In rare school board campaign visit, national teachers union president calls Scranton recovery plan 'immoral'

May 16—SCRANTON — Calling Tuesday's election a critical moment for the Scranton School District, the national president of the American Federation of Teachers visited the city on Saturday to campaign for the union-endorsed candidates.

The unprecedented visit by Randi Weingarten comes amid the Scranton Federation of Teachers' push to elect candidates who say they will question the financial recovery plan, restore the preschool program, settle the teachers contract and hold the line on taxes.

Nearly two years into the recovery plan, the progress and the process of obtaining solvency has led to the highly contentious primary campaign. More than 100 people gathered behind the SFT Wyoming Avenue headquarters to hear Weingarten, who called the recovery plan "immoral." Using the slogan from President Joe Biden's economic recovery proposal, she challenged attendees to spend the next few days encouraging neighbors to vote for the endorsed candidates.

"You build back better by building a better school board," she said. "When you want to help a community thrive, you don't take away anchors and foundations."

With four four-year seats available, incumbent President Katie Gilmartin, Director Sean McAndrew, former Director Tom Borthwick and newcomers Danielle Chesek and Tyrone Holmes seek both Democratic and Republican nominations. Newcomers Chris Gaidos and Tucker J. Hottes seek Democratic nominations.

Former Director Greg Popil and Gilmartin seek both Democratic and Republican nominations for one two-year seat. Hottes and Gaidos also seek a Democratic nomination for the two-year seat.

The union has endorsed Borthwick, Chesek, Holmes, McAndrew and Popil. In remarks Saturday, the five candidates vowed to ask questions of the administration and chief recovery officer and push for fair funding from the state.

As teachers complete their fourth year of working under an expired contract, the AFT considers Scranton a "local in crisis." Local union President Rosemary Boland said she asked the national office for help, which came in the way of campaign mailers, phone calls to city voters and the visit by Weingarten — a regular guest on national news networks and the representative of 1.7 million members in more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide.

Weingarten questioned how the district's recovery plan can actually lead to recovery, as it calls for tax increases, no guaranteed raises and closing schools. The leader, who visited the city's preschool classrooms last year before the district eliminated the program, also called for the district to restore it.

The state placed the district in financial recovery two years ago as an "easy out" for not providing the district with adequate and equitable funding, she said. If the entire basic education funding subsidy went through the fair funding formula, instead of just new state money, the district would receive an additional $40 million next year.

Reached after the rally by The Sunday Times, candidates not endorsed by the union said the current financial condition of the school district necessitates the tough decisions.

March projections from state-appointed consultants PFM show that if the district does nothing to increase revenue and decrease expenses, the district would face a negative fund balance of $22.5 million in five years. Those projections include no raises for employees. Meanwhile, more than 40 teachers have resigned from the district in the last 11 months, many of them for jobs in other districts. Scranton has struggled to find teachers for open positions.

Gilmartin — a subject of most union campaign ads — said that while she agrees with the need to preserve the foundation of the school district, there are "different avenues to that goal."

"How do we maintain the district without solvency and sustainability?" she asked. "If we're not able to keep our doors open, it's game over. ... We have to keep working toward the goal of more equitable funding."

Hottes said that other candidates may have good intentions but do not provide a realistic picture of what the district faces.

"I worry about the message we're getting, that somehow there is an alternative to the plan," he said. "To pretend we can roll the clock back and change things we agreed to years ago feels disingenuous to me."

Gaidos questioned whether the national union understands the true financial challenges of the district.

"No matter who is elected to the school board, they have to negotiate a fair and reasonable contract for everyone involved that we can afford," he said.

Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9133; @hofiushallTT on Twitter.