BUFFALO, N.Y. — Friday marks the start of the Buffalo Teachers Federation election where teachers will be faced with a new decision for the first time in 42 years.
“Nobody else has driven the car for a long time, and it's different reading the manual than it is hopping in the driver's seat,” said Rich Nigro, teacher at Buffalo Culinary school and BTF presidential candidate.
Longtime union president Phil Rumore pulled his name out of the race last month after 21 consecutive terms, announcing he would be stepping down at the end of his term on June 30.
His decision now leaves the door open for three new candidates: Riverside’s Marc Bruno, Nigro and Bennett’s Melissa Kenney.
Bruno — the familiar face on the ballot — lost in the federation's most recent election to Rumore by less than 200 votes.
The BPS parent himself is centering his campaign this time around his continued dedication to the district.
“I've spoken at every school board meeting practically for close to 15 years,” Bruno said. “Many years, I attended every single one — and when really no other teacher voice was being heard.”
Nigro says he’s running for his family, with he, his wife and his daughter having served a combined 48 years in BPS classrooms.
They inspired him to focus his campaign around communication.
“In the presence of good communication, things generally improve, even if you have problems,” Nigro said. “And in the presence of poor communication, it deteriorates.”
Kenney also sees communication as a problem but is hoping to use her 25 years of classroom experience to put the students first — vowing, if elected, to get them the resources they desperately need.
“It takes everybody to work together to make our kids successful,” she said. “I don't care what teacher you talk to. I don't care which candidate you've talked to. We all have that goal of not just making the union better but working for our students. That's why we became teachers.”
Regardless of who is ultimately chosen, a new era for the Buffalo Teachers Federation is just days away.
Voting begins Friday and continues for 12 days. A new president is set to be announced on May 18.
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