Philly teachers penalized for taking time off | Morning Newsletter

Welcome to a soggy, muggy Wednesday.

Grab your umbrella as showers will soak the region throughout the day, with a high near 64. And The Inquirer’s Anthony R. Wood reports that Philly is about to set a new standard for snow scarcity.

Our lead story examines the Philadelphia School District’s longstanding policy on sick days. Teachers have 10 sick days per year, but they are progressively penalized for taking them. This rule is coming under fire as Philly faces particularly high levels of educator attrition and as the district faces a shortage of teachers.

— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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When a teacher gets ill, or has to cope with a family medical emergency, they look to use sick days they earned through their contract. Instead, in Philadelphia, many find themselves asking: “Can I afford to take the day off? And will there be consequences?”

Teachers worrying about whether they will be penalized for taking time off is the norm under the district’s policy, known informally as “3-5-7-9.” The numbers correlate to the amount of sick days taken and escalating penalties.

How it works: After a teacher’s third “occurrence,” principals have a conversation with the instructor and document the instance. After the fifth sick day, the teacher gets a warning in their permanent record. After the seventh, the teacher gets an “unsatisfactory incident” memo in their file and a formal conference. When they reach nine sick days, they get a second “unsatisfactory incident” report, a recommended suspension and conferences with school leadership.

Why it exists: The policy stems from a case dating back 40 years, when a district secretary was fired for poor attendance. The termination was challenged by The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, but they ultimately lost. The arbitrator wrote that management can “require reasonably steady attendance as a condition of employment, regardless of the reasons for the absences, since otherwise the employee is of no practical value to the enterprise.”

As a result, the PFT contract is at odds with the arbitration decision that gave the district the right to set the 3-5-7-9 policy. Some instructors told The Inquirer that they feel this policy feeds into the city’s high teacher attrition.

In their own words: “The days were meant for us to take,” said Cristina Gutierrez, a kindergarten teacher at Elkin Elementary in Kensington, pictured above. “They are part of our contract, they are our days. To restrict us on how many we can take before being penalized is ridiculous.”

Teachers are set to rally against the policy before Thursday’s school board meeting. Keep reading to hear from the district and other key players on the issue.

Another year has seen another boom in Philadelphia’s population downtown, which has remained the fastest growing residential area in the city for the last two decades.

The population living in Center City has grown by 3% in the last year, according to a new report from Center City District.

For the last decade, the area’s population growth has kept up with new home construction. But in 2023, the number of completed housing units reached a five-year-high, per Center City District’s annual housing report.

By the numbers: Roughly 2,840 housing units were completed in greater Center City in 2023 — more than in any of the last five years. This accounts for 37% of all completed projects in Philadelphia.

Keep reading to hear from experts on the record number of new homes, and see demographic data on who’s moving to Center City.

These days, you can snag a ticket to the Philadelphia Orchestra for as low as $25, or, for $200, splurge on a really great seat. But for two forthcoming performances, tickets to the orchestra are going for $400, $800 — and even $1,500.

Which act is on the ticket?

A) Paul McCartney

B) Gordon Sumner (a.k.a. Sting)

C) Elton John

D) Bruce Springsteen

Think you know? Check your answer.

🍟 Hearing: Wendy’s will roll out a new — yet all-too-familiar — dynamic pricing model.

🍸 Noticing: Abbott Elementary star Lisa Ann Walter brought her Philly swag to the SAG Awards.

⚖️ Judging: A Philly judge inspired his wife to open a cheesesteak shop. Here’s the verdict.

Hint: Home of the Roots Picnic festival 🌳

FRUIT KNAP ROAM

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Meagan Regina who correctly guessed Tuesday’s answer: Freeway. The hint was “The Dutch Harness horse that took over I-95 during a morning rush hour last week has a new name.”

That’s all for now. Thanks for taking a moment to catch up on the news with me. Stay dry, and I’ll see you again tomorrow morning.

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