John Flynn ’14
Arlene Ackerman, former Philadelphia School District Head, is now applying for unemployment benefits after receiving a contract buyout. While in charge of the district, Ackerman reportedly had multiple disputes with other government officials. The deficit of the Philadelphia School District under Ackerman reached $629 million, calling for budget cuts and layoffs in many departments. On August 30, just before the new school year, Arlene Ackerman was given a severance package of more than $900,000, including unused vacation and personal days. According to philly.com, $405,000 of the total $988,000 was given by private donors. Leroy D. Nunery II was put in place as the acting superintendent. The city administration and Ackerman came to this agreement; however, the school reform commission plans to allow her to file for unemployment benefits. If Ackerman were to receive unemployment benefits, she would receive the maximum amount, $573 a week. Michael McGeehan, Pennsylvania state representative, issued a news release on pahouse.com, saying that he will try to prevent Ackerman from receiving these benefits. He says that it is “stunningly arrogant.” McGeehan, says he will “put out all stops” to prevent Ackerman from receiving unemployment. He specifically cites Section 402B of the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law which says that a person is ineligible for compensation for any week in which the unemployment is due to voluntarily leaving work without cause of an urgent and compelling nature. McGeehan believes that this violates her agreement and he is “determined to defend [the taxpayers]. Kris Aldridge, a member of the History Department, said that these requests were “unsavory.” Charles Bryant, Upper School History Department Head, said that Ackerman’s request for unemployment benefits is “unseemly.” Overall, Bryant says that it just “looks bad,” as her buyout followed her contract and she even initially earmarked some money from the buyout to the Promise Academies, her charter school initiative. According to McGeehan, Ackerman does not violate her contract or her buyout by filing for these benefits, but her actions “are of unconscionable arrogance … [employment benefits are] there as a safety net for working people who have lost their job and need assistance affording basic needs like food and shelter for themselves and their families.”