Philadelphia increases retention bonuses for pre-K teachers; Pre-K registration portal will launch in June

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Signing and retention bonuses for preschool teachers in Philadelphia will increase, and a new online portal will launch next month for parents to register their children for preschool, Mayor Cherelle Parker announced at an event Saturday.

Parker said the city is providing an additional $3 million for signing and retention bonuses for pre-K teachers who agree to remain employed through the 2024-2025 school year.

Lead Pre-K teachers can receive up to $2,000 and Pre-K teaching assistants can receive up to $1,500 if they remain in their jobs for the upcoming school year, Assistant Principal Vanessa Garrett Harley said in a follow-up statement.

All members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has already guaranteed a $1,200 retention bonus to be paid by June 2024 as part of their contract extension.

If a pre-K teacher gets that $1,200 union contract bonus, the city will pay the difference so the employee reaches the maximum amount for their job category.

In other words, Saturday’s announcement means that a Pre-K teacher in the PFT will receive an additional $800 on top of their original $1,200 retention bonus, bringing them to a total of $2,000, just like all other Pre-K teachers.

“The city will work with its partners who employ our early childhood teachers and education assistants to pay the full amount of the bonus over time,” Garrett Harley said. “For the teachers and assistants employed by the School District and represented by the PFT, the City will support the School District in discussions with the Union regarding the payment of these bonuses.”

Online portal “Free Philly Pre-K” to view available preschools

A map is already available at freephillyprek.org that allows parents to filter the city’s preschool options and compare the distance to their home, amenities and the number of seats available.

The city says it will launch a “one-stop location” and enrollment portal on June 3 for parents to sign up for pre-K programs.

The Pre-K program began under the administration of Mayor Jim Kenney and receives funding from the Philadelphia Beverage Tax on sugary drinks.

The city says the Free Philly Pre-K portal will be in 12 different languages ​​and will include all 370 locations in 43 of the city’s 48 zip codes.