Department of Public Welfare official's behavior over parking space is 'intolerable,' Rep. Ronald Waters says

Published: Wednesday, August 31, 2011, 7:38 AM

By JAN MURPHY, The Patriot-News The Patriot-News


JOE HERMITT, The Patriot-News, file
Norma Kenley-Barber says a state official verbally abused her when she parked in his reserved spot.


A group of black legislators want an investigation into how state Department of Public Welfare officials treat people after a top-level staffer berated a black Harrisburg pastor for parking in his reserved space.

Rep. Ronald Waters, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, sent a letter to Welfare Secretary Gary Alexander calling on him to explain the department’s disciplinary policy for employees who act unprofessionally toward the public.

In particular, Waters, D-Philadelphia, asked what action was taken against Philip Abromats, the former deputy secretary of the Office of Income Maintenance, who lashed out on July 21 at the Rev. Norma Kenley-Barber, 66, for parking her car in his parking place. She ran inside the Health & Welfare Building to use the restroom. Her car had a handicapped placard on the rearview mirror and a clergy sticker displayed.

Waters said in an interview Tuesday that he is concerned about how Abromats’ behavior that day reflects on his attitude toward welfare recipients. He also wonders if Abromats would have treated a young white woman the same way.

“All those things come into play when you are doing stuff like this,” Waters said. “I’m sure he would never want anybody to talk to his mother like that.”

Kenley-Barber reached out to the caucus to seek lawmakers’ assistance in ensuring Abromats was appropriately disciplined for his behavior that day, Waters said.

Department spokeswoman Anne Bale said the department doesn’t comment on specifics regarding personnel matters. She said a department official had a private telephone conversation with Waters’ staff about concerns raised in the letter but declined to elaborate. Waters said he has not spoken directly to any department official about the matter.

Kenley-Barber told the lawmakers that Abromats verbally assaulted her and called her names, including “idiot” and an expletive. Abromats later sent her an apology letter, but Kenley-Barber described it as insincere. Abromats’ prime parking space and state car were taken away after the incident.

In his letter, Waters stated, “Not only is Mr. Abromats a public employee, he is a white male who attacked a black female pastor who suffers from a disability. This type of discriminatory behavior is intolerable.”

Abromats, who was earning $125,184 a year in the deputy secretary post he held since April, was reassigned two weeks ago. He now holds a newly created position of executive director of program audits and regulatory review at a salary that has not yet been finalized, Bale said.

Kenley-Barber said a job reassignment didn’t solve the problem and that he should be removed from any executive-level post. “His behavior must be dealt with. ... I am a minister, and I must be concerned with Mr. Abromats future behavior towards the public,” she stated in an email.

Leaders in Harrisburg’s black community were equally upset over the incident.

Stanley Lawson, president of the Greater Harrisburg Chapter of the NAACP, said Abromats’ behavior is intolerable. “He had every right to question her about taking his spot. But after he got the explanation, he handled himself very poorly, unprofessional.”

Black caucus backs embattled Philly superintendent

KATHY MATHESON, Associated Press
Updated 07:23 p.m., Wednesday, August 17, 2011


State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Philadelphia, center, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, State Sen. Shirley M. Kitchen, left, and State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, D-Philadelphia, right, speak with the media after an emergency meeting for PLBC members, other elected officials, community leaders and stakeholders with Dr. Arlene Ackerman, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia at the school district headquarters Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011, in Philadelphia. (Alex Brandon / AP)


State Sen. LeAnna Washington, D-Philadelphia, a member of the Legislative Black Caucus, speaks with the media after an emergency meeting for PLBC members, other elected officials, community leaders and stakeholders with Dr. Arlene Ackerman, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia at the school district headquarters Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011, in Philadelphia. (Alex Brandon / AP)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Members of the state's Legislative Black Caucus expressed support for embattled Philadelphia schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman on Wednesday amid rumors she might be bought out of her contract.

Lawmakers joined community activists and local clergy in a closed-door meeting at Ackerman's office, emerging about two hours later to call for separate meetings with the mayor and School Reform Commission, the city-state panel overseeing the district.

The legislators — all Democrats from Philadelphia — said complaints about Ackerman's leadership are unwarranted and noted she has boosted test scores, introduced promising reforms and created parent outreach programs.

