Monthly Archives: October 2008
PFT Holds Strong, Wins 4% Raise and 10 Month Contract Extension
by Christopher Paslay Kudos to PFT President Jerry Jordan and members of the Collective Bargaining Team. The Philadelphia School District agreed to extend the PFT’s current contract another 10 months to August 31st, 2009. Even more important, the SRC … Continue reading
Schools Reflect Communities
“If parents and students don’t get actively involved, how will extending the school day improve academic achievement? If education isn’t made a priority in children’s homes, what will requiring more professional development for teachers accomplish?” To respond to today’s … Continue reading
Filed under Inquirer Articles, Parental Involvement, SRC
If You Can’t Fill Out a Meal Form, You Don’t Deserve Free Eats
by Christopher Paslay I often joke with my friends that the Republican party helps rich people stay rich, and that the Democrat party helps poor people stay poor. The slogans for change in the recent presidential race are very … Continue reading
Filed under Meal Programs
Why Philly Kids Can’t Read
by Christopher Paslay Although the Philadelphia School District’s 2008 PSSA reading scores have improved for the sixth straight year, only 45.9% of students can read at a proficient level. As a high school English teacher, here’s what I believe … Continue reading
Filed under English Language Learners, SRC
Phila. School District Must Drop Minimum-50 Grading Policy
by Christopher Paslay A zero should not equal a 50. But in the Philadelphia School District, that’s exactly what a student receives when he or she fails to do a single ounce of work: a 50. Although most … Continue reading
Filed under Grading Policies
McCain and Obama on Education
The presidential election is nearly two weeks away. With the U.S. economy and the war in Iraq taking center stage, education has slipped to the back burner. For those teachers who want to know specifically where McCain and Obama stand … Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
Teachers Should Not Wear Campaign Buttons in Schools
by Christopher Paslay New York City public school teachers should be ashamed of themselves. It’s one thing to campaign for a presidential candidate among colleagues, and quite another to politick in front of students. Apparently, The United Federation … Continue reading
Filed under Politically Neutral Classrooms, UFT
District Must Expel 20 Students Involved in Sayre Brawl
by Christopher Paslay It appears that the Philadelphia School District is finally getting serious about their “zero tolerance” policy for violence in schools. According to a story in today’s Inquirer, “Philadelphia School District officials have vowed to expel the … Continue reading
Filed under Alternative Schools, School Violence, SRC
Philadelphia Needs More Disciplinary Schools
by R.B. This is what I’ve noticed in my almost 15 years of teaching in Philly schools. In all the articles I’ve been reading, in the Inquirer, PSU, and Chalk and Talk, I find one element missing. It’s … Continue reading
Filed under Alternative Schools, PFT, SRC
The Top 10 Reasons Why Philly Lacks Teachers
by Silence Dogood According to a story in today’s Inquirer, “District lags in filling teacher vacancies,” a month into the new school year, the Philadelphia School District had 144 unfilled teaching jobs. This is troubling to district officials, because … Continue reading
Filed under PFT, Silence Dogood, SRC
