Philadelphia teachers union pleads for return to remote learning Friday due to dangerous conditions

The president of the teachers union in Philadelphia is urging a return to remote learning because classrooms are too cold and school conditions are too dangerous. Despite the plea, the School District of Philadelphia still plans to be in-person Friday.

Arthur Steinberg, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, told CBS News Philadelphia that several school buildings had no heat, broken plumbing and unshoveled wheelchair ramps Thursday. Some students were forced to wait for a long time for buses as well, he said.

"The conditions were not ripe for students and staff to safely return to schools," Steinberg said. "The combination of the bitter cold and the piling up of the snow all over the city made for very dangerous conditions."

The School District of Philadelphia returned to in-person learning Thursday after being closed Monday and having virtual learning days Tuesday and Wednesday because of last weekend's snowstorm. Thursday was a half-day, and Friday will be as well.

Two Philadelphia teachers provided CBS News Philadelphia with photos of thermostats showing the temperatures inside classrooms at 50 degrees or under. 

"A number of buildings with no heat. Just got a report from one where the temperature right now has only risen to about 50 degrees," Steinberg said. "That shouldn't be occupied tomorrow."

Steinberg said students wore coats in the classroom Thursday, and some classrooms had small space heaters.

"You can't learn like that," he said.

Steinberg said Vare-Washington Elementary School in South Philly had a "massive flood" after pipes broke. The union provided photos from the elementary school showing the poor building conditions afterward.

"Even in normal times, the average age of the buildings in the district is 75 years old," Steinberg said, "so the HVAC system and pipes are old and require constant maintenance and repair, and this leads to broken pipes. One school, they had a massive flood, and six classrooms and the lunchroom are out of commission now."

In a statement, the school district said heating issues at Vare-Washington Elementary School have been repaired, and the school has heat in all classrooms on its first, second and third floors. A spokesperson said that "several rooms were also taken offline until floor repairs can be completed this weekend."

The school district said Penrose Elementary School had a partial power outage Thursday that impacted the school's heating. The district said power was restored around 11:30 a.m. and the "heating system is now working properly," the statement said.

The school district claimed in a statement that it inspected buildings, restarted heating systems and cleared snow ahead of returning to in-person learning Thursday.

"The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families remains our top priority," the school district's statement reads, in part. "The School District of Philadelphia and City of Philadelphia officials have been working around the clock to clear snow and ice from roads and walkways to support a safe return to in-person learning following the recent winter weather and extended closure period."

The district added that it will "continue to closely monitor building conditions throughout this bitter cold period and make adjustments as needed."

With Friday's forecast calling for another bitterly cold day in Philadelphia — with temps under 20 degrees — Steinberg said his members want to return to the classroom, but only when it's safe for both teachers and students.

"Our members are aware that kids perform and they teach better when they're in person, face to face, but you have to balance that with the conditions of getting there," Steinberg said. "With the conditions out there now of the streets and the sidewalks and the bitter cold, schools should be virtual tomorrow."