How Hite's contract compares to Ackerman's
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How Hite's contract compares to Ackerman's
Who could ever forget former Superintendent Arlene Ackerman’s $905,000 buyout?
Last year, Ackerman was paid that amount to leave the school district as a result of the terms of her contract. Her contract was criticized for other reasons, too. It made her eligible for a retention bonus, performance compensation, payments for unused sick days, a Blackberry, car and other benefits.
On Wednesday, the School Reform Commission approved a five-year contract for incoming Superintendent William Hite, who begins by October 1. How does Hite’s contract compare to Ackerman’s?
Salary: Hite’s base salary is $300,000, which is less than Ackerman's. (It's worth noting, however, that Hite will be paid more than the highest-paid city official as of April, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, whose salary is $255,000.)
How it compares: In 2008, Ackerman’s base salary was $325,000. By the end of her time in Philly, it was was $348,140.
The buyout: Hite is eligible for a buyout if he is fired without cause, but it would be considerably less than Ackerman’s unpopular payment. He would receive 9 months of his salary and benefits, in addition to getting three months’ notice. (Unless, that is, he was fired with less than nine months left on his contract. Then he would get his salary and benefits for the remainder of the agreement.)
How it compares: When Ackerman was let go without cause in 2011, she was eligible to collect about three years of her salary and benefits.
Performance bonus: After his first year, Hite will be eligible for a performance bonus of up to 20 percent of his salary. His performance will be based on various criteria, including student test scores, graduation rates and teacher absenteeism.
How it compares: Starting in her first year, Ackerman was eligible for a performance bonus of up to 20 percent of her salary. The criteria for Ackerman’s performance evaluation was not spelled out in her contract.
Retention bonus: Hite is not eligible for a retention bonus.
How it compares: Ackerman was entitled to a retention bonus of $100,000. Ackerman’s contract also stated that after her first year, her salary would increase “at the same time and at the same percentage rate as for full-time teaching personnel.” Conversely, Hite’s salary is not increasing in conjunction with teachers’ pay.
Vacation days, business expenses and other goodies: Each year, Hite is eligible for five weeks of vacation and three personal days. He can be compensated for up to five unused vacation days annually. He will also be reimbursed for “reasonable business expenses.” Hite’s contract states that the school district will give him “necessary technology for the performance of his duties,” though specific items are not mentioned. The School District also must reimburse Hite with up to $22,500 in relocation expenses and legal fees to negotiate the contract itself.
How it compares: Ackerman got more than six-and-a-half weeks of vacation and three personal days annually. She was to be compensated for all unused vacation and personal days. Ackerman was also reimbursed for “reasonable business expenses.” Unlike Hite’s contract, hers also required that the school district pay for her dues to professional organizations, like the American Association of School Administrators, as well a “late-model car or similar vehicle,” Blackberry, laptop, and home printer/fax machine. Plus, it mandated that the School District pay up to $15,000 in relocation expenses and legal fees to negotiate the contract itself.
This article also appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News. It has been updated to include additional information.
Six year contract? four year? three year? ten??????— ptahan- Holly Otterbein, the writer, is naive. She is just comparing what the paper says and fails to read what is actually being said and fails to consider the loopholes that are always used.
There are so many ways to pick this one apart. Let's start with Performance Bonus - "20 percent of his salary. His performance will be based on various criteria, including student test scores, graduation rates and teacher absenteeism." This is BS- It is just a way to give him more money ($60K). Who can forget that Ackerman received performance bonus just as they were preparing to run her out of town. It's total bull. Five weeks vacation to start? That's BS We have a bankrupt district here. Five weeks vacation is $30K. What new job out there gives 5 weeks vacation? A regular SDP employee would have to work 15 years to get 4 weeks paid vacation. This is BS.
He will also be reimbursed for “reasonable business expenses.” That is open ended too. We need to see each one of those. The typical SDP translucent transparency. On the surface, dealing with normal moral people the language sounds fine, but we are dealing with greedy prima donna's here. Hornbeck, Vallas, and Ackerman were all cut from the same "Me Me" cloth. Prince William has those same looks and characteristics. Again, a shortsighted contract. - Slightly better than Ackerman's contract, but how is the person who manages the school district worth more than the person whose job it is to manage the entire city, or for that matter worth 2.5 times the salary of the governor who is supposed to manage the entire state? What ever happened to the idea of government-paid employees being public servants? The average salary in Philadelphia is about $35,000, and the median household income is about $32,600. Is the superintendent of the school district really worth almost ten times the average salary here?— devilspocket
- Overpaid. This dude has hit the lottery. He is already damaged goods. The SRC has done us another disservice. When this brother fails, we have Hispanic female next .......then Asian?— Penny_Pingleton
- Wowee !!!!! They never learn !!!! lol— newsy
Outrageous....why couldnt he get 100 grand a year....where does the src get these absurd numbers?!?!- Hite is getting an appropriate contract. The fact is that this is a big city and supers all around the country who have large districts or counties (like Prince George's) receive similar pay. His benefits are in line with reasonable expectations. Now it is the responsibility for the SRC to refuse to give bonuses for targets not met. This is actually what happened under Ackerman.— nikki1231
- Performance bonuses built on the backs of others. Teachers working sick, dragging uncaring, unruly students over the finish line in tests. What a joke.— Boru
- pretty good pay to oversee the worst schools in the country.
— ekw555 - I think the big,dangerous abyss here is the "reasonable business expenses". What the Hades is that? That sounds like a money pit that would be mined for all kinds of undocumented, tax free expenses. Who reviews these expenses and how are they taxed? Will he be monitored by his cohorts on the SRC (who probably have their own undocumented credit cards and expense accounts too) Or, worse yet--one of Masch's minions still at the SDP?. Does the state oversee this perk? To date, nobody has mentioned what that crew of bandits on the SRC rakes in as "expenses". I know they are not doing this for free or being altruistic in their "love and caring" for the SDP. Anybody know?
I'm hoping somebody knows the answers....— oblekr - How is the Termination for irreconcilable differences clause section of Hite's contract written? One can only hope the contract includes the right of the school board to terminate Hite's contract for actions that are detrimental efficient operation and administration of the schools of the district'— Moving On
- Hope the city was smart enough to put a clause in there. Bad performance. No pay out, bonous. It is a civil job.— TAL
- The generosity of this contract is far greater than any administrator, anywhere deserves. The most egregious line is the one about "reasonable business expenses" which is bound to lead to shenanigans. In the first, almost all "business expenses" are absolutely UNreasonable.— BEMiller
- According to the president and Joe Biden, this guy is completely out of touch with the average american because he makes more than $250K per year. How many rich millionaire, one percenters like this guy send their kids to the Philadelphia public schools? How can he possibly relate to them and be down with them in their struggle?— SammyMaudlin
- What exactly are the criteria for the performance bonus???— Fillygirl250
