On first day of school, no contract in sight

After a tumultuous summer, it's the first day of school at Philadelphia public schools - and teachers are still without a working contract.

The school district wants teachers to take steep cuts to their pay and benefits while adhering to new work rules. The teachers have said they'd agree to a pay freeze but not pay cuts. The teacher contract expired on August 31.

Meanwhile, the school district went through more than $250 million in budget cuts this summer. That means it will be a different experience for the children, writes Tom Ferrick from Axis Philly:

Thousands will be attending new schools because their old ones were closed down in June. Others will notice the absence of familiar faces among the staff because the district has shed 3,000 jobs in recent months. There will be less support staff, fewer counselors and nurses. Some classes will be more crowded. Services they received before will no longer be available.

The Philadelphia Daily News offered up some sad figures about the new reality at a school district that closed 24 school buildings.

The result is 9,000 students will attend 53 different schools than they would have attended last fall ... This year, schools with fewer than 600 students - that's about 60 percent of them - won't have a guidance counselor on staff ... Meanwhile, class sizes are skyrocketing - even though the upper limit under the teachers union contract is 33 kids in each classroom. Already, teachers and parents have complained over social media about class sizes reaching 44 students, even 48 in one case.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal