Multiple substitute teachers and union representatives addressed the Buffalo Board of Education during public comment on June 18, urging improved compensation, clearer job descriptions, paid sick leave, training for high-need classrooms and better treatment during ongoing contract negotiations.

Chris Salmone, vice president of the substitute union, told the board the district has begun discussions with substitutes and acknowledged talks with district negotiators but said no agreement has been reached. “We needed to be compensated justly for the work we perform every day,” Salmone said at the meeting.

Speakers including Cheryl Cooper, Elaine Marthella (substitute and executive board member), Brendeline Jackson and others described day-to-day challenges: last-minute assignments without extra pay, being asked to take long-term assignments that require grading and planning, lack of personal or sick leave, limited access to health benefits, and occasional safety risks when substitutes are assigned to classrooms with students who need behavioral or special-education supports. Several speakers said substitute assignments are a primary livelihood rather than an occasional job.

Speakers asked that the district provide clearer job descriptions, compensation for long-term assignments that include planning and grading responsibilities, training for staff who may be placed in classrooms with students who have special needs, and more timely notices about changes to the school calendar that affect substitute availability and pay. Board members and staff acknowledged the speakers, and district officials said they have been meeting with substitute representatives and expect continued negotiation.

The speakers noted there are about 790 substitute professionals who fill hundreds of daily assignments districtwide and cited an estimated 100 unfilled substitute positions in June. They urged board members to consider the operational impact of staffing shortages on student learning and safety.