Teacher Action Group launches ‘Faces of the Layoffs’

This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.

by Sonia Giebel

Teacher Action Group (TAG) has introduced a new website, Faces of the Layoffs, to profile recently laid-off Philadelphia School District employees. This action project, designed to “make sure that the public sees just how devastating these layoffs are to our schools,” comes on the heels of the nearly 3,800 layoffs last Friday.

Sixteen employees have already been profiled, including teachers, secretaries, counselors, assistant principals, librarians, and noontime aides. So far, online testimonials have highlighted the importance of these employees, calling them “indispensable” and “instrumental to the smooth running of our school,” and expressed worry as to how schools will function without them.

The website also encourages community members to reach out to the state legislature in the ongoing school-funding struggle. If the District gets the resources to close its $304 million budget gap, many of these layoffs could be rescinded. Superintendent William Hite said he was doing “everything in my power” to make sure the bare-bones budget enacted by the School Reform Commission on May 30 will not go into effect.

The District is seeking $60 million in city funds, $120 million from the state, and $130 million in labor concessions.

Sonia Giebel is an intern at the Notebook.