Teacher's Billboard Shaming City Officials Goes Up On Interstate 95

A Philadelphia teacher who is fed up with working on an expired contract and hasn't gotten a raise in five years has erected a billboard on Interstate 95 to shame city officials.

Central High teacher George Bezanis raised more than $5,000 to have the billboard erected, and it has gone up on the right hand side of the southbound lane of I-95 between the Girard and Central Philadelphia exits.

Benzanis said on his GoFundMe page that the billboard went up on Feb. 27 and will remain up for four weeks.

The billboard, designed by Outdoor Media, will read, "Welcome to Philadelphia where we don’t value our public school children" and feature images of School Reform Commission Commissioner Bill Green, Mayor Jim Kenney, and Superintendent William R. Hite Jr.

Bezanis went into action because the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has gone without a new contract or raise for five years.

The hardworking members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers have gone without a raise for over 5 years while the School District of Philadelphia refuses to negotiate a fair contract for its workforce," the GoFundMe page says. "As each month passes with no agreement in sight, Philadelphia loses more and more great educators to other surrounding districts. It is the over 100,000 children in the district, however, who suffer the most because of this lack of a stable workforce."

Philadelphia's Chief Education Officer Otis Hackney said the city has given the district millions over the years.

"Despite the fact that it is the state, not the city, who controls the District, the City has increased its funding to the District by $400million over the last five years, most recently with a tax increase in 2015 to raise $70 million in additional funding for the District," Hackney said in a statement. "While the District has not requested an increase in funding from the City since Mayor Kenney took office, City Council approved and the Mayor signed the Philadelphia Beverage Tax, which will put nearly $70 million annually towards quality pre-K and community schools when these programs are at full implementation in 2020."

Bezanis said the GoFundMe page will continue to accept donations to keep the billboard up as long as possible.

His initial goal was $5,000, and as of Thursday morning, the campaign has generated more than $5,600 and is still drawing in donations.

Image via GoFundMe