Ackerman's deal could be worth $1 million
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia School District by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Kristen Graham.
Ackerman's deal could be worth $1 million
Kristen Graham
7:30 p.m.
The Philadelphia School District just released Arlene C. Ackerman's separation agreement, which could be worth $1 million when you factor in pay for unused sick and vacation time, health insurance through June, 2013 and other benefits. Her $905,000 payment includes $405,000 in anonymous donations.
Read the agreement between Ackerman and the SRC here.
5:30 p.m.
It was a wild SRC meeting, to say the least.
Attorney Leon Williams summed up the sentiment of the largely pro-Arlene Ackerman crowd when he said said Ackerman had been lynched. He said the SRC held the rope. "What was the crime that Dr. Ackerman was lynched for?" Williams asked. "The crime was she did not kiss the rumps of the politicians. And that she gave too large a contract to a black vendor."
The meeting was politically charged, racially tense and totally unlike any SRC gathering I've ever been to. The SRC was booed, called "Judas" and its members told repeatedly to resign.
The SRC did not answer any questions. They did not make any kind of statement about the buyout or offer any information about donors. When reporters approached them after the meeting adjourned, all the members declined to comment. Several police officers physically barred reporters from the SRC members, ushering them out of the auditorium and away.
3:40 p.m.
The SRC has formally approved Arlene C. Ackerman's $905,000 buyout package. It was a unanimous vote; no SRC member made comments. After the vote was taken, the audience erupted (yet again) with cries of "out, out, out" and "all of them must go" and "traitors!"
Earlier, a number of pro-Ackerman speakers expressed their displeasure with the agreement.
"I, the parents of Philadelphia public school students, and many of the 1.5 million people of the great city of Philadelphia can in no way support this proposed agreement," said State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas (D., Phila.)
Speakers also expressed outrage over donors who contributed $405,000 to the Ackerman buyout remaining anonymous.
2:40 p.m.
It's already a wild SRC meeting. When the four members entered the auditorium, the packed auditorium booed. Loudly.
"We have experienced some changes and challenges in the past weeks," SRC Chairman Robert L. Archie Jr. said. "Our main focus is the children, and going forward we hope to pull the other distractions aside and focus on what is best for them and their future."
The restless audience is calling out often. Archie was booed again during the SRC roll call.
There are a number of speakers scheduled to talk about now former Superintendent Arlene C. Ackerman and her $905,000 buyout, which the SRC is scheduled to approve later this afternoon.
EARLIER:
Two days after it was announced that Arlene Ackerman was out as head of the Philadelphia School District, all eyes are on the School Reform Commission. The SRC meets today at 2 p.m. and will vote on Ackerman's $905,000, public-private buyout. There's no suspense there - their attorneys negotiated the deal and it's widely expected that they'll vote to approve it.
But as my colleague Jeff Gammage and I wrote in today's paper, there will be a lot of questions for the SRC - such as, why did they approve a contract extension for the superintendent in February, then start talking about a deal to remove her in June? Who are the donors who ponied up $405,000 to the Philadelphia Children's First Fund, a nonprofit started by the district in 2003, on whose board Ackerman sat and both SRC Chair Robert L. Archie Jr. and Acting Superintendent Leroy Nunery II sit? My colleagues Jennifer Lin and Amy Worden wrote about that for today's paper, too.
More on that: yesterday, Zack Stalberg, head of the government watchdog group Committee of Seventy, sent Archie a letter formally requesting that the SRC "disclose the names of all private donors who are contributing to Arlene Ackerman's generous buy-out." Stalberg, and 70, clearly have concerns about the private donors. "The inescapable message sent by this lack of transparency is that there is something to hide. Moreover, keeping secret the names of donors prevents the public from knowing whether or how their favors might be returned. You are the clear leader of the Philadelphia School District and a director of the charity through which these secret donations apparently are being funneled. You have the responsibility - and surely the power - to restore some faith in the SRC by identifying contributors. The longer the delay, the worse they will look when their names are ultimately revealed."
Follow along here as I liveblog the meeting, beginning at 2 p.m. Or, follow me on Twitter @newskag.
