Philadelphia, June 16, 2017 – Council President Darrell L. Clarke on Friday welcomed the tentative contract agreement between the School District of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT):
“This is a fair contract that shows respect for the professionalism and dedication of PFT members. While the District continues to suffer from years of underfunding from Harrisburg and a broken governance model in the form of the state-run School Reform Commission, Dr. Hite and his administration have worked aggressively to shore up facilities, resources, and personnel, all while implementing new strategies such as community schools to support every facet of our children.
“I want to thank PFT President Jerry Jordan for his relentless advocacy on behalf of Philadelphia educators. The professionals who are tasked with shaping the minds and characters of our youth deserve to be compensated fairly and given a full toolbox to meet this awesome challenge – no matter where they teach. This tentative agreement is a significant step in the right direction.
“I will continue to press our leaders in Harrisburg to fully fund all of Pennsylvania’s public schools, to give administrators the authority they need over cost drivers like unaccountable charter operators, and to end the failed SRC experiment and allow Philadelphians to reclaim our schools.”
# # #
Council President Darrell L. Clarke is serving his second term as the President of Philadelphia City Council. He represents Philadelphia’s 5th Council District. More information at phlcouncil.com/DarrellClarke
