Leaders from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and
its national arm came out swinging against City Council on Friday. The union
chiefs said they were shocked and insulted by Council's failure to put on the
November ballot a referendum asking voters whether they think the School Reform
Commission should be replaced with an elected school board.
The local control referendum, which would have been
nonbinding, was widely expected to make the ballot. The stage was set on
Thursday, with a large rally before the Council session.
But Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, sponsor of the bill to
put the measure onto the November ballot, said she pulled the bill because she
did not want to endanger the passage of a $2-per-pack cigarette tax in
Harrisburg.
Jerry Jordan, PFT President, and Randi Weingarten, leader
of the American Federation of Teachers, blasted Council in a statement issued
on Friday.
"Given the support for local control expressed in
the past by our city's elected officials, Council's failure yesterday to put
the referendum up for a vote was not only shocking, it was insulting to the
40,000 citizens who signed on in support of the measure," Jordan said.
Weingarten, who has devoted considerable attention to
Philadelphia, said that the "community submitted tens of thoursands of
signatures demonstrating they want a referendum on local control of their
school district. In denying them this chance, the City Council is letting the
community down. This begs the question, 'Why are they afraid of a vote?'"
Both Jordan and Weingarten said the union will continue
to push hard on the local control issue, despite the defeat this week.
Source: Philly.com
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