Every Philadelphia public school could have a full-time
counselor in September, and dozens of laid-off counselors stand to be re-hired
if a recently-issued arbitrator’s decision stands.
Handing the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers a
significant victory, the independent arbitrator ruled that district was out of
bounds when it bypassed seniority in recalling laid-off employees, and that it
is in violation of its contract for failing to have one full-time counselor at
every school, union officials confirmed Tuesday.
The district has vowed to appeal the decision, throwing
into doubt whether the changes will be in place when school opens in the fall.
The independent arbitrator’s ruling applies to the
district’s 2013 recall of counselors, all of whom had been let go that June
because of budget cuts. Some counselors were recalled but not, as their
contract states, in seniority order.
Principals were allowed to choose whichever counselors
they wanted for their schools.
Counselors must now be restored in seniority order, the
arbitrator ordered, and the district must issue back pay for the 36 counselors
who have still not been hired back.
But perhaps most significantly for the school system,
arbitrator Ralph H. Colflesh, Jr. also ordered a minimum of one full-time
counselor per school, as stated in the teachers’ contract. Many district
schools still lack a full-time counselor.
“This is really a win for the kids,” PFT president Jerry
Jordan said Tuesday afternoon after a meeting to brief counselors of the news.
“Bad things don’t just happen the days a part-time counselor is in a school —
the reality is, schools need counselors every day.”
The ruling could have broad implications in a district
that has begun circumventing seniority in assigning and re-hiring employees.
Fernando Gallard, a school district spokesman, said the
district plans an appeal the Court of Common Pleas.
“We will seek an immediate stay, to minimize the
disruptive effect the remedy would have on students and schools,” Gallard said.
The district has 30 days to appeal.
Still, Jordan said it was the PFT’s “hope and
expectation” that every school would have a full-time counselor in September.
“You just can’t deny children the services they need,”
Jordan said.
Regardless of the uncertainty, the ruling was a hopeful
sign for Robin Hart, who worked as a counselor at Central High until being
issued a layoff notice in June of 2013. She had spent almost 10 years in the
district.
Hart has not been re-hired. She spent a year biding her
time, hoping to be recalled, then eventually went back to school to get another
certification. She has gotten some work as a substitute teacher at charter
schools, but still hopes to return to work as a counselor in the district.
“Financially, it’s been a challenge,” Hart said. “I had
to exhaust savings. All my bills have been paid, but it’s been a challenge.”
Beyond the financial strain, knowing that many schools
limp along without adequate counseling services is a worry to Hart, who grew up
in Philadelphia and graduated from public schools herself.
“It breaks my heart,” she said.
Pam Turner-Bunyon was laid off for just two months, and
returned as counselor of Feltonville Intermediate School, where she had worked
before the layoff. But the upheaval meant she spent a one year as the only
counselor at two large schools, a job that felt impossible many days.
“There were times that I was dealing with real mental
health crises at both places,” said Turner-Bunyon, a 15-year district veteran.
“I can’t be in two places at once.”
Ruth Garcia, who now works part-time at Shawmont
Elementary and part-time at McCloskey Elementary, said she “jumped up and down”
when she heard the decision.
“It just validates the needs of our students and our
communities,” said Garcia, who was laid off for two months in 2013 but recalled
to split her time between eight separate schools.
Source: Philly.com
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