SHAME on Williams for his comment. How dare he bandy about that horrific chapter in our history as though there were any comparison between handing this self-enamored megalomaniac nearly $1 million and the terrorism and murder of hundreds of thousands of innocent black men, women and children. It is revolting to see a member of our community stoop so low.— Stand for Something- Yeah, folks, it's a done deal. Get over it, because all of your kvetching and moaning isn't going to undo it. And, besides, you pretty much got what you wanted, right? She's gone, right?— wb2nd
- I don't understand what the uprage is all about...people are pissed about the buy out but don't realize she agreed to the buy out. if she didn't then she would still be here...she took the money and ran...if she was so concerened about the students, parents and her so called supporters she would have continued to fight to stay,she was dragged out...give me a break...— newstome
- @CleanupPhilly-Here's something I'd like your take on,the relationship between Archie (Duane Morris ) & Kenny Gamble (Universal Companies ).I've often puzzled over the quick collapse of the 10,000 men & wondered if it were tied into the refusal of the U.S. government to give further tax breaks to Universal.Trust me when I say there's lots of mail back & forth between the two.— Yankee Air Pirate 12
- Hey attorney Leon Williams AKA the ringmaster- where was all this false outrage shown by these people at the SRC meeting when their youth were beating up whites in center city?? I hope you hang with the rest of these crooks— cusomano
- FYI. I learned today that you must register by 4:30pm the day before the SRC meeting to be able to speak at the meeting.— puzzled2
- BurbGuy is right. I would guess that 99% of the people who showed up were pro-Ackerman sheep. I was able to make the meeting because I own my own business. Based upon how this meeting was conducted, it was my first and last SRC meeting.— puzzled2
- U.N.B.E.L.E.I.V.A.B.L.E— farhorizons
- Vote Karen Brown!!! Get these thugs out of Philadelphia!!!!!— realtor44
- Karen Brown is a teacher-hating menace, so no thank you. — Devoted Teacher
- It is exactly what I said, more than the $905,000. My hope is that when the contract is written for the next superindentent, that there is an "at will" clause written in as well as a cap to how much a person can get when they leave...But if you have an "at will" clause, you won't need to factor anything else. Also, include in the contract, a person will get two weeks of vacation, regardless of how much vacation time they have; sick time, pay nothing at the end of the contract; personal leave time, pay for one week only. And whose bright idea was it not to contest her unemployment claim? That was not a good idea. She should be subjected to the same turmoil as the people who were laid off were.— LadySLR
- This is from the twilight zone. Did not do what she was hired for. Gave out illegal contracts to her buddies. She has been called a racist, a monster, and an ego maniac to name a few. Now the taxpayers are getting it again to give her 500,000.00 cash, plus a 100,000.00 deferred bonus, plus health care. This does not include the 400,000.00 in bag money from whomever. I really pray that AG Wagner comes into town with the biggest posse in state history and runs all these low lives out of town and into prison. Maybe they can join Fumo, Dewiese, and Chivarella. The whole system is out of control and again I do not have an answer but there has to be one....— WCJRJR
- Thanks for posting the separation agreement Kristen! If my math is correct, she'll be getting the original $1.5M she was asking, if you factor in the vacation/sick days, life insurance, medical benefits, retirement money to PSERS, the cell phone, laptop and desktop computers. Taxpayers were fooled again. And how about the 3 PR staffers with lucrative contracts that were fired on Monday, did the SRC release how much money will be paid to them as well?— sdp_parent
- So glad to hear the overblown PR department will be pared down to something less reprehensible. She's getting computers? Is this because she can't afford her own IPad?
— Stand for Something - I just learned that in addition to her 900,000 buy out- she gets her sick/personal/vacation pay, her car and driver and health insurance to 2013.
CASA members are voting on whether or not to give back the raise until 2013. I say H--- No!!! Why should I give them anything. They raised my taxes to pay off Ackerman and give Promise Academy principals great big bonuses. CASA member vote NO NO NO— ashmead - Thanks for posting the Release of Claims/Agreement, Kristen.
Wow!!! What a one-sided agreement! Must have been prepared by Ackerman's lawyers.
Her release/agreement includes:
Pension contributions up to $130,000;
the $905,000 buyout;
21 days to review agreement before signing;
Ackerman can revoke the agreement within 7 days after she signs it;
Payment of health care benefits through through June 2013;
Payment of a premium for a life insurance policy worth $500,000;
Ackerman gets to keep her laptop and cell phone (she has to pay for her own plan);
SRC agrees not to contest any claims for unemployment she might file;
Ackerman agrees not to sue the SRC or the SDP or make any claims against them.
Unbelievable. Only in Philly.
