[link=hyperlink url][/link]rnrnThe School District of Philadelphia Office of Communications rn440 N. Broad Street, Suite 102~Philadelphia, PA 19130-4015~(215)400-4040rnrnFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASErnrnContact: Elizabeth Childs (215) 400-5309rnrnJune 24, 2011rnrnrnPhiladelphia, PA – In the spirit of cooperation, the School District of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) today reached an agreement which allows the District to proceed with its reduction in teachers. As a result of the District’s budget shortfall, more than 1,500 teachers received layoff notices the week of June 6. The agreement permits the District to proceed with the majority of the planned teacher layoffs, except for 174 teachers with seniority slated for layoff and preserves the staff in the District’s Promise Academies, pending the outcome of the agreed upon expedited arbitration. The District and the PFT will participate in arbitration to resolve the remaining contested layoffs. This agreement allows the District to move forward with the teacher assignment and transfer process to prepare for the successful opening of schools next year.rnrn###