How to Claim your PFT-Negotiated Travel Reimbursement

According to the PFT Collective Bargaining Agreement (Article XII Section B #18), all PFT members are entitled to travel reimbursements each and every time they are directed to go to a location other than that to which they are regularly assigned. Here's a simple step-by-step guide on how to claim your money.

STEP 1: Use Google Maps to figure out your normal commute distance from home to your school work location (6.1 miles for me). Print this page and circle the amount.

STEP 2: Use Google Maps to figure out the commute distance from your home to your assigned PD location on the morning of the mandatory PD (7.4 miles for me). Print this page and circle the amount. 

*If your mandatory PD was in the afternoon, simply reverse this step with STEP 3.*

STEP 3: Use Google Maps to figure out the commute from your mandatory PD location back to your school work location (15.1 miles for me). Print this page and circle the amount.
*If you are ever mandated to travel to two or more locations during a single work day, make sure to add those stops as well when calculating your total commute for the day.*

STEP 4: Multiply the miles in STEP 1 by TWO in order to get your normal commute distance (6.1 x 2 = 12.2 miles for me). Then, add the numbers you obtained in STEP 2, STEP 3, and STEP 1 to figure your TOTAL commute on the PD day (7.4 + 15.1 + 6.1 = 28.6 miles for me). Subtract the first number from the second number to figure out how much extra you had to travel on the PD day (28.6 – 12.2 = 16.4 extra miles for me).
*If you added up all three legs of your PD day commute and it seems you actually traveled less than your normal commute, then you are not entitled to a reimbursement.*

STEP 5: Multiply your final number in STEP 4 by $0.58. This is how much money the district owes you for travel expenses (16.4 x $0.58 = $9.51). 

*If you simply enter the number under “miles traveled” on the SEH-195 form, the number will automatically populate.*

STEP 6: Fill out the SEH-195 form (see completed example below). Make sure to include your math, just like in my example. Print and sign, then have an administrator sign. Include your 3 Google Map printouts in the same envelope, then send by stamp-free PONY mail at your work location to:

Accounts Payable Department

Administration Building

440 North Broad Street, Suite 324

STEP 7: Don’t spend all of your newfound wealth in one place. Most importantly, you can do this each and every time you are mandated by the District or an Administrator to attend an off-site location during work hours. Make sure to know and exercise all of your hard-fought union rights under our negotiated PFT contract!

Masters +30 and Senior Career Teacher Salary Upgrades for PFT Members

Fellow PFT members:

Don’t let your salary losses accumulate more than they have to (see this chart compiled by the Caucus of Working Educators). You can move up a lane IMMEDIATELY to Masters +30 and, once you hit your 10-year anniversary, submit your paperwork for Senior Career Teacher.

This will significantly help minimize the amount of money you may have lost during the status quo contract freeze from 2013-17 and help you recoup much of that salary. There is a loophole in our newest Collective Bargaining Agreement - so make sure to take advantage!

You can examine the current Salary Schedule here.
(If you are not sure what salary schedule you are at, you can either multiply BASE pay on your paycheck by 21.7 or click here to go to the District's Open Data and search for your name under Employee Information. All of our salaries are public information.)

You can examine the District's requirements and protocol (both Masters + 30 and Senior Career) for Salary Upgrades here.

Once you have completed enough graduate credits (90 credits above your Bachelors, after having obtained a Masters) for Senior Career then make sure you have dual certification. You can view Teaching Certificates offered in PA here (Note: K-12 Certificates already pre-qualify as dual cert.)

You can register for your Praxis Exam here.

Finally, the following is just a short list of online courses priced under $400 for 3 credits. If you find more, please leave them in the comments section for others to see and so that I can edit this list as time goes on.


MAKE SURE TO VERIFY THAT A UNIVERSITY IS ACCREDITED BY CLICKING HERE AND SEARCHING FOR THE INSTITUTION PRIOR TO ENROLLMENT!