— puzzled2 - All this from a district who had to lay teachers off?? What is really going on at 440?— bastowgonzalez
Comment removed.- It's a good thing she's at peace now, because in the afterlife, she'll be burning in hell. Rotten woman.— savealife
- The incompetent, corrupt, and racist Arlene C. Ackerman is an EPIC failure on every conceivable level!— phillyfanboy
- Corbett is going to sit by and let the ship sink. There will be no life preserver, only an iron anvil thrown to the sinking ship. He cut education funding by $1 billion even as he increased funding for prisons by 1 by $1.1 billion. The state is building three new prisons. Some of them are privately owned. In other words, they will use slave labor to turn a profit for the owners.— tom-104
- The buyout proves what the Ackerman supporters have been saying. If they could have fired her, they would have. There was nothing that they could fire her for based on the contract. Politicians were behind this and the SRC needs to answer questions. The taxpayer pays for this school district and the SRC need to explain their actions. Is Corbett still govenor? Where did he go? The state is responsible for oversight. Republicans demanded that they take over the schools in Philadelphia. Where are they? What an empty suit we elected govenor.— MikeP
- I would like to remind everyone that the amount of $905,000 is not the total amount to be paid out....I don't believe that unused sick time was factored in, nor was her health insurance which I believe will be paid until 2012 or maybe 2014, nor was her unused personal leave factored in...and there might also be vacation time that has not been factored in. The figure of $905,000 is not the full amount to be paid. But in any event, it appears that a probe will be done and hopefully, an itemized statement will be released to the public on the total amount spent. There is more to come about this story. We will all have to wait and see.— LadySLR
- @Bob G- that's exactly what she's doing, getting rich off these positions. A true educator would have a conscience. As citizens and parents what are WE going to do about our next Supseintendent? Do we have a role here?— Filly5
- What do you have to hide if you are wealthy enough to make a large donation? Nothing. Some people don't want public exposure for whatever reason. If they want their private life to be private, that's their choice. There deosn't need to be a reason and they don't need to explain to anyone why they want to be anonymous. You see anaonymous donations to cultural organizations like the Philadelphia Museum of Art that would garner praise for the donor. Some people don't want the attention.— MikeP
- They didn't say anything about healthcare for life....did they??? Maybe she got to keep the Escalade,too...whoops...I guess she doesn't drive. This is the second time that her incompetance has paid off in big bucks. This is not really funny.— sueneely
- Kristen thanks for the coverage. This is one hot ghetto mess. I hang my head in shame for a city that I love and a school district to which I have devoted a large portion of my life. I will, however, continue to hold my end of the banner for the children of Philadelphia.— x-ray
- Great pic of Archie, he looks like a gnome!— dogman5
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- Wow, looks like all the sparks ignited after I left the meeting (@4pm). Glad I left when I did.— puzzled2
- At least the pro-Ackerman folks did ask the important question of where the secret funds were coming from. I can see the private donors backing out now because the heat is on. That takes care of the $405,000. Now if only we can get back the $500,000 of taxpayer money.— puzzled2
- Of course, the Pro-Ackerman crowd played the race card. But the funny thing was, because of their obstruction of the meeting and sideline yelling, they missed when the bill was passed because the items were voted on in blocks. The Ackerman deal was SRC-53 and was grouped with surrorunding SRC numbered items. Pam Williams came next to me as I was standing against the wall (standing room only) and told one of her backers that the number they were to listen for was SRC-53. I guess they had planned to make a big uproar. I laughed when it passed and there was no uproar. I guess they needed help with where 53 is on a number line. Priceless.— puzzled2
- Get rid of them all. No bonuses, no payouts, just get rid of these corrupt cronies.— farhorizons
- @MikeP: i don't understand your reasoning. What is there to hide if you are wealthy enough to make that kind of donation. Political favors are expected when people write these kinds of checks.— Mezike23
- Just got back from the SRC meeting (left early). What a circus!!! The SRC Board had no control over the meeting. Allowed people to yell out of turn with no consequences (i.e., removal). Allowed speakers to go over the board policy of 3 minutes per person. Some thought because of Novella Williams' age that she had some right to speak for however long she wanted. Unbelievable. No wonder the TV news reporting is so slanted. All pro-Ackerman speakers. Why in the world are these meeting held at 2pm on Wednesday. Why not at 7pm?
Then again, based upon the thug mentality of the pro-Ackerman speakers, if I were a parent of children in the Phila. school system, I would opted to submit a written response to be entered into the record of the meeting.— puzzled2 - Comment removed.
- I agree she had a contract. However, being a distraction to the progress of the school district should be adequate grounds to fire her without a buyout. There is much more to this story and I hope the Inquirer will pursue it.— BobSG
- Haven't heard the name Novella Williams since her "Citizens for Progress" public service announcements in the 70s.— krammar
- She had a contract. The city wanted to break the contract be removing her when there was no contractual basis for her removal. A settlement was negotiated and, very generously, Ackerman took significantly less than she was contractually entitle to. The city didn't want to pay for the settlement so they raised funds from private donors. The donors made a donation to a non-profit which turned around and gave it to Ackerman. Did the foundation do anything illegal? That's the only open issue that anything can be done about. As far as the identification of the donors goes, it's a request with no legal basis. It's the right thing to do from a ethical point of view so we can be sure that the donor doesn't receive any favors from the city or state in exchange for the donation. I doubt there's anything illegal about what the donors did. People make anonymous donations to schools that receive government funding all of the time.— MikeP
- Bob Archie :Your law firm cant be real happy with all this bad PR.— aguckin
- This is never going to end. The district is burning and broke. Yet we still argue over the wake of Hurricane Arlene.— poogie
- Pamela Williams is a big mouth no nothing idiot..
