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, Jorda...
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