• Shepherd University (3 Graduate credits for $282) Advertised through SDP website here and direct website: http://virtualeduc.com/shepherd/

• Andrews, Greenville, and Loyola Marymount through Advancement Courses (3 Graduate credits for $449) Up to 15% discount until July 14th using promo code SUM10 (10% for 1 or 2 courses) or SUM15 (15% for 3+ courses) https://www.advancementcourses.com/

• University of La Verne (3 Graduate credits for $345) https://www.pdcourses.net/index.php

• University of California – San Diego (3 Graduate credits ranging from $271 to $374) https://webteaching.com/

• PBS TeacherLine – numerous universities participate (3 Graduate credits ranging from $300-$400) http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/earn-credit/

• Augustana, Colorado St. Pueblo, Lourdes, Marygrove, Pacific Lutheran through Learners Edge (3 Graduate credits for $425) Get $70 off each course until July 30th using promo PHLSDSU1707 (ordering one course) or PHLSDSU1754 (order two or more) http://www.learnersedgeinc.com/

PFT Contract Letters through PONY

As many of you may recall, the PFT members at Central High School and the Caucus of Working Educators initiated a letter writing campaign in October in order to pressure the SRC and Dr. Hite to get back to the negotiating table.

In light of the recent news that the School District will be getting an additional $65million in recurring funding from reassessed commercial property taxes under the city's Added Value Initiative (AVI), it is vital that the District make whole the members of the PFT who have sacrificed so much by going without a wage adjustment since 2012.

It's time for a contract settlement.

Please print the following letters based on the PFT email campaign, include your own personal sacrifices, then place in an envelope and PONY the message to 440 North Broad.

• LETTER TO SUPERINTENDENT HITE

• LETTER TO SRC CHAIR WILKERSON

Let's keep up the pressure and make sure this monetary windfall is put to good use by finally ending this devastating contract stalemate!

Billboard Update: Philly Teachers Deserve a Contract

First of all, a big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to making the billboard a reality.

Here is the new fundraising site, designed to keep the billboard up on Interstate 95 for as long as it takes.

Please donate here: https://chuffed.org/project/philly-teachers-deserve-a-contract

Also, feel free to share the media coverage links and and photos below on social media or otherwise in order to keep up the pressure.

The hardworking members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers deserve a
FAIR CONTRACT NOW!

LOCAL AND NATIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE BILLBOARD:

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20170227_Commentary__Philly_s_underfunded_schools__undervalued_teachers.html
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Philadelphia-Teachers-Billboard-415193813.html
http://www.fox29.com/news/235836378-story
http://6abc.com/education/phila-teacher-slams-school-district-with-crowdfunded-billboard/1779708/
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2017/03/02/teacher-raises-money-for-billboard-that-rips-city-school-district/
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/Teacher-billboard-95-call-out-mayor-SRC-superintendent-.html
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/school_files/Billboard-shaming-Kenney-Philly-mayor-SRC-coming-soon-teacher-reaches-fundraising-goal.html
http://www.phillyvoice.com/philadelphia-teachers-crowd-funded-billboard-blasts-city-school-district-officials/
http://thenotebook.org/articles/2017/02/20/central-high-teacher-s-billboard-campaign-a-success
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/pennsylvania/articles/2017-03-02/philadelphia-teacher-puts-up-billboard-criticizing-district
http://kutv.com/news/offbeat/teacher-slams-philadelphia-school-district-in-billboard
http://cwlasvegas.com/news/offbeat/teacher-slams-philadelphia-school-district-in-billboard
http://www.fox29.com/news/242906296-story
https://redd.it/60d0ww
http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2017/03/02/philadelphia-teacher-puts-up-billboard-criticizing_ap.html
http://news4sanantonio.com/news/offbeat/teacher-slams-philadelphia-school-district-in-billboard

Billboard: Philly Teachers Deserve A Contract!

The hardworking members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers have gone without a raise for over 5 years while the School District of Philadelphia refuses to negotiate a fair contract for its workforce. Meanwhile, the city and state have neglected their duty to properly fund our schools so that this matter can finally be settled.

As each month passes with no agreement in sight, Philadelphia loses more and more great educators to other surrounding districts. It is the over 100,000 children in the district, however, who suffer the most because of this lack of a stable workforce.

