Phila. School District Takes Dispute Over Teacher Health Premiums to a Higher Court
The district is appealing to Commonwealth Court, where it seeks a judgment on whether the School Reform Commission has the authority to cancel the PFT contract.
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The district is appealing to Commonwealth Court, where it seeks a judgment on whether the School Reform Commission has the authority to cancel the PFT contract.
The judge granted a preliminary injunction sought by the PFT. Two weeks ago, the SRC announced it was going to begin requiring Philadelphia public school teachers to pay a contribution to their health insurance.
Currently, the SRC must approve its own dissolution.
"The school district is in a budget crisis ... because the district has been subject to unprecedented state funding cuts. But not only unprecedented -- discriminatory," Michael Masch said.
They look like library book drops. But they're lined with Kevlar.
The new principal at Masterman, a magnet school (grades 5-12) in Philadelphia, is no stranger to the place: she was once a student there.
Barbara McCreery, the former principal at Communications Technology High School, and Arthur Melton, the former principal at the now-closed Bok High School, are being charged with cheating on the high-stakes PSSA exams.
The judge called the lawsuit by the Walter D. Palmer Charter School a "travesty," adding it would be "irresponsible" for the school to pursue the case further.
The $2 surtax will only be collected in Philadelphia, and the funds will go to the city's struggling school district.
Relief. That's the reaction from Philadelphia school officials at word the Senate has passed the long-awaited cigarette tax.
A City Council committee has signed off on a measure to provide $30 million in temprary funding to the cash-starved Philadelphia school district.
His top issue: returning the Philadelphia school district to local governance.
Kids sang and danced and drew pictures as the grownups pushed for funding for quality pre-kindergarten programs.
The family of the little girl who was abducted from her West Philadelphia kindergarten class continues to pursue legal action against the Philadelphia school district.
Seven Philadelphia parents say the Pennsylvania Department of Education has violated its duty to look into allegations of "curriculum deficiencies" in Philadelphia schools.
Laurie Friedman, who lives in West Philadlephia, had tears in her eyes as she read letters written by students begging state lawmakers to increase funding for the city's schools.
An agreement is now in place to preserve Septa transportation for thousands of Philadelphia high school students.
With the governor and the School Reform Commission calling on teachers to make concessions, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers' president Jerry Jordan was hearing directly from members about their working conditions.
Cigarette tax money, if it comes, would fill about half of the budget hole. The district is still pushing its teachers union for concessions. Superintendent William Hite says the district is no longer seeking across the board wage cuts.
Pennsylvania schools will have to make room for almost 400 undocumented children this fall. In Delaware more than 100 and in new Jersey, more than 1,500. In all, that's enough to fill nearly 70 classrooms.
Schools superintendent William Hite, standing next to the governor for the announcement, stressed that this early disbursement does not resolve the $81-million funding gap the school district needs to close to avoid layoffs and other serious cuts.
Governor Corbett on Monday failed to convince leaders in the House to meet this month and to vote on a two-dollar-a-pack tax on cigarettes.
The $2-per-pack tax, if passed by the state legislature, was expected to provide about $45 million in funding for the School District of Philadelphia.
The district is inviting principals and teachers to present their own instructional ideas to overhaul Philadelphia schools.
In all, 342 layoff notices are going out. A school district spokeswoman says this is unrelated to the cigarette tax standoff in Harrisburg.
The historic Mother African Union Church in Wilmington, Delaware, was destroyed in a fire early Sunday morning.
Two people died after their car was hit in Philadelphia's Juniata Park section late Saturday night.
The Philadelphia region is chasing 90 degrees with mostly sunny skies on Sunday.
Alex Smalley has a two-shot lead in the PGA Championship.
Dozens of people gathered for the 2nd annual Delaware County Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Festival.
The historic Mother African Union Church in Wilmington, Delaware, was destroyed in a fire early Sunday morning.
About 100 officers responded to the King of Prussia Mall on Saturday after a crowd tried to enter the mall and the Swatch store.
Two people died after their car was hit in Philadelphia's Juniata Park section late Saturday night.
The Philadelphia region is chasing 90 degrees with mostly sunny skies on Sunday.
Alex Smalley has a two-shot lead in the PGA Championship.
Two people died after their car was hit in Philadelphia's Juniata Park section late Saturday night.
Dozens of people gathered for the 2nd annual Delaware County Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Festival.
The PGA Championship has bumped up its prize fund by $1.5 million.
About 100 officers responded to the King of Prussia Mall on Saturday after a crowd tried to enter the mall and the Swatch store.
Two people were injured after a shooting in a McDonald's parking lot in Allentown Friday night, police say.
Thousands of people across the country came together Saturday to remember the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
The PrideFest parade Saturday will cross state lines, starting in Lambertville and ending in New Hope, where a full festival celebrates the reason for the season.
