Tag: Buffalo schools

Feb 19

2025

ICE says it will leave schools alone

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ICE officials have told local school superintendents they have no plans to raid schools in search of undocumented students. Still, Buffalo school administrators said that, while they feel somewhat reassured by the intentions laid out by local ICE officials, they are still taking extra precautions to protect students’ rights and safety. “There are still people that could act on their own to intimidate and make students and families feel uncomfortable. So although it’s some reassurance, I think we still need to remain vigilant,” said Board of Education Member Lawrence Scott. Buffalo Public Schools since December have proclaimed their commitment to[...]

Posted 4 months ago

Aug 21

2024

Buffalo high school break-in was apparently an inside job

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Bennett High School on Main Street in North Buffalo. Photo by Garrett Looker. The sons of Buffalo school board president Sharon Belton-Cottman broke into Bennett High School last Tuesday, according to a Buffalo police incident report.  Khalil and Jamaal Cottman — both coaches at Bennett last year — entered the school through a rear window after one of the men climbed over a gate, according to the report. After entering the school, one of the brothers opened a door to allow unknown individuals to enter. The group then went to the gymnasium and stayed for three hours before leaving, the[...]

Posted 10 months ago

Jun 6

2024

Charters outperform urban public schools in reading

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The reading skills of young students who attend charter schools in and around Buffalo are slightly better than those attending urban public schools, an Investigative Post analysis has found. The results of 2023’s testing showed 30 percent of third through fifth grade students at the 19 charter schools tested in Erie and Niagara counties could read and write at or above grade level, according to the New York State Education Department.  That compares with 25 percent of students in the same grades in Buffalo public schools. “There’s more we want to achieve for our kids, clearly,” said Fatimah Barker, executive[...]

Posted 12 months ago

Apr 25

2024

Reading scores lag across WNY

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Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series. Our second story is here.  It’s not just Buffalo where students are struggling to read and write. Only 39 percent of third through fifth graders in Western New York’s 99 school districts scored at grade level on recent English Language Arts tests. What’s more, 31 percent of students lack even basic reading and writing skills. In some districts, including Buffalo and Niagara Falls, that figure approaches or exceeds 50 percent. The problems extend from the city to the countryside, urban neighborhoods to suburban cul de sacs, according to an Investigative[...]

Posted 1 year ago

Jan 4

2024

Poor attendance fuels low reading scores

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There’s a reason most younger pupils in Buffalo schools can’t read very well. They aren’t showing up for class. Only 18 percent of all students last school year had what the district considers a satisfactory attendance rate. That is, they miss school less than roughly one day a month. More than three times as many students – 61 percent – missed school at least once every other week, according to Buffalo Public Schools attendance data. The district considers that degree of absenteeism chronic or severe. Educators say absenteeism is taking a toll on the district’s youngest learners, who are struggling[...]

Posted 1 year ago

Dec 26

2023

Garrett Looker’s reporting on literacy

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Over the past year, parents, school district officials, education experts, and a smattering of others have told me – either directly or off-hand – that literacy is the key to a child’s future.  It’s not necessarily surprising, nor is it a revelation.  But after a year unpacking the state of reading in Buffalo, there’s at least one conclusion that can be reached: learning to read is complex. At the core of it is a battle for a fair, equitable education for all of Buffalo’s children, education experts have said. “Our district has a commitment to improving the literacy rates of[...]

Posted 1 year ago

Nov 14

2023

Reading skills of Buffalo pupils rebounding, but still lag

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Reading test scores in Buffalo public schools dropped by nearly a third during the pandemic, with the youngest students being the hardest hit.  Two years later, there’s been significant, but not complete recovery. However, pupils who were in kindergarten and first grade when the district turned to virtual instruction are still struggling to make up for the learning that was lost, according to testing data. “It was catastrophic. It was horrible,” Nicole Herkey, a reading specialist at Southside Elementary, said of the pandemic’s effect on students’ reading ability.  “It was horrible on so many levels that people who were not[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Oct 19

2023

Interview: New leadership at Buffalo teachers union

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For the past four decades, the Buffalo Teachers Federation had the same leadership, the same voice and the same direction. Then, in June, long-time BTF President Phil Rumore retired. In his place is Rich Nigro, who, three months into his first two-year term, is making this prediction: He won’t be staying as long as his predecessor. “There is not a next 42 years,” said Nigro. “I’m not looking at 30 years. I’m not looking at 20 years. Ten years would be pushing it,” the 50-year-old union leader said. The president’s office at the Buffalo Teachers Federation is noticeably different than[...]

Posted 2 years ago
Investigative Post