Teachers to vote in evaluation battle

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The clock is ticking in the Buffalo School District, Friday morning. Will teachers now say yes to modified evaluations? As of Thursday night, there was still no agreement and time is running out.

The state wants to use students' test scores, among other factors, to measure teachers' job performance. If that performance doesn't measure up, teachers could lose their jobs and districts could lose millions of dollars in state aid.

Teacher Marc Bruno said, “You can't teach an empty seat. You can't have kids not in class.”

Buffalo teachers don't think it's fair to include chronically absent students in their evaluation.

Teachers, administrators and the State Education Department still can't agree on whether an attendance clause should be included.

Thursday night, Buffalo Teacher Federation delegates listened to two different counter proposals, one by Buffalo school administrators and one by union leadership.

BTF members will vote Friday, with only hours left before an evaluation plan must be submitted to Albany.

Buffalo Schools Interim Superintendent Amber Dixon said, “No child is excluded. Every child is counted. But what we do is, we give a little bit of a different target, based on a child's attendance.”

While the district is hopeful an agreement will be reached, teachers delegates weren't as optimistic Thursday night.