Plans to hire some new Philly teachers to be scrapped in wake of PFT contract deal
Financial fallout from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers’ new contract has begun, and the ink isn’t even dry yet.
On Monday night, the PFT overwhelmingly approved a new deal that will cost the Philadelphia School District $395 million over five years.
On Tuesday, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. essentially said: Remember those new teachers we were going to hire to end most split classes and halt leveling – the process of shifting teachers around to address enrollment shifts – in the lower grades? We’re not hiring them. We can’t afford that now.
The district had promised it would hire 66 teachers to stop all split classes except those which are academically appropriate, and also wanted to hire 47 teachers to end lower-grade leveling. That process is academically disruptive; schools where enrollment is lower than projected now lose teachers in October.
The district had said it would use part of the $65 million in new, annual revenues coming the district’s way as a result of a reassessment of city commercial properties to hire the teachers. Presumably, that money will now help foot the bill for the teachers’ contract.
“These are choices that we do not take lightly,” Hite said at the SRC meeting.
City and district leaders have acknowledged there is no concrete plan to pay for the contract; the district already projected a deficit beginning next year. The officials say they have a year to figure it out and will work to secure the funding.
But Harrisburg Republicans have blasted the district’s agreeing to the deal, saying it is irresponsible to sign a contract without a firm idea of how to cover its costs.
The School Reform Commission is expected to approve the contract Tuesday afternoon.
