Press | Philadelphia Federation of Teachers

PFT President Jerry Jordan on Final Budget Address of Wolf Administration

February 8, 2022

In response to today's budget address, the final one of Governor Wolf's administration, Jerry Jordan issued the following statement:

PHILADELPHIA—"One of the most fundamental tenets of Governor Wolf's administration has been his steadfast commitment to increased education funding. In today's budget address, the final one under his leadership, Governor Wolf held fast to that commitment and released a proposal that is a strong start in what is sure to be several months of negotiations.

"With a revenue surplus of more than $2 Billion and growing, and an additional $2.2 Billion in

PFT President Jerry Jordan on Full Funding Budget Proposal

January 31, 2022 In response to newly released budget proposal, Jerry Jordan issued the following statement: PHILADELPHIA—"I am very encouraged by the robust budget proposal put forth by Senate and House Democratic leaders this morning. This package of historic investments in public education is what we need, when we need it. It is past time for the Commonwealth to fully and fairly fund public education and to address the deep seated inequities that for too long have left Philadelphia's schoolchildren, a majority of whom are Black and brown and experiencing poverty, shortchanged. "With billions of dollars in a rainy day fund, the Commonwealth has the money to pay for the programs and services our young people need. And let's be clear: there is always money for what we, as a society, prioritize. "The budget proposal itself will not remedy decades of disinvestment. But it will put us on the right path forward. It proposes real money to invest in real, long standing issues. Further, the proposal allows for serious investments to address issues exacerbated by the pandemic. MORE

PFT President Jerry Jordan on New PDPH Guidance

January 19, 2022

PHILADELPHIA—"While we continue sound the alarm about the untenable conditions in our buildings, Philadelphia's officials continue to recommend policies misaligned with the reality of the in-school experiences.

"Since the start of the pandemic, and certainly now, this union has worked to ensure that students and staff are able to learn and work in-person. We know that the true magic of teaching and learning takes place face-to-face, and virtual learning simply cannot replicate that joy or effectiveness. We also know that every child and staff member deserves to be safe in their

January 12, 2022

In response to untenable school conditions and the ongoing COVID surge, Jerry Jordan issued the following statement:

PHILADELPHIA—"Over the past four days, PFT members and allies have written over 40,000 letters to the Mayor, Superintendent, and members of the School Board in two 'action alert' campaigns [here and here]. I am again calling on the swift implementation of a sensible safety plan that addresses the concerns we have laid out over the past several weeks. These concerns, echoed by thousands throughout the District, are geared towards assuring the safe, in-person

PFT President Jerry Jordan on Ongoing School Funding Lawsuit

January 10, 2022 In advance of Philadelphia witnesses being called to the stand in the landmark school funding lawsuit, PFT President Jerry T. Jordan issued the following statement: PHILADELPHIA—"The case laid out by the prosecutors and witnesses in the landmark school funding lawsuit has been stark. For decades, this commonwealth has shirked its constitutional responsibility to provide every child across Pennsylvania with a thorough and efficient public education. As Philadelphia's witnesses begin to take the stand, we know that the extreme inequities and injustices will be laid bare even further. We have supported the lawsuit from the start and filed an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs. MORE

PFT President Jerry Jordan on Updated CHOP & PDPH COVID Guidance

January 6, 2022 PHILADELPHIA—"I am deeply concerned by the new K12 guidance put forth by CHOP's Policy Lab as well as by the PDPH. Again, I want to be clear: this union wants schools to be open for in-person learning. "We are encouraged that CHOP continues to recommend universal masking, regardless of vaccination status. Recent research shows that the use of a high quality (approved KF94, KN95, or N95) mask-- or at the very least, a double mask of combined surgical/cloth variety is absolutely essential; and in fact, PDPH recommends this approach. But the reality is that these resources are not provided to schools. Roughly 35% of schools have reported lack of mask supplies, and those that have masks are certainly not of the KF94, KN95, or N95 variety. And double masking is certainly not taking place or being recommended in any systemic way. As such, we are even more concerned by CHOP's 'mask to stay' guidance. "Further, we are particularly concerned regarding the new recommendations regarding testing amidst an unprecedented COVID surge, with positivity rates approaching 40% in Philadelphia. For all practical purposes, the guidance permits the cessation of testing requirements for asymptomatic individuals as well as for individuals with mild symptoms. MORE

PFT President Jerry Jordan Provides Update on COVID Response

January 5, 2022 PHILADELPHIA—"First, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the absolute horror that unfolded in Fairmount this morning. The PFT mourns the devastating loss of thirteen lives, including seven children, in this catastrophic tragedy. Our words are certainly insufficient, but we send our deepest condolences to the families, loved ones, and school communities affected by this tragedy. "In order to keep the District informed of ongoing concerns regarding their untenable approach to school operation during this unprecedented virus surge, we reissued our survey of PFT Building Representatives to once again quantify the deep concerns we have around the COVID mitigation measures within our school buildings. "Today, building representatives again completed a daily report back survey which detailed conditions in schools. We received 147 responses, which detailed the following: MORE

Jerry Jordan on District's Untenable Reopening

January 4, 2022 PHILADELPHIA—"Instead of heeding our call for a 7-day pause on in-person learning to effectively plan for adequate mitigation measures, the District undertook an outrageous eleventh-hour plan that parents and educators alike learned about on social media late last evening. I was stunned yet unsurprised to learn that the list of schools impacted continued to expand until nearly midnight. "This failure to plan left parents, students, and educators scrambling yesterday evening and today. Amidst a 38% positivity rate in the City of Philadelphia, this approach is simply obscene. "At nearly every level, today has been chaotic and entirely untenable. MORE

PFT President Jerry Jordan, Parkway NW Student Destiny Holley Join National Town Hall on Gun Violence Prevention

December 15, 2021

PHILADELPHIA—This evening, PFT President Jerry Jordan and Parkway Northwest Student Destiny Holley joined a virtual town hall on gun violence. The town hall was moderated by AFT President Randi Weingarten and featured the following panelists:

Abbey Clements: Teacher survivor of the Sandy Hook School tragedy and gun violence prevention activist
Destiny Holley: 11th grade student, Philadelphia
Fred Guttenberg: Parent and founder, Orange Ribbons for Gun Safety, Florida
Jerry Jordan: President, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers

The town hall was streamed live on PFT's Facebook page

PFT President Jerry Jordan Testifies at Council Hearing on Facilities Crisis

December 15, 2021 PHILADELPHIA—Today, in a joint hearing of Council's Committees on Finance and Children & Youth, PFT President Jerry Jordan testified about the School District of Philadelphia's ongoing facilities crisis. MORE