Albany OKs Buffalo teacher eval plan

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The Buffalo School District has complied with Albany. Their teacher evaluation plan, or APPR, has been approved.

State Education Commissioner John King signed off a two-year APPR between the district and the Buffalo Teachers Federation around 3:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon. BTF President Phil Rumore says the final plan keeps the provisions Albany had disagreed with in the past, even the process that allows teachers who feel they've been unfairly evaluated to appeal. This means Buffalo will not lose $33.4 million in aid.

In Hamburg, the teachers' union and the district are still at an impasse. The Hamburg Teachers Association's Chris Cerrone says the teachers still have concerns about, among other things, the amount of testing their evaluation plan would require, and what that does to the students.

Cerrone says he "hopes the powers in Albany understand the unique situation the district has put [Hamburg] teachers in." But as it stands right now, Hamburg will lose $450,000 if there's no agreement by midnight.