PHILADELPHIA (September 18, 2024) – Following is a statement from Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) Arthur Steinberg on the School District of Philadelphia and Board of Education’s planning for new, aging, and underpopulated facilities:
“The facilities planning process announced by Board of Education President Reginald Streater is already significantly improved from facilities plans of the past in one respect: The PFT, the largest union representing educators and staff in the School District of Philadelphia, has already received direct and respectful communication about the process.
“The direct conveyance of information and democratization of planning decisions about public schools – the beating heart of communities in our city of neighborhoods – is now happening because of the longtime advocacy of our members and leadership, who won the hard-fought dissolution of the state-controlled School Reform Commission and for the authorization of a locally appointed Board of Education. We are proud of this achievement for Philadelphia students, families, and taxpayers.
“That said, I am going to be clear: This iteration of a facilities planning process must not repeat the mistakes of the past. The people who know the needs of school facilities best are the staff and student families. Decision-making must follow the data around neighborhood population shifts, as well as the needs of student communities. When the incredibly difficult decision is made to merge schools due to declining enrollment, there must be intentionality in supporting that new school community. We will demand not just modernization and upgrades of physical buildings, but the additional resources necessary for conflict resolution and other cultural clashes that have occurred when students are physically relocated to learn among new peers.
“We expect and demand that the city and District provide the support necessary to anticipate and prevent violence that endangers students, teachers, and staff.
“A successful, democratized facilities planning process that respects the experience and wisdom of students, families, community members, and educators will enhance learning and growth for all students. Any attempt to repeat prior mass school closures – in which the only so-called winners were property developers in neighborhoods with increasingly unaffordable housing costs – will be met with fury by the PFT.”
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The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers represents nearly 14,000 education professionals, including teachers, librarians, school nurses, counselors, psychologists, social workers, therapists, secretaries, paraprofessionals, classroom assistants, non-teaching assistants, supportive services assistants, Head Start/Comprehensive Early Learning Center and Bright Futures teachers and staff, food service managers, and professional and technical employees. Follow @PFTLocal3 on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
