WEST CHESTER, Pa., Aug. 29 PSEA-special-edu
WEST CHESTER, Pa., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A school that
accepts special education students from Delaware, Chester, Philadelphia and
surrounding counties is facing possible job actions by its teachers.
Teachers at the Elwyn Media campus yesterday authorized their bargaining
team to call for "job actions" if there is no progress in negotiating a new
contract. Their old contract expired June 30, and negotiating sessions since
then have been fruitless.
The private school teachers are represented by the Pennsylvania State
Education Association (PSEA), which represents a majority of the state's
public school teachers as well, including all districts in Delaware and
Chester counties.
PSEA representative Jerry Callahan said the teachers at Elwyn do
"outstanding work" with students of all ages, but that the school has ongoing
difficulty hiring and retaining staff because the low salaries and wages Elwyn
pays are far below what public schools in the area pay.
As a result, Callahan said, almost one in five teachers at Elwyn is not
fully certified to teach special education. He said public school districts
in Delaware and Chester counties pay tens of thousands of dollars in tuition
for special education students who attend Elwyn. Callahan said the sending
districts may not be aware that many of Elwyn's teachers are not fully
certified, a situation that could lead to legal difficulties not only for
Elwyn, but the sending public school districts. Parents of special education
students who find their children are not being taught by certified teachers
may seek legal remedies as a result.
Callahan said the resolution adopted at Tuesday's teacher meeting did not
specify what job actions were to be taken, but that all possible job actions
were discussed.
SOURCE Pennsylvania State Education Association
