PFT PRESIDENT JERRY JORDAN ON THE FATAL SHOOTING OF ROXBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT RANDY MILLS

May 26, 2023

"I am so very sorry to learn of the fatal shooting of Roxborough High School student Randy Mills--just 15 years old--his whole life ahead of him.

"My deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Randy, and to every member of the Roxborough High School community.

"This loss, which should be unthinkable, is devastatingly far too common. We can and must address the deadly scourge of gun violence."

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PFT PRESIDENT JERRY JORDAN ON TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF CW HENRY BUILDING

4-22-2023

PHILADELPHIA--"Time and again, we see the very real consequences of a failure to invest in our young people and their right to a thorough and efficient system of public education. The ongoing facilities crisis, which would never be tolerated in a wealthier, whiter school district, is a searing example of the impact of decades of disinvestment. 

PFT PRESIDENT JERRY JORDAN ON ONGOING FACILITIES CRISIS

April 14, 2023

In response to the ongoing school facilities crisis and recent asbestos-related closures, PFT President Jerry Jordan issued the following statement:

PHILADELPHIA--"The seriousness of the ongoing facilities crisis and its impact on our students and staff cannot be overstated. This year, in the span of just a few weeks, three schools have been shuttered due to damaged asbestos. These discoveries are particularly glaring because they come in the wake of incorrect assessments from over two decades ago.

"Immediately before the pandemic, more than ten schools were closed in a single school year due to damaged asbestos. In fact, during that time, the District's previous leadership was so recalcitrant that it was only due to our collective advocacy that we were even able to ensure that students and staff were relocated in the events of these emergent situations.

PFT PRESIDENT JERRY JORDAN ON ON SHOOTING NEAR ROWEN ELEMENTARY; MASS SHOOTING IN KY

April 10, 2023

PHILADELPHIA--"The unrelenting devastation wrought by gun violence should be unthinkable--but it's horrifyingly far too common. We learned earlier today of a mass shooting in Kentucky that left at least four people dead and a community shattered.

"This afternoon, students and staff at Rowen Elementary were traumatized as a by a shooting nearby the school while children played in the yard. To think that children cannot feel safe in their school yard is a disgrace. The impact of this shooting is incalculable.