Buffalo, NY (WBEN) The Buffalo Teachers Federation is calling for the immediate removal of Principal Marck Abraham.
The union's council of delegates says there was a vote of no confidence after serious concerns "that McKinley has become an unsafe environment for teaching and learning as a result of the Temporary Principal's leadership."
Since the vote of No Confidence "while Abraham has continued as Temporary Principal, school safety and student learning conditions have deteriorated to the degree of requiring immediate corrective action".
BTF President Phil Rumore says "a woman teacher reported discipline concerns relating to 3 students barging "into her room while she was with students, were asked to leave, refused saying "f… this, we don't have to do any f…ing thing", "moved towards her making kissing motions asking if she wanted a hug from him, and "f… security. We are not afraid of them. They can't do anything to us." He says that teacher was called into a meeting with Principal Abraham and his secretary/clerk "where the teacher was demeaned, humiliated and insulted. Among the despicable things said to this woman teacher are: was she afraid of being raped, groped, touched or being thrown to the ground or being beaten up by the boys!"
The union cited the school changing the status of suspended students to illegally absent.
BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOLS RELEASED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT
"The Buffalo Public Schools are in full turnaround mode. Due to strategic innovation within the Education Bargain, graduation rates are rising, student growth and achievement scores are rising, innovation is a hallmark attribute, and the district is providing greater programmatic access, quality, and opportunity for all students than ever before.
McKinley High School under the leadership of Principal Marck Abraham, engenders this spirit of transformation as well as any high school in the city. For example, during Mr. Abraham's principalship, the graduation rate at McKinley has increased to 84%, higher than the state average. Within this impressive statistic, the graduation rate of McKinley's black male students, one of the largest concentrations of this population in New York state, reached 87%, more than 20 percentage points higher than the state average of 63%. Moreover, student attendance is up, teacher attendance is up, year-to-date suspensions are down, and the school's accountability designation is poised to improve to the highest level. McKinley has also expanded its CTE programs, partnerships, and student participation rates.
The district embraces the philosophy and training for restorative practices, culturally and linguistically responsive teaching, and trauma-informed care. Mr. Abraham has been examining and tracking data regarding student tardiness to school throughout the current year. In order to address an important disproportionality concern, he and his team realized that a more restorative approach needed to be taken.
Mr. Abraham's leadership style is open, collaborative, results-oriented, data-driven, and focused on solving rather than producing problems. High expectations for student achievement is at the center of his vision for the school. Regents exam performance is improving and the number and percentage of students scoring at advanced levels have increased. Stretch goals have been established for this year for Regents exams, AP exams, and day-to-day coursework.
Principal Abraham communicates frequently with staff. In multiple and regular building committee meetings, no issues have come up that haven't been resolved. The overall tenor of his communication is positive, motivating, respectful, honest, forthright, and reflective. He is a strong, calm presence in the school everyday and is hardworking and ethical; he is respectful and is respected. He is a continuous learner, self-evaluative, a change agent, driven above all by the desire to develop young people to their highest potential.
Recent school climate surveys indicate that teachers and students overwhelmingly feel safe in school. In addition to feeling safe, school climate surveys indicate that high percentages of staff and students feel that there are supports in place for students that struggle, that there is good home-school communication, and that there are clear structures in place for any type of emergency. The surveys further indicate that in the main, discipline is fair, teachers feel supported, and that there is fair treatment for all students when it comes to discipline.
As a result of these observable characteristics and confirmed data points, my executive cabinet and I, as Superintendent of Schools, are united in our expressed statement that we have "100% confidence in the current principal, and we commend the progress being made in all areas under his leadership."
