Philadelphia columnist Will Bunch couldn’t believe the onerous, mean-spirited proposal made by school officials to the city’s teachers. They are asked to accept a cut in pay and benefits, larger classes, a longer work day, and, adding insult to injury, no copying machines or supplies, no water fountains or parking facilities, not even desks.
Students will be in larger classes, in schools with no libraries, no librarians, no guidance counselors, and a corps of beaten-down teachers.
Way to go, School Reform Commission! I am reminded that the best corporations in the United States pamper their employees and make sure they have excellent working conditions. They want their employees to have high morale. In Philadelphia, they want to crush their teachers’ morale. The school officials are not employing a business model, unless they have in mind the 19th century idea of treating workers like scum.
If ever there were conditions for a strike against witless, cruel management, this is it.
Bear in mind that Philadelphia has not had an elected school board in over a decade. The School Reform Commission is appointed by the governor and mayor.
Will they care if there is a mass exodus of teachers? Will they happily employ scabs? Do they care about the quality of education? Or is driving down the cost of teachers more important than anything else?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I don’t think a strike will work today. First, the media has already painted a picture of whinning, crying teachers. Second, the economy is tough and you still have a job. Three, Phillie is just waiting for that to happen and they will bring in more Charters. There is a conspiracy and a scheme here if you look carefully.
I disagree. If they had just stuck with salary and benefits, then maybe the public would have supported them. But most Philadelphians will be appalled at the thought of teachers with no protections at all. Who supports a district that will not guarantee a teacher gets a desk, will not be responsible for having books kids need, will not have copiers? People will not be on the side of a
school board which is so mean-spirited that make a point of saying teachers may not even have water.
Are parents going to support a district which wipes out class size caps–are they OK with their child in a class of 50?
I don’t think so.
Bill D. You are an ass!!!!
Why thank you for that thoughtful comment. That will surely change my mind about the crying, whinning teachers. I was a teacher for 32 years and saw all kinds. There are some wonderful teachers out there who change the world for many students and then there are others. As in all fields and careers. I am not picking on teachers. But it is a sad reality today about how we are treated. but many people in the private sector don’t have a lot of sympathy for us after whats happening to them. What is going on in Phillie is bad, really bad, but they can have all the parent support they can get and the charters will still come. Writing blogs here will not inform the people of Phillie. They have to get the word out through the press.
They want them to strike, that is the plan. They want to make the lives of teachers so miserable that they can replace them with TFA scabs, who will gladly work for little pay for 2 years and then off to law school.
I see a corporate plan to destroy unions in general and lower the salaries of workers around the US to those of the third world countries. A WORLD-WIDE WAGE.
The point “the economy is tough and you have a job” is nonsense. That crutch is one they beat teachers over the head with continuously. Be thankful you have a job. That empowers the reformers to shovel as much manure as they want. A strike worked in Chicago. It is incumbent upon the educators to get their message out through whatever media channels are necessary. Look at how ARAB spring used social media to Rally millions of people despite government control of the media. It can be done. It just takes organizing.
Our school board of 12 members, dissolved in December, 2001, was appointed by the mayor, not elected. Even so, the state takeover (3 commissioners appointed by the and 2 by the mayor), because of money and test score issues, (we couldn’t run them), has been a long and consistent march to give up on and give away our schools.
We are just another obstacle that stands in the way of corporate agenda in our schools. On a positive note, I can effectively stand up and fight for my profession and Union with because the woman who I am replying to taught me over 15 years ago. That is the true mark of our teaching profession NOT a test score, NOT a “reform” agenda, and whatever nonsense people want to put forth. I am tired of being considered a “bad” person or a “whiner” becase I want equitable conditions or a equal footing so I can provide a meaningful education for my students.
“Phillie” [sic] is NOT waiting for more charters. The public school teachers of Philadelphia are some of the hardest most courageous teachers in the USA. Further, Philadelphia school teachers are not waiting for anything. They don’t wait, they act. The School Reform Commission has shown over and over again that they don’t care about teachers, children, or families. For example, in the past two years, the SRC shut down dozens of public schools, it was later discovered that the metrics used to select the schools were not valid or reliable. Dr. Ravitch is absolutely correct to call for a strike. The teachers of Philadelphia will speak out. Whether their voices are heard is another story. It is criminal how the School District of Philadelphia has been run into the ground. And, it is shame that some outsiders have counted out teachers and dismissed Philadelphia as a viable school district (poster – Bill D.).
