teachers lobby has forced on the system.

How does one teaching business have any bearing on how another teaching business is ran? Why would clauses in thier contract effect a new school opening? Is it that they don't want competition?

For the most part competition is what makes people excel and become better.

[atotaltotalfan2001]

Where did you read that the populace in general is against charter schools?

I've never seen any polls or anything questioning people here on the topic. But my guess would be that the charter schools are a huge threat to the school unions, or at least teachers unions -- and those guys (plus family and friends) make up a large portion of our population.

So it wouldn't surprise me if charter schools weren't popular with the general public here.

[Timmy]

the sooner the public schools fall flat on their face & are privatized thru school choice and school vouchers the better.

over 2/3rd of all union members are government which makes unions pracitcally obsolete in the private sector

the 2/3rds of union members that work for the government have to much power to get people elected and influence legislation....infact...government unions have more power than the taxpayer or Buffalo wouldnt need a control board to negotiate with them.

union arbitration takes absolutely no account of a governments ability to pay and neither do the unions.....this is a fatal flaw that has resulted in the dis-investment of cities. TO OFTEN PEOPLE CITE GOVERNMENT AS THE REASON WHY TAXPAYER FUNDS ARENT INVESTED IN CITIES (STUDENTS, CRIME, STREETS, LIGHTS, TREES, PARKS, SIDEWALKS,ETC...IN REALITY ITS BEING REDIRECTED TO UNIONS)

I say close Lafayette convert it to apartments
I say close Grover Cleveland and convert it to apartments

NYS should follow the recent NJ lawsuit that says that parents have a right to opt out of failing schools and receive a voucher to the school of their choice: public, private, parochial or charter.

End this union buracracy nightmare once and for all!

[Cgoodsp466]

I've never seen any polls or anything questioning people here on the topic. But my guess would be that the charter schools are a huge threat to the school unions, or at least teachers unions -- and those guys (plus family and friends) make up a large portion of our population.

So it wouldn't surprise me if charter schools weren't popular with the general public here.

This is why I vote no on all school budgets. To many of these I cant make it in the private sector clowns in the general public. I am sick of paying.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

One of the biggest lies the teachers union tries to tell is how Charter Schools do not work. The challenge is the US version of Charter Schools is much much different then the Charter systems in other parts of the world. This butcher job is because of the unfortunate power of the Unions.

[run4it]

Here's the latest poll I found (the only one I could find that wasn't incredibly obviously biased:

As you may know, charter schools operate under a charter or contract that frees them from many of the state regulations imposed on public schools and permits them to operate independently. Do you favor or oppose charter schools?

Favor: 60%
Oppose: 35%
Don't know: 5%
I'm honestly suprised by this. The opposition number has dropped double digit points over the past 4 years. Still, I'd say that 35% opposed is a "sizeable portion" of the population.

I also think that 'charter school' is the current buzzword in educational reform, and as popular as other 'reform' fads. I'd also posit that the general populace doesn't understand the fundamental problem with charter schools (high rate of failure, lack of accountability, drain on other public schools, exclusivity, etc...)

Also to be noted is that the same poll found even greater numbers opposed to private companies running public schools, with 66% so opposed. Again, this nods toward my suspicion that the public generally doesn't understand the ramifications of increased charter school numbers.