For laid-off Philly teachers, it’s a mix of waiting, hoping and leaving

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

by Kelly Lawlor for NewsWorks

Even after last week’s deal in the Pennsylvania legislature to help the Philadelphia School District, 3,800 teachers and support staff laid off in June still do not know whether they will be back at work in the fall.

Those teachers and staff now face the choice of waiting to see whether they can stay with the District, or diving into the job market.

The last time Anissa Weinraub was laid off, she was rehired to her position as a Philadelphia high school English teacher. She’s planning on waiting again this time, while continuing to advocate for Philadelphia schools and students.

"This is really true of a lot of teachers in the School District," said Weinraub. "We’re really committed to a system that sometimes doesn’t feel like it’s really committed to us. And so for better or for worse, a lot of us will wait it out."

Read the rest of this story at NewsWorks