Headquarters of the Philadelphia School District.
I always look forward to the extra light that comes with daylight saving time. It's this Sunday. Please set your clock! — as a sign of hope in the darkness of winter. That hope has been strengthened by an unusual spate of good news about public education in Philadelphia and the state this year.
surprise!We have an (early) teacher contract
Rank-and-file lawmakers formally approve an unexpected settlement between the Philadelphia School District and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT), which includes 13,000 members (teachers, counselors, nurses, secretaries and other school employees) There is a need. However, the surprising one-year deal will see all PFT members receive a 5% raise and $1,200 bonus on September 1, 2024. No extended haggling or rancor, just a wise recognition that better pay is the best way to go. Addressing the unacceptable teacher shortage. PFT Chairman Jerry Jordan said in the Inquirer: No one wanted that. ”
The raise will bump teachers' starting salaries to $51,146, with a cap of $107,495. The new paraprofessional's income will be $24,648. Teachers who agree to work in hard-to-staff schools will continue to receive a $2,500 bonus. Meanwhile, PFT has wisely agreed to meet regularly with Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. and his team to discuss Watlington's five-year strategic plan.
This surprising early contract award shows our respect for teachers and the important work they do. How smart and wise to avoid the usual us-versus-them conflict and instead free up your energy to help improve education for Philadelphia students. If you don't want people to leave you, it's best to avoid years when conflicts arise.
Of course, this respect can go further. The Inquirer's Kristen Graham reported last week that a Philadelphia teacher was penalized for taking sick leave included in her contract. Why on earth would a school district want sick teachers to infect each other and their students when a contagious disease is so prevalent and most classrooms are petri dishes of infection?
Student teachers will (eventually) be paid a salary.
Since time immemorial, students who meet state student teaching requirements have not been paid. The rationale was that because they were learners rather than service providers, in addition to paying tuition fees for the privilege of practical instruction, they received nothing for actual instructional time. In fact, decades ago, when I was a student teacher in the English department at Overbrook High School, I received no salary and, foolishly, received no University of Pennsylvania credit toward my bachelor's degree. . So much for showing George Eliot's works to his hard-to-reach 11th graders. Silas Marner I had so much to say to them about being an outcast!
Teaching students requires maximum time and energy. Students who work to pay tuition and support themselves will likely have to quit their jobs. There is no question that unpaid student teaching prevents many low-income students from entering the teaching profession in the first place.
This surprising early contract award shows our respect for teachers and the important work they do. How smart and wise to avoid the usual us-versus-them conflict and instead free up your energy to help improve education for Philadelphia students.
Miracle of miracles, starting in the 2024-25 school year, Pennsylvania will give Pennsylvania student teachers between $10,000 and $15,000 if they agree to work in high-need districts and commit to teaching in the state. We are planning to launch a new program that will pay for. 3 years. Typically, cooperating faculty who are compensated (less than adequately) by university teacher preparation programs are eligible for an additional $2,500 grant payment. (PHEAA, PA Student Teacher Support Program).
What a clever concept! Reward student teachers while learning and recognize creativity and persistence. Don't ask for the first sacrifice and then ask for more of the same.
Perhaps the state could improve teacher education by seeking to have more substitutes in the classroom, or by encouraging schools to follow the example of the United Kingdom and recruit older people seeking a second and fulfilling career as a teacher. It may also be possible to consider further increasing the status of , As I wrote before.
Details of Governor Shapiro's bold education funding plan
I previously wrote about Governor Shapiro's education proposals that offer health and hope for higher education. The governor then revealed additional details, indicating that the combined system of 15 community colleges and 10 state universities “will receive a fair share of the proposed 15 percent funding increase in the state budget.” .
Governor Shapiro also took bold action when it came to K-12. His 2024-25 budget proposal includes a $1.1 billion increase in basic education funding, the largest increase in Pennsylvania history, based on a year of consultation with the Basic Education Funding Board (BFC). becomes. And his 2024 budget calls for “investing $50 million annually in school safety and security improvements and providing $300 million in sustainable funding for school building environmental remediation projects.” .
It remains to be seen whether the Pennsylvania Legislature will act wisely and pass the governor's budget.
Elaine MaimonThe Ph.D. is an advisor to the American Council on Education.she is the author of Leading academic transformation: vision, strategy, transformation. Her long career in higher education includes her accomplishments as a rhetoric/composition scholar as well as positions in top leadership positions at public universities. She co-authored: Writing in the Arts and Sciences, specified in the landmark text. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the Writing Across the Curriculum Association. Follow @epmaimon X.