Teachers set up informational pickets at Philly schools

Teachers walked an informational picket line at several Philadelphia schools today.

Horns honked and teachers handed out informational flyers on South Broad Street outside the high school. The district says it will be forced to make drastic cuts if it doesn’t get $120 million from Harrisburg and major concessions from the teachers union.

Visual arts teacher Steven Nau says he’s worried.

“I’m very nervous for the children in this city.  I’m nervous about the status of the city that people won’t want to come here won’t want to settle here without a good public educational system,” said Nau.

Philadelphia Federation of Teachers head Jerry Jordan still isn’t convinced his members need to give up more than $100 million through pay cuts to make the district budget work.

“I don’t think you will find any employee in the school district who are willing or can afford to take that kind of a pay cut,” said Jordan.

Without union pay cuts, it might be hard to convince city and state leaders to help balance the district’s budget.