PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia’s youngest students won’t be going back to their classrooms after all.
After backlash from the teachers union, School District of Philadelphia Superintendent William Hite said the 9,000 pre-K through second-graders will not return to hybrid in-person learning on Monday as scheduled.
They will keep learning virtually until further notice.
Mediation over COVID-19 safety is wrapping up. Hite said the district, city and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers will release a joint announcement Monday at 1 p.m. with more details on the mediation process.
Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement: “I truly appreciate the good faith effort that has been demonstrated by all parties involved throughout this mediation process. We are excited to be nearing the end of the process and look forward to providing our Philadelphia community with more certainty about the reopening of our public schools, starting first with our youngest learners.”
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During a virtual meeting late Thursday, school board member Mallory Fix Lopez asked Hite whether the city, the district and the teachers union will be on the same page about reopening.
“Would it be a fair assumption to say if the press conference is together, that that means that everybody is in agreement of what is being said at that press conference?” she asked.
“Yes,” Hite replied.
The union took its concerns over building ventilation and the safety of the district’s back-to-school plan to a third-party mediator. That mediator, Dr. Peter Orris of Chicago, has been reviewing documents for several weeks.
The district wanted teachers to report to buildings on Feb. 8 to begin preparing for the return of students, but union President Jerry Jordan told his members not to go in, claiming the district hadn’t proved schools were safe.
Hite has said it’s important to get the district’s youngest students back to in-person learning to stem learning loss. He has suggested the district open buildings that both the district and the union agree are safe.