DN Editorial: School district drama is not just on Ackerman
JUST WHEN Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's career in Philadelphia jumped the shark - that television term describing the moment a show starts its irreversible end - depends on whom you ask. Some maintain her handling of the racial violence at South Philadelphia High. Others point to her intervention in a contract, and others to the whopping budget deficit. We've reserved judgment, because we believe success or failure in that job is too complicated to be summed up in one action.
JUST WHEN Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's career in Philadelphia jumped the shark - that television term describing the moment a show starts its irreversible end - depends on whom you ask. Some maintain her handling of the racial violence at South Philadelphia High. Others point to her intervention in a contract, and others to the whopping budget deficit. We've reserved judgment, because we believe success or failure in that job is too complicated to be summed up in one action.
Another reason we've hesitated is that it's too easy to claim Ackerman failed without acknowledging exactly why, and what happens next. How exactly do we define success or failure in that job, anyway?
Yesterday, the fact that her supporters felt it necessary to escort her into the district building felt like the real jump-sharking moment. It underscored just how frayed the relationship is between Ackerman and the city.
Since it is a relationship, it's time for the city to own up to its part in this fraying. That means all of us. However you define Ackerman's tenure, we all have played a part. Here's what we can do to avoid this the next time:
* Don't hire a superstar. In 1994, nationally recognized David Hornbeck was hired to lead the schools. He was gone in six years. In 2002, Paul Vallas came from Chicago; he lasted five. Neither had a happy parting. There's a trend here: Big names, big expectations. In fact, we'd argue that the next school leader should be someone local, someone who is invested in the city, who understands the peculiar nuances of the city's racial and political landscape.
Besides, a superstar's first task is usually to tear down the existing system and remake it. We end up killing things that work.
* In fact, don't hire a superintendent . In the midst of both academic and political reform, public education has become hugely complicated. It's misguided to expect a single person to have the academic chops to redefine curriculum, and the skill to navigate state and local politics, and the financial nimbleness to do sophisticated budgeting, and the management skill to build a cohesive system out of many fractured parts. There is no hero out there with the answer. Public education is a team effort.
* No more contracts. While not elected, the head of the schools is a public servant. He or she serves at the will of the people. A long term, highly lucrative contract means they can be immune to public pressure.
* Fix the SRC. Or kill it. Even if it's only rumor, the idea of generating private donations to buy out Ackerman's contract is a billboard of failure for the School Reform Commission. In fact, the SRC has been a disaster at managing Ackerman's tenure. Whether or not the schools remain in control of the state, the governance structure needs overhauling.
We can't afford this kind of disruptive school drama again.