Reader TTS

Here’s an update on the Philadelphia teacher-contract negotiations: The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and the district agreed to extend the current agreement by a year. PFT members

will get a 4 percent increase next March. “Both parties have identified a number of areas of common concern that we will be working together to address such as: providing a safe environment

in and around schools for students and staff; developing targeted and fiscally responsible approaches to reducing class size; improving teacher quality by recruiting and retaining qualified

and effective teachers and improving both evaluation and support of them; insuring that teacher compensation and the work day are structured in a way that improves teacher recruitment and

retention and optimizes the best academic results for children; and closing the achievement gap,” a statement from the district reads. Looks like Superintendent Arlene Ackerman wants to

revise evaluation and compensation in one swoop. It will be interesting to see whether she and the union can agree on what those policies will look like.