It’s time to call out our city and school officials for allowing this calamity to continue. The fundraiser started this week seeks to place a billboard on I-95 that will publicly shame the School Reform Commission, Superintendent Hite, and Mayor Kenney for their inability to get a fair contract settled.

A GoFundMe page with the explicit purpose of raising the funds has been created to crowdsource donations from teachers and other allies of public school educators.

PLEASE VISIT THE LINK HERE AND DONATE TO OUR CAUSE!

The fundraiser will be extended on a month to month basis, as we continue to publicly shame the school district and the city, until a fair agreement is finally reached with the PFT.

Enough is enough – our schools, our students and our educators deserve better.

Teachers Rally for Students at Central High School

On a frigid Friday morning, the hardworking members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers at Central High School made it a point to welcome their students as they arrived for a day of studies.

Our pupils were greeted by cheering educators and a large banner as they trekked up the hill at the corner of Olney and Ogontz. The banner, which was signed by nearly 100 staff members, read:

We support our students regardless of
Immigration Status

Country of Origin
Religion
Sexual or Gender Identity
Race or Ethnicity
Political Beliefs
We stand together as ONE Central HS!!

Central has long had the honor of being the oldest public school in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the second oldest in the country. We were recently further honored by being recognized as the most diverse public school in the nation. Our student body, faculty and administration represent countless countries, languages, faiths and cultures.

We are proud to teach in such an environment.

We believe in an inclusive, diverse and welcoming society and will continue to build these values in our classrooms as we encourage our students to analyze the world around themselves during these months of political transition.

We hope that other schools will join us.

PFT Letter Campaign: Our Push to Resume Contract Negotiations

UPDATE (November 17, 2016):
Dr. Hite has sent everyone a reply. Please see below.
It looks like we're really start to annoy them down at 440. Keep up the pressure everyone...
They only way we'll stop is when we get a fair contract!

ORIGINAL POST (October 1, 2016):
The PFT members at Central High School have embarked upon a letter-writing campaign that we hope will set in motion a movement that will be replicated throughout the district. The action itself is a symbol of solidarity designed to urge the School District of Philadelphia to resume contract negotiation talks with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.

My letters to Ms. Neff, Mr. Green & Dr. Hite

The idea was the brainchild of Erica Catlin, a fellow member of the Caucus of Working Educators and English teacher at Central:

"We can't let 440 think we don't really care that we've received ZERO pay raises since 2012.  Students have started and finished high school in that amount of time.  

We need to remind them, each time we receive our dismal paychecks, that we are not complacently accepting this forced pay cut that grows sharper each year.  While our bills go up, our paychecks remain frozen.  We can't move forward with our lives when our salaries are stuck.  News outlets are reporting that income is finally growing nationwide.  What about us?

Imagine a flood of letters every two weeks, from all 11,000 PFT employees, arriving at 440 and having to be opened.  Let's gum up the works.  Let's remind the folks at 440, especially anyone who's received a pay raise since 2012 (Hite and his staff), that their raises are coming out of our pockets.  If they want to blame this pay freeze on Harrisburg, then they can forward our letters there."

Over 300 letters from Central alone... Let's do this at EVERY school!

We hope you join the movement and, during your next PD or earlier, print out a copy of each of the following 3 letters and distribute them to every PFT member in your building:

• LETTER TO HITE
• LETTER TO JIMENEZ
• LETTER TO GREEN (We gave him a little extra "shout out" for being the Former SRC Chair)

All you have to do is change the name to your school in the last paragraph, print your name at the bottom, sign it, place it in an envelope, and then drop it in the PONY mailbox.

Signed, sealed, delivered... PONY to the next stop at 440 N. Broad!

The beauty of this action is that it takes minimal effort and we also don't have to pay for postage because, as long as we keep our letters professional, we are simply asking a question from a School District employee to an School District employer - exactly what the PONY system was designed to do. Also, because there might be a letter of importance somewhere in the mountain of correspondence, every letter MUST be opened either by Hite, Jimenez, Green, or one of their assistants.

So, let's all join in solidarity - all 11,000 members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers - in order to flood 440 North Broad Street with thousands of letters and "gum up the works" until they GIVE US A FAIR CONTRACT!