RA delegates arriving in Buffalo Thursday morning were greeted by a headline on the Buffalo News op-ed page that read, "Teachers unions embracing reform," by NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi. The first sentence said:

"Twelve blocks from the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center is ground zero of the national debate over education reform."

That Iannuzzi commentary was just the beginning of extensive RA coverage by Buffalo-area newspapers, radio and television stations, and bloggers.

NYSUT officers were interviewed throughout the three days on topics ranging from the state budget to the convention's economic impact on the community.

 Many of the convention's speakers were featured, including U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, state Education Commissioner Richard Mills and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

In addition, regional newspapers across the state ran reports about some of the constituency award winners honored by delegates.

And, for the first time, NYSUT Communications Department staff followed the convention on Twitter, the popular social networking and micro-blogging service (twitter.com/nysut).