Ackerman, Nutter tout District gains
by Dale Mezzacappa on Jul 08 2010 Posted in Latest news
Mayor Nutter and Superintendent Arlene Ackerman held a meeting with about 70 business, civic and political leaders Thursday morning to tout gains on the state PSSA and brag that the District is moving in the right direction under her Imagine 2014 reforms -- but that this progress is not being recognized by the public or in the media.
Officials are frustrated that no matter what improvements Philadelphia makes, it still has the reputation of being a sinkhole of state money and a chronically underachieving district. Especially by those in Harrisburg, gains are dismissed as temporary, not enough, or a fluke.
Lori Shorr, the Mayor's chief education advisor, was disappointed that the Inquirer buried inside the B section the news of what she considers a "tipping point:" that more than half the students are proficient in reading and math. The news was unexpectedly made public at a School Reform Commission meeting last month.
"We wanted to talk directly to opinion leaders," Shorr said in an interview after the