Title
Honoring Jerry Jordan, President of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, on the occasion of his retirement.
Body
WHEREAS, Jerry Jordan was born and raised in West Philadelphia and is a proud graduate of the Philadelphia Public School System. After earning a degree in Spanish from Temple University, Jordan followed in the footsteps of his family members and became a teacher. He worked at Martin Luther King High School, teaching Spanish and English as a Second Language. He then became the shop steward at University City High School; and
WHEREAS, In 1986, former President of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT), Marvin Schuman, called Jordan and asked him to come work for the PFT, and he represented members at 50 schools around the City by 1987. That call changed the landscape of public education in Philadelphia, as Jordan began a career that would define him for generations; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his 37-year tenure with the PFT, Jordan has served as the director of staff, vice president, and chief negotiator before assuming the presidency in 2007. Throughout his tenure, he led the union through some of its most turbulent times, such as the takeover of the School District by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, budget cuts, school closures, issues with the School Reform Commission, intense contract negotiations, and the COVID-19 pandemic that changed the face of education forever. But, through it all, Jordan continued to be the deeply thoughtful, strategic, and determined leader he always has been; and
WHEREAS, When it came to faithfully representing the members of his union, Jordan never backed down in the face of a challenge. After a superintendent of the School District (he has served alongside four) ordered layoffs based on seniority, Jordan fought to save the jobs of his members. When a paraprofessional who was attempting to become a teacher came to him about issues getting time off to complete his student teaching requirements, Jordan worked with the School District to establish the Para Pathways Program to assist paraprofessionals in moving into teaching positions. Most importantly, he has worked diligently to secure contracts that are fair, equitable, and life-changing for the members of his union; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his work with the union, he is a Vice President of the Philadelphia Central Labor Council and the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, and he was appointed to the Board of the Mayor’s Office of Community Services by former Mayor Michael Nutter. He is also the Vice President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Executive Council, Chair of the AFT Standing Committee on Civil and Human Rights, and a member of the AFT Constitutional Amendments and Convention Committee. Previously, he has served on the AFT Teachers Program and Policy Council, the AFT Urban School Initiative, and the AFT Task Force on No Child Left Behind; and
WHEREAS, Jordan frequently concludes his mission with “the struggle continues.” While the struggle to improve public education in Philadelphia will undeniably continue, tackling issues like school safety, the wake of the Commonwealth Court’s decision in William Penn School District, et al. v. PA Department of Education, et al, and toxic hazard remediation in our schools, it is clear that due to the leadership of Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President, Jerry Jordan, the struggle can be overcome; now, therefore, be it
THEREFORE, RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby honors Jerry Jordan, President of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, on the occasion of his retirement.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That and engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to Jerry Jordan as a sign of the admiration and respect of this legislative body.
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