Embattled Superintendent Arlene Ackerman
An editorial in todays’ Inquirer entitled “The Ackerman Migration” sums up my concerns and a common set of sentiments I hear from readers all over the city. Parents are looking for reasons to stay in the city, and some are even taking matters into their own hands to improve their schools. Still, that is the exception. Parents’ confidence in the School District of Philadelphia is plummeting. I guess a year of test scandals, record high deficits, violence, layoffs, budget battles, and various scandals can do that. The city has been squandering a golden opportunity in parents who love urban life. And of course, it’s a vicious cycle–parents fleeing the city reduces the tax base, further squeezing school budgets.
It is hard to have faith in a school district that lays you off, fights your unemployment claim, and does not pay you earned rollover pay. Teachers get no respect. After 15 years, I am searching for a new occupation.