Charters and EMO’s will be hiring their own staff:
"If selected as a teacher for a Renaissance charter school, the employees will have the option to either request a leave of absence from the School District of Philadelphia for up to five years, or resign from the District and then accept the new position at the Charter School. If selected as a teacher for a Renaissance contract school, the employees will no longer be an employee of the School District of Philadelphia and will need to resign and accept the new position with the contract organization." -Philadelphia Notebook
We were told by Jerry Jordan that the employees of reconstituted schools would remain district employees! Yes, our backs are up against a wall as a union, but folks deserve to know the truth and should be given time to make a calculated decision. We weren’t given that opportunity.
You can’t tell me that Jerry Jordan didn’t know this. I am not here to bash our Union. Yet at the same time I can’t help but feel that the teachers were misled. So where do we go from here? I don’t merely want to be a complainer. Instead, I think we as teachers who care for our students need to make a stand and do the job our Union hasn’t been able to do. If we don’t organize now these sweeping and insulting “reforms” will occur without any real input from the people who have spent tens of thousands of hours serving kids.
It's my understanding that the language of the contract supercedes anything the disttrict may want to do. The SRC ratified the contract and they are now legally bound by its terms.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see anything in the language of the contract that would prevent the district from doing this. If there is can you let me know.
ReplyDeleteUnder NCLB the district can turn schools into Charter Schools no matter what a contract states. Federal and State Laws supersede contract language. Yes, Queen Arlene may create Renaissance Schools, but she could also have some become Charter. The PFT contract cannot prevent this since it is NCLB. At least there is something in the contract that does give some additional conditions for those stuck in Renaissance District Schools.
ReplyDeleteEven if we voted down the contract or if there was nothing in the contract altogether dealing with Renaissance Schools, they can do this no matter what.
Check the PFT website, I was told that there is something up about this now. If you check back in the previous posts, it explains the four models that school districts can do.
We are in for a bumpy ride
I think that we should make them enforce this on us. I know that sounds a little radical but how else do you challenge the constitutionality of what is going on?
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you agree with me Southwest, but I believe that these steps being taken apart from the influence of the professionals (teachers included) and community members are going to hurt our children.
I agree, if the district would have imposed a contract we would have grounds to finally challenge Act 48 as harm would definitely have been done as a result of the law. I do believe we have a case as the law is clearly targeted at Philadelphia and not equally applied to the entire commonwealth. Other unions would be happy to help fund the case as they could also be easily legislated out of existence. Furthermore, how much worse could have an imposed contract been?
ReplyDeleteEver wonder how the Union has lost 7,00 members yet ha a larger staff than ever?
ReplyDelete