The history surrounding Dr. Arlene Ackerman has shown how the windows of fiscal and moral tolerance are far, far more pliant and forgiving for her than they were for anyone else. Her immediate predecessor, Paul Vallas, terminated amidst a shortfall of $70M+/- or roughly 1/9 of the magnitude for which Archie and Ackerman are clearly responsible. Anyone else would have been terminated long before their operating mistakes approached anywhere near the scandalous and despicable magnitude of Ackerman's: 12/3 of '9 at South Philadelphia High School, the oversight of her tax obligations in April 2011, Hope Moffet and the $1B budgetary shortfall. These errors were every bit as foreseeable as the consequences were inexcusable!
The irresponsibility on her part was simple. Conceptually, so is the solution. Terminate the S.R.C. and return control of the schools to Philadelphia. Close about 50 charters and consolidate any sparsely attended buildings by selling them for whatever the market will bear. Collecting the preponderance of $650M+/- in unpaid property taxes immediately would also help. So would rescinding Imagine 2014 in its entirety. Rooting out the waste, fraud and abuse starting in the uppermost levels of city government is essential as is a 5-year forensic audit of district financials.
Mayor Nutter’s propitiation of political correctness through his remarkable silence on all of these issues misses the point. The immaturity of A.V.I. misses the form. Hard-working and productive people deserve a city government and school system which subsist within their means and treat people (including teachers) fairly and professionally. City Council, the S.R.C. and especially Mayor Nutter need to wise up. The fiscal and moral imperatives of our city demand it. The Age of Error must end.