Philadelphia Federation of Teachers

08/21/2026

"The delay will have ripple effects for students, educators, and school leaders. Though they have some student data from STAR benchmark exams, school staff rely in part on state assessments to determine which students need additional support, where teachers are most needed, and where extra resources should be spent." https://www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia/2026/08/18/state-test-score-delay-leaves-educators-scrambling/

District officials say the state put the scores on hold. But a state message says the district has had preliminary results since June.

08/21/2026

Barry Elementary School educators had a ball during team-building exercises this week. Our members are excited to welcome students back for the 2026-2027 school year!

08/20/2026

"Jessica Newell, a middle school counselor and member of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers union, said she paid $90 a month under the Saving on a Valuable Education income-driven repayment plan. The plan is no longer available as an option as of July 1 due to federal restructuring and Newell pointed out her monthly costs have quadrupled....

"'The bottom line is, Trump can make this right but he's choosing not to. Instead of helping working people, he's crushing our finances, just so billionaires and big corporations can get tax breaks,' Newell contended."

Our member Jessica isn't alone in struggling with high student debt payments. How are the Trump administration's policies affecting your wallet? https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/pa-educator-calls-us-student-loan-burden-an-affordability-crisis-1/d52563f3-3823-489c-97d2-c541a004dff9?

08/20/2026

Shop local, buy union!

Back-to-school shopping should strengthen our communities—not reward a corporation that refuses to stand up for its own. Shop local. Support small businesses. Cross Target off your supply list when you can. https://www.shopsmart.aft.org/

08/20/2026

MEMBERS: Whether we're making sure your pay is accurate and timely, alerting you to professional development opportunities, or escalating building problems to the administration, the PFT is working to ensure the District adheres to our contract. Don't miss important updates, including about grievance settlements!

Sign up for our emails: https://tinyurl.com/PFTupdates

08/19/2026

"A recent poll by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center found that 61% of U.S. citizens, both Democrats and Republicans, oppose new data center construction. The research revealed a sharp jump in opposition by 12 points in just four months after a previous survey."

While stopping short of issuing a moratorium on new data centers, Shapiro’s executive order accuses developers of “predatory” behavior against local communities.

08/19/2026

"Vouchers were always an elegant solution to the question of “How do we get public money to private schools?” Private schools were already funded by a stream of students carrying backpacks stuffed with their parents’ cash. To get government-to-school funding going would require a whole other stream to be created, but vouchers could just hop onto the stream that already existed. Parents could stuff the backpacks with taxpayer dollars as well as their own."

This election year, make sure candidates asking for your support know where you stand on public school funding vs privatization

08/18/2026

"Steinberg and Roseman said after the issue was identified and communicated to the union, the union raised concerns about inadequate oversight. They said the union pushed the district to add an additional environmental monitor to oversee remediation and agree to remove all asbestos in the building before allowing students and teachers to return." https://whyy.org/articles/kensington-high-school-asbestos-closure/

08/18/2026

"The district has agreed to remove all remaining asbestos inside the Kensington building, and developed a remediation plan in conjunction with [Jerry] Roseman, the PFT’s environmental expert, [PFT President] Steinberg said. It’s also agreed to additional environmental oversight.

"'In light of the publicity that they’ve received, they agreed to remove it all, which means it will be safer when folks go back in,' Steinberg said." https://www.inquirer.com/education/kensington-high-school-asbestos-remediation-update-20260817.html

08/17/2026

"When asked how the start of the school year might have been different if the district had planned for the closure and relocation earlier, [PFT President Arthur] Steinberg said additional time would have made a difference.

"'People would have had more time to plan. They wouldn’t have to scramble like they do now,' Steinberg said."

School District contractors had an asbestos safety plan in place for the long-planned HVAC upgrade at Kensington High, as required. That plan didn't get followed, and now students, staff, and families are facing a chaotic start to the school year. https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/kensington-high-school-relocation-austin-meehan-philadelphia-concerns/4449336/

Kensington High School students and staff are being forced relocate last minute to a different building until January because of an asbestos issue.