"Excuse me, Ms. Ackerman? Someone has asked to see your buyout agreement again."
One part of former superintendent Arlene Ackerman’s buyout agreement that we found particularly fascinating — one of many — is the requirement that the School District tap her on the shoulder every time someone asks for a copy of that agreement.
"Excuse me, Ms. Ackerman? Someone has asked to see your buyout agreement again."
One part of former superintendent Arlene Ackerman’s buyout agreement that we found particularly fascinating — one of many — is the requirement that the School District tap her on the shoulder every time someone asks for a copy of that agreement.
Under the buyout, the School District released the buyout agreement to the media immediately following its ratification last week. But now, the District can only hand it over in response to official Open Records Law requests. Plus, Ackerman and her lawyer must be told who is asking for it.
We thought this was a little, um, crazy, so we asked state Office of Open Records executive director Terry Mutchler if other public officials have done this in the past.
Mutchler said while it is completely legal for the district to sign such an agreement, it is “not routine.” Out of the 3,000 cases that have come before her office, she said “less than three” have involved high-level public officials who asked to be notified if someone requested a record about them.
Interestingly, though, Mutchler said that when her office provides training to state and local agencies about Pennsylvania’s open-records law, government employees routinely ask if they can be informed when people request documents about them. Most of the time, though, they don’t go through with it. That’s what makes Ackerman and the School District unique.
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Ackerman is way paranoid to demand to know who's looking at her *public* buyout agreement. Please keep weapons away from her.— I Teach in Philly
- Would her lawyer charge her every time a request is made and he is told about it? If so, every resident of Philadelphia and every employee of the SDP should make a request to see it. Let's cost HER some money!— crickey
- Ackerman & the school district unique? What a joke! Ackerman is as corrupt as they come, so is the src. They should be the next to go! Can we buy them out????— feddie
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