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REPRINTED FROM THENEXTMAYOR.COMMarch 27, 2007 press release, (submitted via e-mail) |
PHILADELPHIA, March 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers voted not to endorse any of the six mayoral candidates in the May 15 Primary Election, the PFT announced Tuesday.
"PFT members are looking for a candidate who will correct the terrible conditions that exist in some of Philadelphia's public schools," said PFT president Ted Kirsch. "They are waiting for a candidate to make concrete statements on how they are going to improve school safety, redirect funding and resources to classrooms and create a learning environment in which all children will succeed."
PFT vice president Jerry T. Jordan added, "The turnout in the referendum showed that PFT members care a great deal about the election but they are waiting for a clearly articulated vision about the future of the city's public schools."
The PFT conducted a referendum of its members between March 16 - 26 after each candidate addressed the members at a candidates' forum on March 15. More than 350 members attended the meeting, and all of the candidates' remarks were posted on the PFT website, http://www.pft.org, so that members could review the candidates' positions on key issues. In the referendum, 7,799 of approximately 16,000 members voted in school- based elections. The vote totals are as follows:
No endorsement 31 percent 2,418 votes
Chaka Fattah 21 percent 1,638 votes
Tom Knox 18 percent 1,404 votes
Bob Brady 14 percent 1,092 votes
Michael Nutter 10 percent 780 votes
Dwight Evans 5 percent 390 votes
Al Taubenberger 1 percent 77 votes
"Mayoral candidates have an opportunity to put forward concrete plans to improve the schools," Kirsch said. "While most of the candidates have said class sizes need to be reduced or schools must be safer, no one has demonstrated convincingly they have a real program for making it happen. Our members are waiting for a specific, credible plan."
The PFT represents more than 16,000 members -- 15,000 of whom live and vote in Philadelphia.
"The mayor has tremendous influence over the schools," Kirsch said. "The mayor controls two appointments to the School Reform Commission, determines how much the city spends on public schools and has been instrumental in reaching agreements during contract negotiations.
For more information, please contact Barbara Goodman, PFT communications director, at 484-410-5158.
SOURCE Philadelphia Federation of Teachers