While on my Facebook newsfeed this afternoon I was intrigued by a post from a friend of mine still teaching at my last school in Philadelphia. In it, she describes a strange occurrence in the School District of Philadelphia.
Apparently, today Superintendent Hite sent an email out to all staff expressing desire for them to refer any leads they might have for teaching in the city. I think my friend expressed the correct amount of shock and chagrin - it is an truly fantastical idea that teachers in Philadelphia would feel that their own voice would be the catalyst to ensuring the vacancy rate of Philadelphia schoolteachers reduces to zero (something that hadn't even happened by April!).
Teachers in Philadelphia are working on an expired contract that has been pushed deeply by the current administration. Luckily, recent arbitration and court rulings have been in their favor (notably: Non-teaching assistants winning back pay and the State Court limiting the School Reform Commission's power). But to think at this point that a long-term position is a viable option by teaching in Philadelphia is a hard sell. A private firm that was hired to fill substitute positions was not even able to decrease vacancy rates at all and is being dismissed.
I hope the leadership of Philadelphia schools takes a hard look at the path they are on and starts asking teachers not to refer newbies to a district being chopped up by pro-charter interests, but to help rebuild what is currently there.
Teachers in Philadelphia are working on an expired contract that has been pushed deeply by the current administration. Luckily, recent arbitration and court rulings have been in their favor (notably: Non-teaching assistants winning back pay and the State Court limiting the School Reform Commission's power). But to think at this point that a long-term position is a viable option by teaching in Philadelphia is a hard sell. A private firm that was hired to fill substitute positions was not even able to decrease vacancy rates at all and is being dismissed.
I hope the leadership of Philadelphia schools takes a hard look at the path they are on and starts asking teachers not to refer newbies to a district being chopped up by pro-charter interests, but to help rebuild what is currently there.
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