March 8, 2024

Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that at its meeting last night, the Board of Education voted to approve the agreement between the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) and the School District of Philadelphia. This one-year contract extension through August 2025 reflects our commitment to supporting and retaining our more than 14,000 PFT-covered colleagues, who work hard and strategically every day to serve students and shape future generations. Furthermore, it includes a shared commitment to implementation of the District’s strategic plan, Accelerate Philly.

A few of the terms of the agreement include:

• Every PFT-represented employee will receive a five (5) percent salary increase in September 2024.
• Employees eligible for “step” increases will receive their scheduled step movement.
• All active PFT-represented employees will receive a retention and reengagement bonus of $1200 to be paid by June 2024.
• The Designated Schools Program will be extended to run through August 30, 2025. Bonuses of $2,500 will be paid in June 2024 and September 2025 to eligible teachers.
• During the term of the Agreement, the Superintendent or designee and the Federation President or designee will meet to identify shared interests from the Strategic Plan and will discuss methods of implementation of those shared interests.

Here at the School District of Philadelphia, schools are the primary unit of change, and highly-qualified, well-supported, stable teachers over time are the number one lever for accelerating student achievement. This contract extension supports the needs of teachers, and all PFT members, while helping us accelerate Philly and become the fastest improving, large urban school District in the nation.

We look forward to our continued work together to accelerate learning for all of our students, in order to help them imagine and realize any future they desire!

In partnership,

Tony B. Watlington Sr., Ed.D.
SuperintendentThe School District of Philadelphia