City School Stories

Notes from the Field

Submitted by Frank Murphy on August 9, 2011

School district negotiators seem to be making minimal progress in achieving the goal of acquiring $75,000,000 in union contract concessions.  In dealing with an astronomical budget short fall of $629,000,000, employee givebacks are an important element in Arlene Ackerman’s plan to deal with the negative consequences of her extravagant three-year spending spree as Superintendent of Schools.  In previous posts, here and here, I have discussed her imprudent management of district funds.

It isn’t as though union leaders have been universally opposed to discussing the possibility of contract concessions as a way to help chisel away more of the district’s deficit.  Representatives of the bargaining units for district administrators and facility maintenance workers have already reached tentative agreements with district officials.  Members of these two union locals, however, have yet to approve these plans.

The Commonwealth Association of School Administrators had scheduled a membership meeting last Wednesday in order to vote on contract revisions.  This vote was postponed when it was revealed in the local press that Ackerman had granted special bonuses to a handful of seemingly favored principals.  The CASA contract stipulates in articles 6.20 and 6.21 that bonuses may be granted as a salary enhancer to high performing principals.  However the recipients of such a payment are to be determined on the basis of a performance appraisal rubric.  The ten principals whom Ackerman rewarded were not selected in accordance with these conditions. (In one case, they were rewarded for serving on a committee to organize the implementation of one of her pet projects, the Promise Academies.   In the other case, they were rewarded for choosing to return to the Promise Academies.)

This is not the first time that Superintendent Ackerman has ignored the terms of a negotiated contract. Currently the leaders of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers are pursuing an arbitration case related to the district’s failure to follow the contractual process for reducing the work force.  Ackerman has taken the stand that teachers who staff her Promise Academies are exempt from the teacher layoffs that have resulted from the massive budget shortfall.

Both the principal bonuses and the exemption of Promise Academy staff from seniority-based layoffs are decisions that illustrate Ackerman’s disrespect for the entirety of the district community she serves.  This is particularly stinging when one considers that she is asking for unilateral common sacrifices of everyone in that community.  And by continuing her pursuit of funds for a few pet projects that benefit a small percentage of students and staff, Ackerman further insults the larger group from whom she is demanding such sacrifices.

This is unfortunate since prior to her recent actions, union locals had communicated a willingness to assist the district in solving its budget crisis, despite their lack of responsibility for the fiscal calamity currently paralyzing our city’s schools.  PFT president, Jerry Jordon recently said that as long as Arlene Ackerman remains as the leader of the School District, his union would not engage in any discussion of possible contract concessions.

It is certainly understandable that union leaders are now hesitant to bargain. How can you trust a district administration that fails to honor a fairly negotiated agreement?

Our superintendent’s recent actions provide yet another example of why we need a change of leadership in our school district.  Arlene Ackerman has outlived her usefulness in Philadelphia.  It is long past the time that she should show her own willingness to sacrifice for the sake of the children.  She needs to step aside so that we can get on with setting right our troubled district.