I appreciate all the teachers of Phillie. Nobody understands what you guys face everyday in the schools and classrooms. It takes a very special person to stay there or any big city these days. But be careful. You said that the School Reformers don’t care about teachers, children, or families. They don’t understand what teaching really is. They feel that anybody can do it. Will a strike really work against these people? Bring the parents into the schools to see the conditions, lack of books, etc. The union needs to go on a PR mission to get people on the side of the teachers. What is good for the teachers is good for the students and families.
Teachers of Philadelphia: I hope that you are as brave and strong as your brothers and sisters in Chicago. Like them you will need to build solidarity and frame it around the issues of justice and education for teachers, and students. We want good work conditions, decent pay, small class sizes and librarians in all our schools, not just in the private schools where the elite send their children.
You also need to get the parents working with you. That was a critical factor in Chicago: the parents and teachers worked together and still are.
I attended college and grad school in Philadelphia in the late 60’s and early 70s and taught in Philadelphia in the early 70s. At that time, the Philadelphia School District’s union was ahead of suburban districts in terms of their contract, their compensation levels were comparable to those of nearby suburbs, and some of the benefits were more generous, particularly those for staff development and graduate study, which was important to a new teacher. The work environment was challenging in the JHS where I worked, but the district was building new schools and had progressive leadership from the School Board through the Superintendent.
I share this memory of four decades ago because I fear that the Philadelphia School District is setting the standard again… in a bad way. If the Board succeeds in eliminating “frills” like librarians and diminishing the pay of teachers this strategy will spread across the State quickly and set the stage for the expansion of for-profit charter schools. Should this gambit by the Philadelphia School Board succeed every union in economically challenged school districts in PA can expect to see similar proposals from their school boards. If schools serving poor children lose libraries and see their teachers’ salaries cut, he divide between affluent districts and economically challenged districts will widen. As parents become disenchanted with their public schools their boards will see for-profit charters as a salvation.
I’ve been away from Philly so long I’m not sure how their board is constituted… but I hope that democracy is still functional in the city and the voters will find a way to express their disapproval with the school board that put this offer on the table.
We have not had a local school board since 2001. The School District was taken over by the state during the Ridge administration and has been run by the School Reform Commission (3 appointed by the Governor, 2 by the Mayor – though the mayoral appointees always rubber stamp what the state appointee do and the Chairman of the SRC is always a state appointee) ever since. One of the first things the SRC did in 2001 was to try and hand over 64 schools to Edison Schools. This was quickly scaled back, but finally dropped a few years later because Edison schools were such failures.
Even though the District was taken over for supposed mismanagement, every SRC has run up huge debts and debt service to the banks is a major part of the District budget. In the last five years, the public schools have been starved even more even as money was poured into charters. When Dr. Arlene Ackerman (who was a board member of the Broad Foundation while she was Superintendent of the Philadelphia School District ) left in 2011, with a $1 million dollar buyout, the district was left with a $1 billion deficit over five years (which was added to with a major cut of $300 million in state funding by Governor Corbett in 2011).
So we have been a colony of the state for more than ten years and as has been true of all colonial administrations, the subjects of the colonization have had no say or control of any of this.
What happened right here in Philadelphia the last time there was taxation without representation?
This is going to happen everywhere, if not now, soon. Maybe there should be one huge strike across the nation. Like Phred said social media worked for the Arab Spring, and that wasn’t in just one country. Social media could definetly work in this country also. I do agrree with Bill some what though I think that so many people don’t understand or realize what is actually happening, and do believe that teachers are to blame for all the woos of our society and won’t believe that a strike no matter where it is is for the children and their future.
One huge strike across the nation, you say?
The eduvampires are nationalized, so how else can teachers fight them?
You have a point.
That is what they do in France, a national teacher strike. And what else is that the students walk with the teachers in support!
I’ve always believed a national strike for one day is what is needed.
Sounds like they want to run teachers out of town, Stay and strike. Parents are likely to empathize with teachers, as they did in Chicago, and it would be difficult to find enough scabs who are willing to take being treated like that.
A massive, illegal wildcat action is about all that can stem the tide at this point. People from the top to the bottom in public ed need to to walk away and say “we’re not coming back until this nonsense ends.” It will entail real risk and real sacrifice. People will lose jobs.
Guess what? YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE THEM ANYWAY.
Though Chicago didn’t get everything they put up a good fight. I say go for it Philly, it sounds like you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
Contrary to the punditocracy, going on strike is hard. I know. I’ve done it.
