Submitted by Philly HS Teacher (not verified) on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 07:45.

Interestingly, the same day, Dr. Ackerman sent an email to all SDP staff. It appears to be part of the same "media relations" efforts. I will share most of it below and readers may draw their own conclusions.

The letter begins with a post holiday greeting and states we are living in "challenging and difficult times." She refers to the economy and reminds everyone to put "children first." She then paraphrases Dr. King - "our success" is measured "where we stand now - in the midst of challenge and controversy."

"When students feel unsafe, threatened or afraid in any school, their feelings are real and we need to address them. Knowing that the prejudices that exist among us, seeing how the media glorifies violence and criminal behavior, and acknowledging how decades of academic decline and inattention to changing student populations has collided may help us to understand why schools become unsafe and students resort to violence. But, in the long run, all this knowledge, along with increased security measures, will do very little to change hearts and minds.

As adults we are accountable for all our children and it is our responsibility to teach then well and lead by example. If we show students how to resolve conflict, and how to embrace and learn from their differences, I believe they will learn how to live their own lives with intelligence and character."

It concludes with a quote from Michelangelo on not aiming "high enough" and tells staff to "aim higher and higher and keep our eyes on the prize."

Submitted by Aissia Richardson (not verified) on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 07:48.

Staff can't control negative press about the District. Dr. Ackerman's actions hint that the managed chaos that is the Philadelphia School District is unmanageable. When PR staff are immediately fired, it gives the impression that the message is more important than the work. Had the work been done to address violence in our schools, perhaps the messengers would still have their jobs. The School District needs to stop expulsion "court" and punishment and sytematically address the root causes of violence in schools. Expelling your way out of the problem is a problem. It merely shifts the responsibility to other bureacracies. Why do students come to school angry? Why have so many schools become places where children socialize instead of learn? Why has the student and parent voice been stifled at many schools?

Everyone wanted Dr. Ackerman to succeed when she came to Philadelphia. In her second year as superintendent, has she squandered that good will by her inability to depersonalize negative reactions to institutional pathologies?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 08:10.

Interesting- I thought Sample-Oates would be the one leaving after the "taking up a lot of my time" quote. So Ms. Ackerman axes the people with the experience in the school system, and leaves the rookie to run the show. Is Fernando Gallard next? I always wondered why he wasn't made the Chief Communications Officer, and why Sample-Oates was - her recent background is in private medical transport.

Submitted by anonyous (not verified) on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 08:29.

So Ackerman fired the parties responsible for her negative statements and actions. That is so unfortunate. Who will be responsible for her next blunder? Besides, I thought they were her words and her actions?
Look, this women needs people to blame. Why else would she seek to spend taxpayer money to find others who can manage schools successfully.
Based on Aissia's comments above, which I agree with, Dr. Ackerman's only supporters are political appointees who besides knowing how to spell education, can't even form a question on the subject, let alone recognize a good answer.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 09:54.

This woman may be the WORST hires I have ever seen in my 40 years of living in the Philly area. Wow. She really needs to be terminated. I get laughed when I say I work for the district. And I usually get a comment about the Queen who has no clue that is in charge. Disgrace.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 11:40.

Doesn't Evelyn Sample-Oates earn almost $180,000 as chief communications officer? How much are the contracts for Ross Associates and Cardenas-Grant? When we're asked to "put children first" I can't believe Philadelphia kids are paying to have a communications team dismiss school violence as "taking up a lot of my time" and be REWARDED for that message. Appalling.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 11:41.

Community advocates don't have PR people. Parents don't have PR people. Students don't have PR people. Communications should be about....communicating. Not about spin. And why are tax dollars being spent on helping to beef up the public image of one of those new generation of "alien invader superintendents" who land the mother ship in a given city, suck it dry, and then take off, with no accountability to anything they left behind. I've been watching the south Philadelphia high School incident with increased dismay at the utter lack of accountbaility this administration feels toward the residents of this city, who she will surely leave behind once things get "too tough." Too bad our students don't have that same golden parachute of escape. Too bad our SRC lacks the spine to hold her publically accountable. Too bad administration in public education has now become more about managing PR than addressing fundamental academic inequity.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 16:00.

Why is it so easy to fire proven professionals when Arlene's ego is hurt, but so hard to fire Lagreeta Brown, the principal of South Philly High when over 30 students get hurt?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 16:01.

It's a crime if Sample-Oates is making $180,000 per year - she has less education than most first year teachers. Where is her masters degree- she's been out of college for 20 years! So much for valuing education and modeling for the students.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 22:24.

Sadly, those were two central office professionals who often were on the other end of a phone when principals had great stories to tell about their schools or needed advice on how to handle a difficult situation. Why are we firing the people who were responsive to the people in schools and spending money on consultants who are invisible to principals?

And yes, I think a lot of people wonder why Fernando Gallard isn't running district communications.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 12:11.

I don't that Fernando Galard is the answer to the Communications. At the end of the day, Ackerman doesn't listen to anyone. She pays a bunch of consultants who don't come up with any original ideas, then changes plans at the very last moment (making all the money spent on consultants a total waste), communications puts in the long hours to do what she wants (even if they advised her that her idea was bad), and she fires them when her ill-concieved and poorly-planned scheme doesn't work out. Ackerman is a failure who is adept at blaming others for her inadequacies.

Submitted by smith (not verified) on Sun, 08/14/2011 - 00:20.

miss shaw someone ask her about her contracts at the DRPA she is connected to alot of other no good stinky goverment people it is amazing what people can do when you know the right people the so called good guys they suck