— bull****meter - I must say most of you are nuts..First you scream for the Queen's head and now all you do is complain. first of all I promise you that 90% of the PSD employees applaud her removal. It is disturbing that she was paid anything but perhaps to have less distration and far lower atty fees this was a great idea. I would give the pvt donors a medal of appreciation for helping rid the city of a major problem..Focus on the big picture folks..The PSD had becoms dysfunctional under the Queen and her imperious manner.. This will prove to be $$$ well spent..— bull****meter
- Well said. Just be happy that she is gone and let's move on. If people keeping pushing about the buyout and who paid for it then it will ultimately be more trouble than it is worth. Unless the school district presented a clear reason on why she was let go, which they really didn't, it was no way she was going to walk away without money. She had a contract people, if the school district fired her without a clearly defined cause she is owed her money. She actually took less than what she was owed which is shocking. Please, just let her go and let's move on to more important matters. — mat719
- Didn't we just pay $ 905,000. to get rid of that legacy?? These people have absolutely no shame, no morals, no embarrassment over the huge joke that they are. Unbelievable !! These people should really be tarred and feathered and run outta town on a rail. If ever that punishment was justified, it is here !!!— cgraham
- Nunery:"We want to extend the legacy of Dr. Ackerman." Which legacy you speak about? The corruption, the dictatorial, egomaniacal regime, the cheating on tests, the intimidation of teachers and SDP employees, the top of the line electronic equipment not getting to the schools because it stays @ 400 with the "leadership team," the dubious contracts, the favoritism or what? Enlighten us, please, inquiring minds want to know...— sdp_parent
- Amen. — Devoted Teacher
- Anyone who brings his "fear" of God into public discussions is a liar. It's manipulative to mention his race/ethnicity to the crowd. He's a liar. Get him out. I'm sick of paying for liars.— omseeker
- If there is nothing to hide, why not come clean with the donors? This entire thing smells...and smells really bad. But of course, as John Street so proudly & loudly declared for all to hear..."the brothers & sisters are running the city!"— kelprod2
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- She should have stuck them with the entire 1.5 million as far as I'm concerned. It's amazing how the head of the SRC can engage in unethical behavior by feeding his friends Charter School Contracts but the mayor is deciding with him to fire the superintendent when she doesn't back his play. What ever happened to that investigation he was preparing on Mr. Archie?— gst
- Ackerman has made a successful career of getting fired and could get rich in the process.— BobSG
- How many more highly paid SDP staffers will have their contracts bought out in the same manner as Ackerman? The SRC needs to answer those questions as well. How much more money will be dished out to private citizens by Philadelphia's Children First Fund? Release the name of the donors also. The whole transaction has the appearance of impropriety.— sdp_parent
- How many more highly paid SDP staffers will have their contracts bought out in the same manner as Ackerman? The SRC needs to answer those questions as well. How much more money will be dished out to private citizens by Philadelphia's Children First Fund? Release the name of the donors also. The whole transaction has the appearance of impropriety.— sdp_parent
- Committee of 70 is really a tool for business interests in the city. However, they can make themselves useful in this case.— Tyrone Biggums
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- This is nothing but government-sponsored money laundering, plain & simple. The practice of giving negotiated contracts containing golden parachutes to Political Appointees & executives of Public entites should be suspended.
People like Carl Green and Queen Arlene should have been at-will employees. Each should have recieved just a 2-weeks severance with her swift kick to the curb.— Lancer248 - with a poor record of teaching even the basics, a white person would never again be able to find a job, even if he/she paid the school district. but here in philly no shame or no blame. only poorly educated kids. lord love a duck.— Miss M.
- How isn't this financial inducement a bribe? Isn't anyone offended that a public servant--even a bad one--can be leveraged out of office with a privately funded inducement? Philadelphia's schools only reflect the city, a disaster of undemocratic cronyism safe from public scrutiny because there is no opposition party with any power and there is no law.— Vincent Gaitley
- The names of the private donors will open a window into the private power brokers behind the throne.— BobSG
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- What is Stalberg and Seventy going to do when Archie and Nutter ignore this? Are they going to endorse Karen Brown for Mayor? Give us a break Stalberg. Do something besides write press releases and constantly give quotes to journalists.— Serpico
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- Real simple a pubic employee got a payoff what the hell is wrong with the people of this city? End of story!!!!— chesterfield
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- Zack Stalberg, a man of integrity, should aggressively pursue this case.— Disco Dave
During the school year, you’ll frequently find her hosting live chats about the district on Philly.com. Please do pass along the scoop about what’s going on at your Philadelphia public school; Kristen welcomes tips, story ideas and witty banter at kgraham@phillynews.com or 215-854-5146.
You can also follow Kristen on Twitter here.