"We believe that she has what it takes and has proven that she can do what it takes," said Rep. Ronald Waters, adding that Ackerman's contract was extended because of her success.

But, as she gets ready to begin her fourth full school year in the city, Ackerman has seen her support steadily eroding. Critics say she is overpaid, autocratic and a polarizing presence in Pennsylvania's largest district.

She has taken heat for her $348,000 salary — twice what the mayor makes — and the district's unprecedented $664 million spending gap this year, though much of the deficit was due to cuts in federal and state aid.

Ackerman also lost a dispute this week with the teachers union, in which she unsuccessfully attempted to protect staff in her signature school overhaul program from layoffs despite their lack of seniority.

And she caused grief for Mayor Michael Nutter this summer when, after he reneged on a no-new-taxes pledge to raise money for a jeopardized kindergarten program, she found the necessary funds without immediately telling him. Nutter then forced the district to give city and state officials unprecedented access to its financial information.

On Wednesday, Nutter spokesman Mark McDonald said the mayor has an excellent relationship with the black caucus and meets with members regularly. He did not say the same of Ackerman.

"The mayor supports the district and its mission to provide quality education for Philadelphia children, and he certainly supports the education programs that have produced improve graduation rates and test score performance," McDonald said.

School Reform Commission members, who rarely question or debate Ackerman in public, have been characteristically mum — leading to criticism that they are dragging out an untenable situation. The members are nominated by the mayor or governor and confirmed by the state Senate.

Commission chairman Robert Archie Jr.'s most recent statement said simply that "Dr. Ackerman is and continues to be the superintendent" and that members will work with her "to make sure that we have a successful school year."

Caucus member Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams said Wednesday that Ackerman is a victim of outside agendas and that he hopes to "get to the bottom line of what these disgruntled comments are all about."

"It's always been about politicians, it's never been about children, academic performance or, frankly, the contract she signed," Williams said.

Buying out Ackerman, whose contract runs through 2014, could cost up to $1.5 million. But Sen. LeAnna Washington said that won't be necessary.

"I'm convinced that she will stay on the job," Washington said.

Ackerman has said as much herself, remaining adamant about staying in Philadelphia throughout weeks of questions surrounding her tenure.

That remained the case Wednesday, as spokeswoman Jamilah Fraser said the superintendent will continue leading the district's 203,000 traditional and charter school students this fall.

"She looks forward to serving the kids and getting ready for a new school year," Fraser said.

___

Kathy Matheson can be reached at www.twitter.com/kmatheson

Inquirer Article: Arlene Ackerman, under fire as Philadelphia school superintendent, has been staying away from official functions

David M. Warren/Staff Photographer
Activist Sacaree Rhodes (left) said Arlene Ackerman's duties had been given to Deputy Superintendent Leroy Nunery. At right is State Rep. Ronald G. Waters (D., Phila.).


By Kristen A. Graham and Susan Snyder

Inquirer Staff Writers

Where is Arlene Ackerman?

The embattled school superintendent, widely rumored to be at the end of her tenure in Philadelphia, did not attend the School Reform Commission meeting last week.

She was not at a Monday news conference on possible state exam cheating in the Philadelphia School District.

And she was noticeably absent from Tuesday's Superintendent's 2011 Leadership Conference, an annual meeting that serves as a start to the school year.

The event's agenda listed Ackerman as a speaker from 8:45 to 9:10 a.m., but officials told the hundreds of principals and others gathered at Abraham Lincoln High School that she was absent because of circumstances beyond her control.

Assistant Superintendent Penny Nixon read a statement from Ackerman that said in part: "Three years ago I was blessed to be chosen to lead the eighth-largest school district in this country. It has been my honor. Although I could not be with you all today due to circumstances beyond my control, know that I am with you in spirit."

District spokeswoman Jamilah Fraser would not say why Ackerman missed Tuesday's ceremony, but said Ackerman appeared at many events this summer.

"The events that she's been able to go to that have been in her control, she's been able to go to," Fraser said. "When she's able to go, she does go."

Some Ackerman supporters have said she was being directed not to show up at events and was being marginalized.

At a raucous community meeting in Southwest Philadelphia Tuesday night attended by about 50 people, activist Sacaree Rhodes said she had just spoken with Ackerman.

"They have taken all her duties and given them to [Deputy Superintendent Leroy] Nunery," Rhodes said.