But freedom isn’t free. For those who value the freedom to teach as professionals, to be respected for their hard work, to be treated as important members of the community and our nation—you will never ever earn the favor of the edubullies who lead the charterite/privatizer movement by begging for esteem.
The “accountabullies” have already written you off. According to their formulas, you are literally ‘no-account’ lazy LIFOs. Time to count yourselves in by standing tall and taking risks to win rather than waiting passively and run the greater [and more probable] risk of losing everything including your self-respect.
Public school staffs did not choose to be in this situation. But they can choose how to respond to the edubullies.
Invite parents into the classroom so they see first hand what you are working with. Take pictures and post them on the websites and send them to newspapers and V stations. Get the fascts out there. Make sure the parents and public are well informed and then if necessary go on strike, probably not much to lose. If they bring in charter schools or private schools, you will be laid off and expected to reapply for the jobs. This happened at my granddaughter’s school in NC. They lost some very good teachers.
Those who think that discussions of budget realities are nothing but smoke and mirrors, please look away.
For anyone remaining: It seems that every year, or at least for the past few years, the Philadelphia School District publishes the language below in the “management’s discussion” section of its annual financial report. The phenomenon it describes is something that others have referred to as the “Charter School Paradox,” by which charter schools are pulling new students into the public school system from private and parochial schools, thus either neutralizing or even overcoming whatever cost savings might result from schools that, in a vacuum, would seem to operate on a lower cost basis. I would suggest that advocates for public education see if this effect is happening in their districts, and if so, to spend more time articulating this problem.
This is from the 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report:
To paraphrase Marx, “Teachers of America unite! You have nothing to lose but the reformers!”
I worked for three years abroad as a teacher in France. In France, they love to strike. Despite public opinion that teachers are lazy and not doing a good job, these people manage to get what they want. Although our culture of striking has disappeared, and the teachers union is one of the few of its kind left, I believe a strike will send the right message. That message is, we aren’t going to teach your kids if you can’t give us the tools we need to do it.
When the state took over Philadelphia’s schools, teachers lost the ability to strike unless they are wiling to lose not just their jobs, but their PA teaching certificates, as well. Which is kind of a big sacrifice…
This highlights the problem with autocratic rule. Who does the board answer to? The people of the city? No, they answer to dictatorial politicians who don’t care about students or education. I think it shows the callous disregard for people that the arrogant reformers have. Obviously the teachers and students are seen as worthless trash. That’s ok. Someone will turn the schools over to their cronies and they will make a lot of money while they pretend to be concerned about the education of children. What does it teach the children…education is a low priority and it’s best to take what money you can while you can.
As a Philadelphia Public School teacher I don’t know what to say. The following is a letter I wrote and sent to the Philadelphia Inquirer today….. it pretty much sums up my feelings!
Dear Esteemed Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am writing to you as a professional educator from Northeast High School in Philadelphia. I have been a Social Studies teacher for sixteen years. I love my job, my kids, and I enjoy watching them learn. I also enjoy hearing their thoughts, ideas, hopes and dreams. I also have found myself continually teaching in spite of what is continually taken away from us in regards to instructional materials because of budgetary constraints. After all it isn’t the fault of our children that we are in this mess.
However, after looking through the proposed contract put forth by the district and the SRC I found myself absolutely “flummoxed” as my grandmother used to say. I understand that we are in a budgetary crisis, one as far as I can see created by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the SRC itself. Had they not allowed Dr. Ackerman to spend money in such a careless fashion, perhaps we wouldn’t be in these dire straits now. As for the Commonwealth, they were supposed to “fix” things when they took “control” well over a decade ago. As far as I can see (perhaps my vision is faulty) things have gone from bad to worse.
With that being said, I knew some kind of concessions would have to be made by PFT members. However, what I fail to understand is how some of the items the district and the SRC would like to cut will help us do our jobs or even more importantly help our kids learn. To cite a few of these items from the proposal: 1) Elimination of protecting female employees when they are working alone, 2) Elimination of providing copy machines, 3) Elimination of requiring the district to provide a sufficient number of instructional materials and textbooks, 4) Elimination of allowing a teacher to use reasonable force to protect themselves from attack or injury.
After reading these “cuts” along with the proposed cut to our wages I actually felt overcome with a real feeling of sadness, and yes, fear. I came to the conclusion that the fact that the powers that be would even suggest the aforementioned cuts means they really do not care for us, or the children of Philadelphia at all. We have little to no value as human beings in their eyes.
