Philadelphia teachers union president Jerry Jordan announces retirement

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, will retire this summer, he announced Tuesday. 

Jordan, who has led the city's teachers union since 2007, announced in a message to members that he did not seek reelection but will serve the remainder of his term, which ends June 30, according to a statement from the PFT. 

Arthur Steinberg will be elected president. His term is set to begin July 1, the statement said.

"From my career as an educator to my time as a building rep to a PFT staff representative and ultimately as president of this great union, I have worked every day to strengthen our union, to fight for the future of public education and of our democracy, to take on fights big and small, and to never stop believing in both the power of the individual and of the collective in making the world a better place," Jordan wrote in a message to members Tuesday night.

Jordan attended Philadelphia schools and began his career as an educator teaching high school Spanish and English as a Second Language in the School District of Philadelphia, according to his bio on the American Federation of Teachers website. 

The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers represents more than 13,000 teachers, librarians, school nurses, counselors, psychologists, social workers, secretaries, paraprofessionals, classroom assistants, non-teaching assistants and other staff, according to its website. 

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• School District of Philadelphia
• Philadelphia