She said Ackerman planned to go to work on Wednesday, and supporters said they would walk her into the school administration building.

As Ackerman's supporters met, several sources said a deal was being worked on under which she would receive a buyout substantially less than that called for under her contract, a minimum of $1.5 million. A portion would come from the district and a portion from a private foundation to which donations could be tax-deductible and anonymous, sources said.

Two weeks ago, a prominent business executive active in civic affairs said he was approached last month by a board member from a charitable education group asking for help in raising money to contribute toward an Ackerman buyout. The executive, who requested anonymity, said he rebuffed the request.

Several of Ackerman's supporters emphasized Tuesday night that she had signed no deal.

District spokeswoman Fraser dismissed the talk of an Ackerman buyout as rumors.

At last week's SRC meeting, State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams (D., Phila.) said Ackerman was being frozen out of decision-making.

Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan said Ackerman's latest absence was symptomatic of a larger problem.

"There's just an instability in the district," Jordan said. "People don't know what's happening."

Robert McGrogan, head of the principals' union, called Ackerman's absence from Tuesday's principals convocation "conspicuous" and "surprising."

In previous years, Ackerman has been front and center at the three-day event - giving speeches, announcing awards, and hosting parties for principals. The conference agenda also has Ackerman scheduled to present publicly on Thursday afternoon.

Fraser said Ackerman would be at the conference at some point.

This is not the first time that Ackerman has been paid as a schools chief while staying apart from the day-to-day picture.

For the final five months of her six-year run as head of the San Francisco School District, Ackerman held the unusual title of superintendent emeritus.

Ackerman received her full salary while her deputy ran the district. She served as an adviser to the deputy and used sick and vacation time before departing with $375,000 in severance money.

At the end of June, Ackerman signed a document giving Nunery power to sign documents on her behalf. At the time, she said it was a routine legal document that she had signed in the past.

But now it is unclear whether Ackerman, who has publicly vowed to fight for her job, will be in place when school starts Sept. 6.

In recent months, Ackerman has come under fire for a budget gap of more than $650 million, a widening probe into possible cheating on state tests, and blindsiding Mayor Nutter with a plan to save full-day kindergarten.

Nutter and other politicians had singled out the threat to full-day kindergarten as the greatest danger from state budget cuts.

But the mayor was looped in on the plan just an hour before Ackerman announced it publicly. Their political relationship damaged, Nutter demanded and received an "education accountability agreement" signed by the SRC that provided an unprecedented level of city scrutiny of the district.

Nutter's spokesman said Tuesday that he could not speak about Ackerman's attendance at specific events.

Asked if Nutter still supported Ackerman as superintendent, spokesman Mark McDonald said "the mayor supports the district and its mission to provide quality education for Philadelphia children, and he supports the education programs that have produced improved graduation rates and test-score performance."

Asked again about Ackerman, McDonald said, "That is my comment."

Calls to School Reform Commission Chairman Robert L. Archie Jr. and the other three members of the commission were not returned Tuesday. Neither was a call to Gov. Corbett's office.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact staff writer Kristen Graham at 215-854-5146, kgraham@phillynews.com or on Twitter @newskag. Read her blog, "Philly School Files," at www.philly.com/schoolfiles

Legislators vow support for Ackerman

the notebook
by Benjamin Herold on Aug 17 2011 Posted in Latest news

Several Philadelphia members of the Legislative Black Caucus and a small group of activists huddled with Superintendent Arlene Ackerman Wednesday morning, emerging strong in their support of her and with harsh words for the School Reform Commission and Mayor Nutter.

"We had broad grassroots support of people who love the direction that the Philadelphia School District is headed towards," said state Sen. Ron Waters, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, whose district includes parts of Southwest Philadelphia. "We will stand to protect the right for Dr. Ackerman to perform the duties she has been assigned to do."

State Sen. Anthony Williams questioned the role of the SRC in the District's budget woes and in allowing the leadership situation to fester.

"The SRC was created to make sure the books are balanced," he said. "In that regard, they have failed. In terms of leadership, there are a thousand different versions of who's going to be in charge, so they have failed in that." He called its performance "embarrassing."


Photo: Benjamin Herold
State Sen. Shirley Kitchen appeared at 440 to show her support for Superintendent Ackerman. She called for removal of Robert Archie as chair of the School Reform Commission.State Sen. Shirley Kitchen, head of the Philadelphia delegation, called for SRC chairman Robert Archie to resign.

