By: Jessica Hoard
April 3, 2024PHILADELPHIA – PFT has long been butting heads with the School District of Philadelphia’s Administration. However, the absence policy has been raising concerns among teachers, as it limits the amount of sick days teachers can take.
According to their contract with PFT, teachers are given 10 sick days per year. But the School District of Philadelphia progressively reprimands them for using them. After a teacher’s 3rd occurrence, the employee receives a warning from their principal and a memo goes into their file. After the 5th one, a warning is put on their permanent record. These punishments increase in severity until their 9th occurrence, where a teacher is recommended for suspension.
The policy, informally known as 3-5-7-9, has been in effect for over 40 years, but its growth in attention in recent years is due to a national educator shortage and higher rates of teacher attrition. Because of this, teachers often have to choose between their job and their health.
“I have gotten myself out of bed sick,” said David Mandell, an 11th and 12th-grade History teacher at Carver Engineering and Science. “Or sometimes I need a mental health day. And if I need a mental health day, that means I know I’m not going to be in the best shape in front of my students.”
With the growing enforcement of the absence policy, educators are now pushed to come to work when they aren’t in optimal condition. Schools are breeding grounds for germs and illnesses, especially since the Covid-19 outbreak. According to data released by Attendance Works, approximately 15 million people chronically miss school in post-pandemic spikes. When teachers come to school under the weather, they expose students and fellow staff members to sickness.
“Every single time I have started in a new school. I have gotten sick because being exposed to a new building is like being exposed to a new biome,” expresses Janel Moore-Almond, a teacher at Carver Engineering and Science. “So if you are a teacher you're probably going to be sick. You're probably going to be sick for more than five occurrences.”
Teacher attrition rates have been higher since the COVID-19 pandemic. Some teachers believe that this policy is a reflection of the stigma against educators. By punishing employees for using the sick days they gave them, it sends a message that teachers aren’t respected as much as other professionals.
“And I know sometimes people are like, ‘Oh, well, you're just a teacher. Oh, well, you know you have summers off.’ But a lot of that actually isn't true. A lot of people don't consider the unpaid time teachers put in when we are grading papers [or] when we are writing your college recommendations,” said Moore-Almond.
What can be done about this? The sad truth is not much. It’s up to PFT, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, to fight for better contracts. Even though this policy has been in operation for decades, it wasn’t much of an issue for a lot of educators. However, some think that a compromise could be reached between the School District of Philadelphia and PFT.
“So, we get 10 a year. So once you've taken maybe your 11th or 12, then say, ‘Okay, you're getting the memo, you've used up your 10 and then some.’ But if you're given 10 for the year, that 10 should be sacred. And once you go over the 10, then okay, maybe it's time to have a conference.”
Overall, the 3-5-7-9 policy sends yet another message that teachers are not considered professionals.
“It's ridiculous. This is our time,” said Mr. Mandell. “It's a very draconian policy.”
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