Pa. Auditor General 'Disturbed' By Bonuses Paid To Arlene Ackerman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - While State Auditor General Jack Wagner is calling on the commonwealth to fund a Safe Schools Advocate for the School District of Philadelphia, he also has more thoughts about the salary of the Schools Superintendent.
During his Center City visit, Wagner waived the audit of the commonwealth's largest school district, saying the Advocate was needed to deal with violence in the Philadelphia schools.
"A child cannot learn if they're not in a safe environment," he said.
But his cover letter to the School Reform Commission also calls into question what he labels the "disturbing employment contract" awarded to Superintendent Arlene Ackerman.
(Wagner:) "Our issue is that there should not be bonuses with the use of public money."
(Tawa:) "Should the compensation package be changed in the future and how it's structured?"
(Wagner:) "That is an issue that could be dealt with by the general assembly or the reform commission."
Wagner says the SRC should not have allowed such generous terms in her compensation package - especially performance and retention bonuses.
Reported by Steve Tawa, KYW Newsradio
