Teacher layoff disagreement will go straight to arbitration

Common Pleas Court Judge Idee C. Fox has ordered an expedited arbitration for the School District of Philadelphia’s teacher layoff disagreement.

Both parties are looking for a quick process in the dispute that has the district and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers pitted against each other.

The Inquirer’s Kristen Graham reports 348 teachers have been spared layoffs for now — 174 from Promise Academies and 174 who will keep their jobs if an arbitrator rules the layoffs do apply to Promise Academies. The other teachers who’ve received pink slips will be laid off July 1.

PFT says the district’s teacher layoffs should apply to all schools, including Promise Academies. The district says otherwise.