Teaching Profession

Philadelphia Teachers Reach Settlement

By Julie Blair — November 01, 2000 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A teachers’ strike in Philadelphia that began after school ended last Friday was over before classes resumed Monday morning.

Union leaders and officials from the school district and the city hammered out a tentative contract early on Oct. 30 and required all teachers and other staff members to return to work.

The announcement was made at 5:45 a.m., after a marathon bargaining session that ended before dawn, said Milton McGriff, a spokesman for the 210,000-student district. He said details of the contract were not yet known.

The pact must be ratified by union members and the district before becoming official, Mr. McGriff said. The union will vote on the contract Thursday, Nov. 2. “We are thrilled,” said Barbara Goodman, a spokeswoman for the union. “The leadership will recommend ratification.”

Union members walked off the job at 3 p.m. on Oct. 27 to protest an interim, five-year contract imposed by the district in late September. The old contract had expired Aug. 31 and, by state law, could not be extended.

At issue were the length of the school day, salaries, and the district’s demand for a pay-for-performance system for teachers.

The interim contract was to have taken effect next fall. Until then, union members were working under the old salary schedule.

Related Tags:

Events

Jobs Regional K-12 Virtual Career Fair: DMV
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Making AI Work in Schools: From Experimentation to Purposeful Practice
AI use is expanding in schools. Learn how district leaders can move from experimentation to coordinated, systemwide impact.
Content provided by Frontline Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being & Movement Webinar
Building Resilient Students: Leadership Beyond the Classroom
How can schools build resilient, confident students? Join education leaders to explore new strategies for leadership and well-being.
Content provided by IMG Academy

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession Opinion Portrayals of Educators on Film and TV: The Good, the Bad, The Ugly
From "Lean on Me" to "Abbott Elementary," how realistic is Hollywood’s representation of schools?
14 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Profession Download 5 Strategies for Supporting K-12 Teachers: Lessons From California
This resource discusses the main takeaways from a March 2026 live event hosted by Education Week and EdSource.
1 min read
Attendees and panelists partake in breakout sessions during the State of Teaching event in San Francisco in March 2026.
Attendees and panelists partake in breakout sessions during the State of Teaching event in San Francisco in March 2026.
Andrew Reed/EdSource
Teaching Profession Q&A Teach For America's Tutoring Focus Is Now Helping Drive Teacher Recruitment
The education corps is rebounding from pandemic losses, thanks in large part to a burgeoning tutor focus.
4 min read
Teach for America teacher Channler Williams with kindergartners at Templeton Elementary School in Riverdale, MD on April 12, 2016. Teach for America has seen its applicants drop in each of the last three years so they are retooling the way they recruit students. One thing they are doing is taking prospects to see TFA teachers at work. Today, students from Georgetown and George Washington University got a glimpse of life in the classroom and Mrs's Williams class was among those visited.
Teach For America has had success getting undergraduates to tutor, some of whom later go into its teaching corps. The organization is seeking ways how to respond to newer teachers' needs and expectations. TFA teacher Channler Williams works with her kindergartners at Templeton Elementary School in Riverdale, Md. on April 12, 2016.
Linda Davidson/The Washington Post via Getty
Teaching Profession 2026 Teacher of the Year Preps History Students for a Diverse and Divisive World
Leon Smith of Pennsylvania engages high school students in new angles on seemingly well-trodden topics and events.
3 min read
Teacher of the Year Leon Smith on March 25, 2026 Haverford High School in Pennsylvania.
The 2026 Teacher of the Year, Leon Smith, in his classroom at Haverford High School in Pennsylvania on March 25, 2026,
Courtesy of the Council of Chief State School Officers