Jun 8
2021
Jun 8
2021
May 20
2021
Students missing two classes a month is a sign of trouble. A lot of students in Buffalo schools are in a world of trouble. They’re simply not showing up for online classes. Only one-third of students had satisfactory attendance from the start of the school year until the first week of March, shortly after the district began phasing in classroom instruction. Another third of students missed online classes often enough that their frequent absence put their academic achievement at risk — or worse. The last third were severely absent, meaning they typically missed school at least one day a week,[...]
May 12
2021
Layne Dowdall reported Tuesday on the underplayed hacking of the Buffalo school district in March. Her story documented how the ransomeware attack has crippled district operations and the leadership’s failure to communicate with parents, teachers and other staff has left many frustrated. A companion story aired on WGRZ and posted to our YouTube channel, and Layne followed up Wednesday with radio interviews with WBFO and WBEN. Both are posted below. Interview with WBFO Interview with WBEN
May 10
2021
How bad was the hack of the Buffalo school district’s computer system in mid-March? The paper equivalent of lost documents would fill KeyBank Center to the rafters, one source told Investigative Post. The missing records include decades of teaching materials, student records and some 5,000 applications for admission to schools in September. Systems essential to the operation of the district, such as legal and accounting, are crippled. The hack has caused minimal disruption to classroom instruction and distance learning, but it’s impacted the physical operation of school buildings. Automated functions such as operation of heating and cooling systems have been[...]
Apr 28
2021
India Walton is running for mayor, seeking to dethrone Byron Brown, who is seeking a record fifth term. She is far from the ideal candidate, lacking experience in government you’d like to see in a candidate seeking executive office. I mean, it’s one thing to be an inexperienced legislative backbencher, another to be managing a city with a $500 million budget and a workforce of nearly 2,700. Walton, then, is a bit of an unknown. On the other hand, we know all about Brown. Consider his sorry track record: Mismanagement of city finances: Brown inherited a hard control board that[...]
Apr 23
2021
Geoff Kelly reported earlier this week about a petition effort to place a referendum on the city’s November ballot to establish an independent police review panel. He spoke Friday morning with Susan Rose and Brian Mazurowski on NewsRadio 930WBEN.
Apr 21
2021
They’ve lost hope that Buffalo’s elected officials will make the police reforms activists have advocated since last summer. So a coalition of groups and individuals is seeking to bypass City Hall entirely and take one of those reforms directly to voters. The coalition seeks to put a referendum on this November’s general election ballot. The referendum would create a new police review commission with the power to investigate complaints against officers, mete out discipline and review departmental policies and budgets. It’s a recommendation put forth last June by the Buffalo Police Advisory Board, one of three police oversight bodies in[...]
Apr 9
2021
Layne Dowdall reported Thursday and Friday about the cancellation of Regents exams last school year and how they resulted in inflated graduation rates in many districts in Western New York. She discussed her reporting Friday with Susan Rose and Brian Mazurowski on NewsRadio 930WBEN.