What are parents saying about termination of Philly teachers’ contract?

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

By unanimously voting to terminate the Philadelphia teachers’ union contract Monday, the School Reform Commission sent shock waves throughout the city.

The move has gained bipartisan support from the likes of Democratic Mayor Nutter and Republican Gov. Corbett.

But not so from some of the very people the move is supposed to benefit.

In terminating the contract, the SRC will impose health care concessions on the teachers’ union that it says will save $44 million this year. That breaks down, on average, to $200,000 for each District school to use for additional, badly needed resources.

"While I desperately want more funds in the school, I’m not sure I would have stolen them out of the teachers’ pocket to get them," said Terrilyn McCormick, a mother of two who’s decried the depleted state of the city’s schools. "So I’m struggling with that."

As Home and School Association president for the High School for Creative and Performing Arts, she’s seen first-hand how difficult it is to attract and retain top talent in the District.

The SRC has not just imposed health-care concessions, though. It has terminated the entire contract.

District leaders say they intend to maintain the rest of the contract terms, and they argue that the per-teacher contribution is fair compared with surrounding districts, but McCormick fears it is creating a lot of anxiety in classrooms.

"The working conditions are very difficult. They certainly are not comparable to any of the suburban districts," she said. "Places that desperately need calm and stability now have teachers in front of our classrooms all over the city unsure what their future looks like."

The concessions will mean union members, depending on their pay grade, will pay $27 to $71 per month for single coverage and $77 to $200 to insure their families.

Maureen Frantantoni, who has a son at South Philly High and a daughter at Academy at Palumbo, said she feels sympathy for teachers, especially those on the low end of the pay scale who routinely purchase supplies out of pocket.

But as a person who lives on a "fixed income" and spends $400 per month on health insurance, she said, with some reservations, that the prices the District quoted are "not too much to ask for."

"Maybe the teachers should kick in some money," she said. "I could definitely see that, but to keep on saying, ‘the teachers must give this and the teachers must give that’ … how much can you squeeze somebody?"

Nikki Bagby, whose children attend Steel Elementary in Nicetown, also had mixed emotions about the move, but wanted more time to investigate the details on her own before committing to a position.

"I’m the type of person that I want to make sure that whatever’s going on is fair across the board," she said in a telephone interview.

Bagby, who said she understands what teachers need and deserve, said it’s also important to look "at what’s best for the whole and for everyone … It’s like a two-edged sword."

Politicking

That’s a much more measured tone than many have struck. Some Philadelphia Senate Democrats, including Vincent Hughes and Mike Stack, blasted the move, as did Council President Darrell Clarke – a potential mayoral hopeful – as well as Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf.

In a statement released Monday, Wolf chided the SRC, which he has favored abolishing, by writing: "Unilateral action undermines the collaboration that we need in order to develop a long-term solution for schools in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania."

Joining Corbett and Nutter in supporting the SRC’s action was Ed Rendell, former governor and Philadelphia mayor.

Rendell compared the situation to when he imposed terms on the city’s two labor unions, DC 33 and DC 47, in his first year in City Hall.

"Right now, the School District’s in a position just like I was when I became mayor," said Rendell in a telephone interview. "They just don’t have the money, and I think the union has to realize that."

Read the rest of this story at NewsWorks