Altering the Deal: Thoughts on Aug. 15 SRC Meeting

Yesterday on Twitter the word starting getting around that Philadelphia superintendent William Hite had asked the School Reform Commission to suspend certain elements of the Pennsylvania School Code. Many of these suspended elements cover staffing-related areas that are covered by the district’s contract with unions such as the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, of which I am a member. Among the rules that Hite wanted to suspend are a requirement that teachers be recalled from layoffs by order of seniority and a provision that employees receive a pay raise every year for the first 11 years or so that they are employed by the district. Hite says that following these rules will make it harder for the district to open all of Philadelphia’s schools on time on September 9.

I am opposed to these changes, for a variety of reasons, some of which are obviously self-interested. I was briefly laid off, and while my layoff was rescinded this time I am clearly in a position where the layoff rules can affect me directly. With four years of experience, I would normally have step raises coming for the next seven years. So I am not a neutral observer in this. I think you can make a good case for using seniority in layoffs, in order to create a fair system that isn’t vulnerable to subjective biases. I think it makes sense to pay an inexperienced teacher less than an experiences teacher because this is a job where experience counts. But other people disagree, and in a normal situation these disagreements would be resolved at the negotiating table.

But that’s not what happened here. The news of Hite’s request hit the media 24 hours before the SRC met today to vote on that request. The text of the proposed changes was not easily available. And all of this is taking place against the backdrop of negotiations between the district and PFT and the ongoing funding crisis. So, along with many other PFT members, I went to the school district headquarters this afternoon to see the meeting.

Some members were outside the building picketing when I arrived. Inside, the first floor lobby was turned into an overflow room, with rows of folding chairs and a screen on which the meeting was projected. The chairs were all occupied and there was a large crowd standing when I got into the room while Hite was making his opening remarks. I didn’t get a chance to see how full the conference room was – there were definitely some spectators, but there must have been room for more because many of the people standing outside were chanting, “It’s our meeting, let us in!” Eventually I think some of these people got into the room. Based on the audio, the audience in the room did not have many fans of the proposal.

Several parents, teachers, and activists spoke at the meeting, almost unanimous in their opposition to the suspension. A couple of speakers did want to change the seniority rules with regard to hiring, but they wanted this to be done as part of the negotiating process. One speaker did support the suspension, saying that in these extraordinary circumstances the district needed to do whatever it could possibly do to have schools ready. In the end, the SRC unanimously voted to grant Hite’s request. Only one member of the commission made any kind of statement, and I admit that I could not understand how she was justifying her vote or if she was even trying to do so.

So after about 90 minutes, the building emptied. Some PFT members congregated in front of the building, but many others left. I left as well; my wife and daughter had come to the meeting with me, and my daughter – about to start the sixth grade in the Philadelphia public schools – was stressed out by the situation. I don’t think continued standing and chanting outside of the building would have done much anyway. People who support the union are going to support the union; people who don’t aren’t going to change their minds.

The next steps, I would assume, will be taken in the courtroom. If the district’s moves hold up in court, the ball will be back in the PFT’s court at the end of the month, when we will have to decide how to deal with our expiring contract. I can say that at the moment, I feel like a strike needs to be on the table. If Hite and the district were negotiating in good faith, I wouldn’t say that. But I can’t help but feel that there was a certain amount of kabuki theater involved.

Hite has said he has the power to decide not to open the schools if they do not have what they need. So why didn’t he use that power in May when he proposed the doomsday budget? We would be having a different conversation if he had said, “We simply can not run the schools under these conditions,” rather than acting like he would open schools even with all of the layoffs.

Hite has said that the $50 million in funding that he needs to be assured of by tomorrow are only enough to recall some of the laid off staff, which is one reason why he needs to suspend parts of the school code. So why didn’t he set his drop-dead figure at the amount that would allow him to bring back enough people under the terms of the existing contract? Why is he setting his minimum point at a level that is still going to be a terrible situation for many schools?

We are no doubt going to hear about how Philadelphia schools and staff are going to have to do more with less. Well, we’ve already been having to do that in comparison to many suburban districts. I’ve contributed to fundraisers to stage drama productions, buy new computers, keep sports teams running, and more. I’ve volunteered my time to help keep extracurricular activities going because there was no money available to pay me for it. Many of my colleagues have stepped up in similar ways. But we’re now facing the start of a school year where we need to work with a district administration that has refused to negotiate with us as partners and which has made it clear that they do not feel required to live up to deals and responsibilities that they have agreed to in the past. How is that supposed to produce the kind of morale that is required to work together and overcome challenges?

As a teacher, as a parent, and as a citizen, I can not support this. If we can’t resolve these issues at the negotiating table, we may have to do so on the picket line. If we can’t resolve them there, then we need to address them at the voting booth in 2014 and defeat the people in government who have pursued this agenda.

If we can’t do that, then this city and state will be sending a clear message to anyone who cares about justice in education: Go away, you’re not our priority.

And I think I’ll have to start taking that advice.

About Dave Thomer

Born and raised in Philadelphia. Studied philosophy at Fordham University in the Bronx, where I made many great friends and met my wonderful wife. We moved back to Philadelphia, where I studied philosophy some more and became a teacher. Online and off, I'm looking for ways that we can be better citizens and build stronger communities.

August 15, 2013 @ 5:22 pm

Education