This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/Di6_AngFtME by Tom MacDonald for NewsWorks
A group calling itself the Coalition for Effective Teaching is calling on the Philadelphia School District and the city teachers’ union to think about more than dollars and cents when negotiating the next contract. They’re pushing to pick teachers not just based on seniority.
The Coalition for Effective Teaching has four new members, including the Urban League and Congreso.
Sharmain Matlock-Turner of the Urban Affairs Coalition says her group joined to send a unified message to both the teachers and the School District.
"The right teacher in the right classroom absolutely matters. Putting together a school culture and a school climate, getting everybody on the same page makes a huge difference on whether or not schools will be successful," said Matlock-Turner.