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In Testimony, PFT Urges City Council to Intervene in District Plan to Close 20 Schools

PFT members hold up signs urging City Council to force the District to rethink its 10-year Facilities Master Plan
PFT Chief of Staff LeShawna Coleman and Director of Environmental Science Jerry Roseman share the union's concerns with the District facilities plan

PHILADELPHIA (February 17, 2026) – The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT Local 3), which represents more than 14,000 educators in the School District of Philadelphia, will urge City Council on Tuesday to extract all data and methodologies still being withheld by administrators underlying the recommendations of its 10-year Facilities Master Plan (FMP).

During a hearing on the plan held by Council's Committee of the Whole, PFT Chief of Staff LeShawna Coleman and Director of Environmental Science Jerry Roseman will present key finding of the union's review of the FMP.

Following are excerpts

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Tips from public employees on mobilizing members

When the president of Colorado WINS learned that the president of the United States might be targeting Denver next in his anti-immigration campaign of terror, she knew how she’d begin to mobilize. One simple thing Diane Byrne does is deck out her activists in matching T-shirts. Wearing union colors promotes team spirit and builds confidence, she says. The AFT Public Employees program and policy council, meeting in New York City Feb. 5-6, abounded with tips to help locals mobilize. PPC chair Gary Feist, president of North Dakota Public Employees, recommended finding members who can tell a personal story to draw media attention. With more media on the issue, he said, legislators will become more motivated to fix the problem.

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PFT President Steinberg Cheers Governor Shapiro's Historic Support for Public Schools

PFT President Arthur Steinberg introduces Governor Josh Shapiro at the 2025 AFTPA Convention

PHILADELPHIA (February 3, 2026) –  Following is a statement from Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Arthur G. Steinberg on Governor Josh Shapiro's proposed FY2027 budget:

“Governor Shapiro’s proposed budget is more than a spending plan; it is a vision for what Pennsylvanians should aspire to achieve. This budget deepens investments in long-underfunded schools, frees districts from wasteful cyber charter obligations, empowers administrators to enact smart phone bans to enhance learning, and grows the child care and educator workforce – without raising taxes on working people. Overall

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PFT: Ongoing Building Issues Put District at Risk of Losing Trust, Enrollment

Photo of a broken heater filled with ice at a Philadelphia public school submitted by a member.

PHILADELPHIA (February 2, 2026) –  Following is a statement from Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Arthur G. Steinberg on the School District of Philadelphia's failure to ensure school buildings were heated and safe to resume in-person learning:

"'The School District should not have sent students and staff back into schools if they knew the buildings were going to lack adequate heat and working plumbing.

"We told the District last Thursday that they have a responsibility to make sure buildings are heated and comfortable before calling students and staff back for in-person learning

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All the resources you need on immigration and ICE

Teacher holding sign

Federal immigration actions are rapidly expanding, with deadly consequences. The killings of poet Renee Nicole Good and nurse Alex Pretti by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis have brought intense focus on the use of excessive force. An AFT webinar, co-hosted by AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang on Jan. 28, featured experts on immigration and the law. It highlighted AFT resources and showcased how our locals are showing up to minimize fear and trauma.

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Dangerous Building Conditions Spur PFT Call for Return to Remote Learning on Friday

One of at least six unusable classrooms at Vare-Washington Elementary due to poor building conditions following last weekend's snow storm.

PHILADELPHIA (January 29, 2026) –  Following a half school day of treacherous commutes and dangerous building conditions, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers on Thursday urged the School District of Philadelphia to return to remote learning on Friday.

PFT President Arthur G. Steinberg said in a statement:

"On behalf of the more than 14,000 educators we represent, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers calls on the School District to return to remote instruction on Friday, where the forecasted high temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

"As educators, our members regularly report to work

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