For teachers in Chester Upland School District in Pennsylvania, they are unsure when they will receive their first paycheck after desperate measures called for a collective decision to agree to work without pay to keep the school running for students.

"Educators and support staff at Chester Upland School District voted last week to work without pay so that district schools may continue to serve children amid a severe budget crisis. When they come into school Wednesday, teachers will have no idea when they will receive their first paycheck," said The Huffington Post.

The school district isn't small- it serves over 13,000 students, the article said.

Thanks to the combination of financial mismanagement that has spanned decades as well as an influx of children in the district selecting to attend charter schools, the district is facing a $22 million deficit.

Shockingly, this is not the first time teachers in the Chester Upland School District have agreed to work for free to uphold schooling for its students. In 2012, teachers agreed to work without pay before receiving emergency funds from the state.

According to The Huffington Post, teachers this year might not be as fortunate because of issues deciding on a financial recovery plan that might result in the school closing down before the end of the year.

"The Pennsylvania Department of Education and the state-appointed employee overseeing the district's finances filed an amended financial recovery plan with the Delaware County’s Court of Common Pleas in August, hoping to remedy Chester Upland's money problems. But a judge only accepted portions of the proposal, like the suggestion that the district hire a financial turnaround specialist," the article said.

Read the full article here and comment below.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

09/03/2015