Oct. 20, 2015
HARRISBURG – In an effort to return Philadelphia and Pittsburgh teachers to classrooms in which they were hired to work, state Reps. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) and Jim Christiana (R-Beaver/Washington) today unveiled legislation to end a practice known as “ghost teaching.”
Specifically,
House Bill 1649 would close a loophole that allows public school teachers in the School District of Philadelphia to take leave from the classroom and work for their union while still earning pay and benefits and accruing time toward their pension.
“Our students and taxpayers deserve better than these phantom educators,” said Phillips-Hill, a former school board member. “This legislation would end full-time union leave and put teachers back in the classroom.”
Right now, more than 20 teachers have vanished from the classroom in the School District of Philadelphia and are working for the union — many of whom have been out of the classroom for at least 15 years. The current Philadelphia union contract permits up to 63 district personnel to be removed from the school to work for the union at any given time, while up to 16 Pittsburgh school teachers can be pulled to do union work.
“These teachers are missing from Philadelphia classrooms at a time when the district says it is struggling to retain and add new teachers in order to meet students’ needs,” Phillips-Hill added. “It’s a somewhat hollow statement when Philadelphia union President Jerry Jordan remains on the public payroll as a classroom teacher while working full time for the union for the past 30 years.”
Christiana said ghost teachers have made a total of $36 million since 2003, thereby depriving students, parents, teachers and taxpayers from getting the best return on their investment.
“Teachers spend their lives shaping the minds of our young people and making a difference in the classroom. Phantom teaching is not fair to the educators who show up to the classrooms each day trying their best to ensure our kids get a quality education,” Christiana said. “It’s not fair to the parents and the taxpayers who pay for phantom teachers and don’t know what they are getting in return. Parents, teachers and taxpayers should never have to worry about whether or not this could provision be collectively bargained in the future.”
House Bill 1649 has been referred to the House Education Committee.
Representative Jim Christiana
15th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Abbey Haslam, 717.260.6222
ahaslam@pahousegop.com
RepChristiana.com /
Facebook.com/RepJimChristiana
Representative Kristin Phillips-Hill
93rd Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Scott Little, 717.260.6137
slittle@pahousegop.com
RepKristin.com /
Facebook.com/RepKristin