Activism
Indian teacher recruits win union rights here
Campaigns seek to stop proposed budget cuts
Asking whether schools have all the basics
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Activism around the city
Indian teacher recruits win union rights here
Arguing that teachers recruited from India to work in the Philadelphia School District deserve the same rights and benefits as other teachers, the teachers' union has reached an agreement with the District that gives those teachers full union benefits.
The previous situation "was grossly unfair to these teachers and their families," said Barbara Goodman, PFT spokesperson.
Recruited by the New York-based Teachers Placement Group, 27 teachers in 2001 left their homes in India and took jobs teaching in the District.
The teachers, who paid the agency a $7,000 placement fee, anticipated bringing their families to the United States and securing salaries that would reflect their extensive credentials.
They instead found themselves with salaries below that of similarly credentialed teachers and with health benefits that did not cover their family members. Originally, the District paid the teachers' salaries to the agency, the teachers' official employer. The agency then passed pay on to the teachers.
"We came for our kids," one teacher told Philadelphia City Paper, which broke the story in 2001. "But now we're not sure they can come."
Asian Americans United, a community activist organization, also advocated for the teachers with the District and encouraged mediation toward a resolution.
The original contract, negotiated with a prior District administration, expired, and the Federation secured an agreement that provided these teachers "far superior benefits," Goodman said. She added that the teachers she has spoken to are "much relieved to be part of the union and have all the benefits."
Campaigns seek to stop proposed budget cuts
Local legislators and education advocates are forming campaigns to stress the value of a number of education programs in response to President Bush's budget proposal to eliminate as many as 48 such programs, including Upward Bound, Talent Search, and GEAR UP.
U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah and the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships held a joint news conference in February defending the effectiveness of GEAR UP, a federal initiative drafted by Fattah.
Carol Fixman, executive director of the Philadelphia Education Fund, said that at local, regional and national gatherings, education organizations - from TRIO college access programs to the American Council on Education - are discussing ways in which to make sure the public and elected officials understand "how valuable these programs have been."
Bush's $2.57 trillion budget - which the nation's education secretary said takes aim at "ineffective" and "duplicate" programs (see Bush wants to expand NCLB in high schools) - calls for the total elimination of funds for vocational education and arts education. It also cuts away at federal funding for physical education, community technology centers, the National Writing Project, "smaller learning community" grants, and youth violence reduction programs.
Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth is distributing flyers informing readers about cuts affecting children and families in areas such as special education and Head Start and urging them to call Congress.
For more information on the impact of the Bush budget in Pennsylvania, see www.bushbudget.com.
Asking whether schools have all the basics
Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), a local child advocacy group, has developed a checklist to encourage community members to ask questions about how well schools in Philadelphia are providing essential educational resources for their students. The project is called "The Basics: What Every School Should Have."
"We are asking community members as well as teachers, principals and students to look at the city's public schools to see how often they have the basic things that a school should have to effectively educate its students," said Brian Armstead, education coordinator at PCCY.
The simple yes-or-no checklist asks its users to determine whether a particular school has resources like a gym and library, a counselor for every 250 students, current textbooks, and music and art teachers.
PCCY is collecting completed checklists for schools across the city and will be compiling the information to identify both assets and areas where more resources are needed.
To download the checklist, go to www.pccy.org, or call 215-563-5848 ext. 12.