PFT President Calls on School District to Negotiate in an Environment of
Mutual Respect
PHILADELPHIA, June 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Philadelphia Federation of
Teachers President Jerry T. Jordan today called on school district officials
to work with the PFT to create an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect this
summer as they complete work on a new contract covering 16,000 teachers and
support staff.
"We all want the same thing: for our schools to be engaging and inviting
learning environments and for our students to be successful, well educated and
productive citizens," he said after a PFT Special Membership Meeting at
Liacouras Center Monday night. "But it will be difficult, if not impossible
for us to accomplish this if the people on the front lines of education feel
that they are being maligned publicly and treated with disrespect by the
administration."
Jordan said that his members expressed a high degree of frustration with
administration statements that imply that teachers and support staff don't put
children first.
"Only someone who cares deeply about children can do the challenging work that
teachers and the staff do each day in our public schools. For everything that
Philadelphia's teachers and staff do each day to help children from
impoverished communities and in under-resourced schools, they deserve the
administration's respect and to be treated like the educated, dedicated
professionals that they are."
During the nearly two-hour meeting, PFT members from across the city told
Jordan schools still lack many of the basic resources and professional support
they need to help children succeed academically.
"They asked that the new contract prohibit teachers from being forced to pass
students who have not done the work required or attended classes," he said.
"They insisted that the district take additional steps to ensure the safety of
the students and staff at every school - including hiring, not laying off,
non-instructional teaching assistants and other support personnel responsible
for keeping schools safe. They asked us to push to reduce class sizes, so that
children get the individual help they need, and for school libraries,
extracurricular activities, books and supplies that every student should
have."
Jordan said members voiced their commitment to stand with the union as it
negotiates a labor agreement to replace the current one-year contract
extension, which expires August 31.
"PFT members want to return in the fall to find a new atmosphere in which to
work - one based on mutual concern for students and respect for each other,"
he said.
"With additional money from the federal stimulus package, this is the time to
do what is right for children," he said, following the meeting.
SOURCE Philadelphia Federation of Teachers
Barbara Goodman of Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, +1-215-587-6750,
+1-484-410-5158
