He lost out to schools' Ackerman, now she's hired him at 180G

Just when you thought he was gone, he's ba-ack.

Leroy Nunery, who was beaten out by Superintendent Arlene Ackerman for the position as chief of the Philadelphia School District about two years ago, has been hired by his former opponent to be the district's chief of institutional advancement and strategic partnerships, said a district spokeswoman.

The newly-created position pays an annual salary of $180,000, an amount comparable to that of Ackerman's chief of staff, Tomas Hanna. Nunery started April 1, although the School Reform Commission will vote on the resolution during next week's meeting.

Nunery is no stranger to the district or the realm of education. He founded the consulting firm Plus Ultre and is a former executive of Edison Schools.

Ackerman called on him to oversee the work of the Renaissance Schools Advisory Board, which helped the district identify 25 low-performing schools as part of her reform plan last summer.

In his new post, Nunery will be responsible for the district's efforts with fundraising and outside partnerships, and will oversee its Intermediate Unit, which provides technical assistance to public schools, a district official said.