Days after former schools superintendent Arlene Ackerman agreed to a $905,000 buyout to step down, the war of words between her and Mayor Michael Nutter continues.
During an interview with Education Week, Ackerman said Nutter was to blame for threatening the elimination of full-day kindergarten during the district’s budget crisis in May.
“I really didn’t want to do it. I really didn’t feel good about it,” Ackerman said. “But I’m trying to play the politics here.”
Ackerman also told Fox29 that School Reform Commission Chairman Robert Archie said Nutter was the one who called for her resignation.
Nutter responded on Thursday to what he called “a number of mischaracterizations and inaccuracies.”
“It’s clear that she is now on a full-blitz media tour and obviously has the time to do that. I, on the other hand, have a job to do, which is running this city, staying focused on getting schools open on Tuesday, Sept. 6. And I am not going to engage in a public back-and-forth of ‘he said, she said’ with a former school district employee who willingly and without reservation signed an agreement — was not fired, she signed an agreement — which will result in a payout of nearly $1 million,” Nutter said.
Regarding full-day kindergarten, Nutter clarified the events. “What we said is if you don’t have the funding source to pay for that item then an honest budget requires you to now put that item on a list of potential cuts.”