A recent college graduate in New Jersey is warning others to look for these red flags after she received a fake job offer.
As the Delaware Valley happily leaves a snowy winter behind, many can hardly wait to hit the Jersey Shore for Memorial Day weekend.
For the first time ever, the World Cup final will host a Super Bowl-style halftime show, with megawatt headliners Madonna, Shakira and BTS.
A Delaware man is in custody after he barricaded himself and started a fire inside a Wawa store on Limestone Road, police say.
A New Castle County, Delaware, refinery is starting repairs that could increase its sulfur dioxide emissions levels past permitted limits.
At 108 years old, Susan Young Browne still exercises, drives and visits the Dover, Delaware, senior center she's been a member of for more than 50 years.
Delaware State University students are taking off from Chandelle Airport in Dover as they work to become future Army aviators.
Crews were called out to the 2000 block of North Harrison Street for a reported blaze at a three-story building.
NAMI Montgomery County is hosting a mental health awareness and fundraising walk for the organization's free mental health programs.
The head of the World Health Organization says "our work is not over" to contain hantavirus after evacuations from a cruise ship hit by a deadly outbreak of the illness.
Doctors in New Jersey say an illness known as CHS that affects cannabis users is on the rise.
An American on the repatriation flight began showing symptoms of hantavirus and another "tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus," the Department of Health and Human Services says.
More than 100 people from a cruise ship dealing with an outbreak of the rare and deadly hantavirus are set to be disembarked.
The 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club is a huge boost for Pottstown, Pennsylvania-based Lessen the Loads.
Bars and restaurants in Newtown Square are gearing up for an influx of customers as the 2026 PGA Championship is here.
If you dine out in Philadelphia during the 2026 FIFA World Cup events, you could end up paying more.
Bimbo Bakeries USA employs over 20,000 people and has been headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania, for the past 17 years.
Photos by HughE Dillon
A Delaware woman died in a multi-vehicle crash on I-95 in South Philadelphia Tuesday night while her 4-year-old daughter was in the backseat, state police said.
A serious crash in Hainesport, New Jersey, forced Route 38 to close Thursday night.
The ramp from Front Street to northbound I-95 and the ramp from southbound I-95 to Front Street will reopen the afternoon of May 8 until the morning of May 11.
Breeze Airways launched its first flights out of Atlantic City International Airport just days after Spirit Airlines shut down suddenly.
The sudden shutdown of Spirit Airlines is having an outsized impact on Atlantic City International Airport, where the budget carrier accounted for about 75% of all flights.
Alex Smalley has a two-shot lead in the PGA Championship.
Cristopher Sánchez struck out a career-high 13 and earned his second career shutout as the Philadelphia Phillies blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0.
The PGA Championship has bumped up its prize fund by $1.5 million.
Kyle Schwarber is on a hot streak and so are the Philadelphia Phillies.
Kyle Schwarber hit his majors-leading 19th and 20th home runs of the season and Philadelphia rallied past Pittsburgh 11-9 in 10 innings.
Uzo Aduba and Darren Criss announced the 2026 Tony nominees for select categories on "CBS Mornings" on Tuesday.
If you dine out in Philadelphia during the 2026 FIFA World Cup events, you could end up paying more.
Call Your Mother, a Washington D.C. based bagel and deli chain, now has the keys to Metropolitan's Rittenhouse Square location.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is embracing a statue it once kept at arm's length.
The "Dog Days Are Over" for the Flyers, but their return to the playoffs comes at the cost of the Florence + the Machine concert.
Ukee Washington reports.
Natasha Brown reports.
Natasha Brown reports.
Natasha Brown reports.
Ukee Washington reports.
Middle school students in Philadelphia got the opportunity to do hands-on learning during the school district's five-day career and technical camp.
With her Girl Talk mentoring program, one Philadelphia teen turned her camp days into a safe space to discuss social issues young girls face every day.
Recent high school graduate Sylvain Farrell says his temporary position at a local clinic is the pathway to a full-time career.
A Philadelphia student won an award from NFL Films for his documentary on bringing back sports teams at his Kensington school.
A group of East Norriton eighth graders took what started as an Earth Day project and made a whole initiative.
United States military personnel were honored at Day 3 of the PGA Championship on Armed Forces Day. A ceremony was held before players teed off that included a military flyover at Aronimink Golf Club.
Hundreds of mail-in ballots sent in by Philadelphia voters are at risk of not being counted due to errors, according to the Philadelphia City Commissioners office.
Planning a getaway? On this week's Pet Project, Pennsylvania SPCA animal advocate Carol Erickson shares how to keep your dog's stress level down when you're packing up.
High temperatures will soar into the 90s Sunday and kick off the Delaware Valley's first potential heat wave of the year. After a stretch of hot weather, temps take a nose dive heading into the weekend.
Shorts, sandals, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Sums up Sunday! Andrew Kozak reports.