She cited his handling of the District's leadership situation, budget, and Promise Academies – Ackerman's signature school turnaround initiative.

Kitchen was also critical of Archie's behind-the-scenes involvement at Martin Luther King High during the Renaissance Schools selection process.

Waters said the group would demand meetings with Archie and with Mayor Nutter. Both have declined to articulate their positions on Ackerman amid rumors that her days are numbered, and her departure awaiting only a buyout settlement.

Nutter's press secretary, Mark McDonald, did not respond to a call for comment. Archie's secretary said he was out of town and he did not respond to an email.

"We want to have a meeting with Chairman Archie because we want to hear it from him about his position he has with her," Waters said.

After being absent from events earlier in the week, Ackerman appeared at District headquarters Wednesday morning. She emerged from the building about 11 a.m. to meet with the band of supporters, then went back inside to meet with the legislators.

Besides Kitchen, Williams, and Waters, others present included state Sen. LeAnna Washington, state Rep. Tony Payton, and state Rep. Curtis Thomas.

"I'm convinced that she will stay on the job," said Washington after the two-hour session. She said the meeting was about Ackerman, her future, and how the legislators should deal with the SRC.

"We're going to bring them in and let them know what their responsibilities are and what should be happening," Washington said.

Asked if the School Reform Commission still supports her, Ackerman said, "As far as I know they still support me."

"I am superintendent of schools. I'm going to be here as long as I can," Ackerman added. "I'm going to focus on getting schools open."

She said that the Inquirer's report that a deal is being worked out for a buyout is not accurate.

"We have no negotiations going on right now," said Ackerman.

In response to the scaled-back Promise Academies effort, District spokesperson Jamilah Fraser said Superintendent Ackerman is committed to working within the constraints of the cutbacks, but feels the original model is the best way to support students.

PLBC continues to support Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman

Black pols backing Ackerman
By DAFNEY TALES
Philadelphia Daily News

talesd@phillynews.com 215-854-5084

Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus yesterday officially joined the campaign to protect Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's job and vowed to get to the bottom of rumors that political forces are moving to have her booted.

Meanwhile, in her first public appearance in days, Ackerman was greeted by supporters outside of district headquarters yesterday as she reiterated her commitment to proceed with her plans for the district.

"I'm not going anywhere until I absolutely have to, she said, a day after not attending her annual Superintendent's Leadership Conference.

Despite persistent rumors, Ackerman added that she is not negotiating a buyout package, which sources have priced at $1.5 million. Still, it remains unclear how much longer she will stay at the helm of the $2.7 billion district.

Meanwhile, during the pro-Ackerman rally outside the headquarters, activist Sacaree Rhodes burned a copy of the Inquirer, criticizing the paper for what she described as racist coverage of the schools chief.

"The overwhelming response to our coverage has been largely supportive, but not everyone is going to agree," said Inquirer editor-in-chief Stan Wischnowski. "I strongly stand by our coverage."

State Rep. Ronald Waters described the political leaders' meeting with Ackerman as a "very real" discussion, while state Sen. Shirley Kitchen called for the resignation of SRC Chairman Robert Archie.

Adding to that, state Sen. Anthony Williams questioned the SRC, which oversees the district, and its role in the district's $629 million budget gap.

"They signed off on something and then pointed their fingers in another direction," he said.

Caucus members plan to draft letters to Archie and Mayor Nutter requesting sit-downs, said Waters, who chairs the caucus.

"We want to hear it from him [Archie] about the vision he has for [Ackerman],"Waters said.

Yesterday's meeting follows last week's tempestuous SRC meeting during which Williams accused the board and others of marginalizing Ackerman.

Williams charged that a decision to slash the number of Promise Academies, one of Ackerman's key plans to overhaul troubled schools, was made without her consent.

Mayoral spokesman Mark McDonald said Nutter supports the district and its mission to provide quality education. As for Ackerman, he added, "she's supervised by the SRC and [the mayor] will leave to the SRC those personnel issues."

Archie said through a district spokeswoman that the SRC would continue to work with Ackerman to "make sure that we have a successful school year."

My Annual 2011 Village Family Reunion & Festival!!!

Black 4 year-old boy Misquoted to Sound Violent!