The fact that education and the people that consume and provide this service should be viewed in such a light is truly immoral. And the fact that the powers that be had the gall to even suggest such things makes me wonder about the intentions, and yes, morality of our “leaders”.
What an example to set for the children of our city.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Daniel Meier
Social Studies Department Chair
Northeast High School
WHERE IS THE NEA?
Regarding the above letter, it was titled, “An Open Letter to Michael Nutter and the SRC.” It was cut off when I pasted it into the comments section.
You were remarkably restrained. Let us know if they publish your letter.
Beautifully written letter.
Teachers,Principals,Facilitiy Services, and down to the people who keep the schools clean and warm the Custodians, Food service workers, School security all should walk off the job in unison. Who the hell do these people think we are? I am guessing not needed. Well let them get a private firm to run schools but not with tax payers money. And being around children they better have a background check. What a joke Philadelphia has become.
I would never want to tell someonelse to strike. However, I believe 3-27 chicago is planning a huge deomonstration; throw in philly maybe seattle scrap map teachers, Texas anti test people and it would be significant. Organize.
If enough parents ( and even schools and districts) OPT- OUT of the destructive and expensive testing that is mandated, the problem of VAM and Teacher/Principal evaluation would become more reasonable and fair. Think of the money that would save.
Join the protest in Washington D.C, from April 4th tot April 7th. The more “boots on the ground” ,the more effective we will be. ( The gun owners in New York have come together quickly and effectively!…Huge crowd in Albay today.)
I agree with the national one day strike. Call it” Chalkboard Flu”, so no law can be thrown at you.
Its so sad, and frustrating what an “education” has turned into. Its all about test scores and money. The kids are put on the back burner. I signed into a career whereby we are preparing our children for their future : to prepare them to be productive citizens. I work my ass off everyday trying to motivate hundreds of apathetic kids with limited parental support and have been EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL at doing so. I am surrounded however by teachers being totally disrespected by children yet they push on and give it their all in horrible working conditions. Sometimes I wonder how many of these teachers sleep at night knowing what they will be facing the following day. But yet, they are there bright and early ready to give it their all again, and again, and again….LIKE GROUNDHOGS DAY!!!! God Bless every teacher out there who actually gives a damn…and there are many. God will reward those who live a life trying to educate and nurture his children…HE MUST!!!!
I began teaching in Philadelphia in 1969 and retired in 2008. Yes, I was involved in the strikes, lockouts, varied superintendents, school boards and this most recent ( since 2001) SRC. What has changed in all of these years and finally come to a head most recently is the negativity toward teachers and the educational system. I am appalled at this most recent suggestion that teacher teach with less..and that not only includes materials, but the backing of them as professional educators.
I’m not sure when or why it happened, but teachers are now the “bad” kids on the block…parents no longer need to take responsibility for their children….blame it on the teachers!
As a teacher of the youngest children, I cannot tell you how many children were brought to school on the first day with NO enrichment by their parents…never have been read to, talked with, played with. We were told to take a five year old and educate…..and then that was mostly social skills.
Today, these same kids are now required to learn to read, write, do math, social studies all before 1st grade without any help from home…except complaints. Now the administration wants the same with a larger group of children and no materials.
Before any of the proposals are adopted, I feel ALL officials trying to pass these AND parents spend 1 month ( actually…try 1 DAY) in a classroom and actually teach using the provisions you set forth.
Sadly, I believe they will cause the destruction of the US educational public system.
It is time for teachers to band together as we did early on and demand higher standards which come with help for those trying to make a difference.
Contrast the Philkyvteachers’ situation with this video aimed at getting more students to learn computer programming.
http://www.code.org/mobile
Two things in particular stand out for me. First, they start by asking kids in a KIPP school if they know about computer programming. The answer is no. Later they visit a computer programming class in what appears to be a public elementary school. Does any KIPP school teach computer programming?
Second, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and others emphasize the need for programmers and what a great career it is. They talk about the need for more programmers. One says, “To get the very best people we try to make the office as awesome as possible.” They have scooters, free food, play rooms, and more – for employees.
So why do these same people seem to think we will get the very best teachers by making their working conditions as dismal as possible? Or maybe they really don’t want the very best people in teaching.
There is an incredible disconnect here. I am at a loss to explain it.
— Mary
The explanation is simple, Mary: the private sector wants a good sized chunk (at least) of the money currently spent on teacher salaries and benefits, and they will do and say whatever is required to get it.
It really is that simple.
Phillie teachers, remind the parents of Phillie that you are still teaching their children in spite of the poor leadership. Hang in there guys.