School board votes for turnaround plan at bilingual center school #33

The Buffalo Board of Education met yesterday to consider what school reform plan to choose for Bilingual Center School #33. When the School Board met on Wednesday they didn't get the complete turnaround proposal to read so opted to decide on Friday afternoon. Two board members were absent Florence Johnson and Jason McCarthy so only six showed up to vote and to discuss the at-large board seat vacancy.
The six voted  unanimously for the turnaround plan at #33 but Buffalo Teacher Federation, Phil Rumore voiced concern about the involuntary transfers of teachers under the proposal using a dual language immersion approach for pre-k through 2nd grade. In the third year it will be up to the community to decide if they want to continue it in the upper grades. Rumore insisted the teachers at #33 voted for the First Hand Learning, the educational partnership plan, EPO. And though the collective bargaining agreement has specific language about teacher transfers, Rumore said ..." it's not educationally sound to move 50% of the teachers and there is no study that says its works."