Philadelphia Federation of Teachers

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PFT President Jerry Jordan on Shooting Outside Willard Elementary

August 31, 2022 PHILADELPHIA—"Again, Philadelphians woke up to news of more devastation wrought by the ongoing scourge of gun violence. A shooting outside of Willard Elementary School rocked the tight-knit community, leaving three hospitalized, including a 17 year old. "When PFT staff representative Ray Guzman arrived at Willard before the school day began this morning, to provide support for staff and families, he reported seeing a bullet hole through the school window and a bullet impact on the school door. Individuals he spoke with reported feeling scared and overwhelmed. MORE

Back to School: An Inspiring (and Hot!) First Day

8/29/22

Dear Members,

Like so many of you, I still wake up on the first day back to school with excitement and anticipation--and today was no different! I was delighted to join two fantastic celebrations of the return to school; Councilmember Helen Gym and I joined staff, students, parents, and community partners to kick the day off at Dobbins CTE and Duckrey Elementary. The enthusiasm was contagious.

I hope you'll take a moment to watch this quick video of the morning.

In it, you'll hear from Councilmember Gym and me about the year ahead, and you will also hear really great remarks from Dobbins

Note: We typically do not publicly share our weekly e-news, but with many new members & e-mail list updates under way, we wanted to ensure that our message reached as many people as possible! If you are a member and not receving our weekly newsletter & additional updates, please sign up right here.

8-26-22

Dear Members,

Welcome back! It has been a pleasure speaking to so many of you this week--my team and I have been criss-crossing the city visiting and conducting meetings, and the enthusiasm for the year ahead is high.

This week I had the opportunity to meet with new members at both Stetson

PFT President Jerry Jordan on Biden-Harris Administration's Plan for Student Debt Relief

August 24, 2022 PHILADELPHIA—Responding to the Biden-Harris Administration's student loan forgiveness announcement, PFT President Jerry Jordan issued the following statement: "Once again, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are delivering on their campaign promises-- this time in the form of major student debt relief that will 'provide more breathing room to America’s working families' as part of a 'comprehensive effort to address the burden of growing college costs and make the student loan system more manageable.' MORE

Member Info: MMS Calculation Error

We recently received notice that the District erroneously calculated a very significant number of teachers' MMS ratings for the 2021-2022 school year. While the error had zero impact for the vast majority of those members affected, we regret that the District's error in calculation had a negative impact on 0.2% of members who received or will receive a recalculation notice. Roughly 0.1% of members receiving notice received a positive change to their score. Roughly 99.7% of members receiving notice will receive a completely neutral score adjustment. For those members receiving a negative shift in their MMS score, we recognize that the District's error is distressing, and we will provide you with the supports you may need to navigate this challenge. MORE

PFT President Jerry Jordan Expresses Solidarity with 32BJ SEIU Members After Their Strike Vote, Urges Swift Settlement of a Fair Contract for Workers

August 22, 2022 Following 32BJ SEIU's strike authorization vote, and amidst their ongoing contract negotiations, PFT President Jerry Jordan issued the following statement of support: PHILADELPHIA—"The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers stands united in solidarity with our union siblings at 32BJ SEIU as they work towards the settlement of a fair contract in advance of its August 31st expiration. MORE