THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY CRUZ, YOUNGBLOOD, McGEEHAN, W. KELLER, SABATINA, KORTZ AND M. O'BRIEN, FEBRUARY 23, 2011

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 23, 2011  

A RESOLUTION

Memorializing the Mayor of Philadelphia to prohibit any employee

of the School District of Philadelphia from giving himself or

herself an extension of contract, a raise or a bonus by

contract or otherwise unless the General Assembly permits

such action under the Public School Code of 1949. 

WHEREAS, The School District of the City of Philadelphia,

like governments everywhere, is struggling financially and is

cutting $49 million from this year's $3.2 billion budget and

decreasing at least $400 million next year; and

WHEREAS, In the midst of the layoffs, school closings, hiring

freezes, larger class sizes and other cutbacks these large

spending decreases will necessitate, School Superintendent

Arlene Ackerman continues to draw her generous salary of

$348,000 and, in fact, can draw an additional $100,000 bonus in

accordance with her contract; and

WHEREAS, Nowhere in the Public School Code of 1949 does State

law allow a school employee to extend his or her own contract or

give oneself a raise or a bonus, and yet those unconscionable

allowances are exactly what Superintendent Ackerman's contract

allows her to do; and

WHEREAS, Section 17 of Article I of the Constitution of

Pennsylvania prohibits the impairment of contracts by the

General Assembly, but this prohibition anticipates not only the

fairness of the contract but also the fairness of its execution;

therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives memorialize the

Mayor of Philadelphia to prohibit any employee of the School

District of Philadelphia from giving himself or herself an

extension of contract, a raise or a bonus by contract or

otherwise, unless the General Assembly permits such action under

the Public School Code of 1949.