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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Learning from Chicago | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Learning from Chicago | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:


Learning from Chicago

Sub Title: 
As charters and cuts erode teacher jobs here, Philadelphians draw lessons from the organizing successes of another big-city union.
Author: 
by Bill Hangley, Jr.
Author Bio: 
Bill Hangley, Jr. is a freelance contributor to the Notebook.
Asked what “portfolio management” means to him, Jerry Jordan’s answer was swift and certain:
“Big business. Outsourcing. It’s literally getting rid of public service,” said the president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.
But when asked about the PFT’s strategy for slowing a trend that has seen thousands of teaching jobs shifted to non-union charter schools, Jordan’s answer was more general: “We have to work more closely with the parents and the people in the community in order to make sure our schools are funded adequately. We can’t survive another billion-dollar cut.”
Image: 
Image Caption: 
Anissa Weinraub of Teacher Action Group
Photo Credits: 
Harvey Finkle
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