Jerry Jordan, the President of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, visited Franklin Learning Center on November 21 to inspect the various issues within the school building. 

Jordan made it clear that there were obvious problems that needed to be addressed immediately. These issues range from small things such as lights not being able to work in certain classrooms, to major ones such as water damage due to holes in the ceilings throughout the school. 

He noted the negligence in the school for these problems, saying, “We need to deal with the small problems before they become large.”

In response to the previous editorial, Jordan made sure to address the asbestos. While he did not find any asbestos, he said based on what he has seen in the building, he wouldn’t be surprised if there were remaining asbestos. 

“Asbestos is safe unless it’s disturbed,” he explained, “but a leak is something that can disturb it.” 

Jordan also stated that teachers deserve to be in a safe and healthy working environment, therefore it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that’s a reason why teachers are leaving.

However, he believes there’s still hope. Due to pressistance from the Union, they were able to secure a loan from the school board. With this loan, they’ll give a hand in renovating the pressing matters in schools, including FLC. 

In his concluding statement, Jordan said, “I already requested that Franklin Learning Center is one of the first to get repaired.”