Arlene Ackerman facts for kids

Arlene C. Ackerman (born January 10, 1947 – died February 2, 2013) was an American educator. She was a leader in public education, serving as the top boss, or superintendent, for major school districts. These included the District of Columbia Public Schools, the San Francisco Unified School District, and the Philadelphia Public Schools.

Arlene Ackerman's Education Journey

Arlene Ackerman loved learning! She earned her highest degree, a doctorate, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This degree focused on how to run schools and make big plans for education. She also held a Master of Arts degree from Harvard University. Before that, she earned another Master of Arts in education leadership from Washington University in St. Louis. Her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, was from Harris Stowe Teacher's College in St. Louis, Missouri. Later, she received an honorary degree from Trinity College in May 2000.

Arlene Ackerman's Career in Education

Arlene Ackerman had a lot of experience in schools. She started as a classroom teacher for younger students and middle schoolers. She also worked as a principal, leading a middle school.

Early Roles in Education

Her career included helping students get ready for college through the Upward Bound Program. She also directed a program called the Basic Skills Academy for high school students who needed extra help. She moved up to roles like Assistant Superintendent, focusing on special services and improving how lessons were taught. Eventually, she became a Deputy Superintendent, helping to lead the entire academic side of a school district.

Leading Schools in Washington, D.C.

In August 1997, Arlene Ackerman became a top leader for the D.C. schools. She was appointed by the chief executive, James W. Becton, Jr.. At that time, a special board helped manage the finances for the District of Columbia. Arlene Ackerman became the superintendent of the D.C. public schools in May 1998, serving until July 2000.

Superintendent in San Francisco

From August 2000 to June 2006, Arlene Ackerman was the superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District. She made history as the first woman to hold this important position in the district.

Achievements in San Francisco Schools

During her time in San Francisco, the school district was recognized for its improvements. It was even chosen as one of the top five urban school districts in the country for the 2005 Broad Prize for Urban Education. San Francisco's public schools had 62,000 students and 117 schools. They showed five years of steady improvement in student achievement. The district also became known as the best-performing large urban school district in California during her last two years.

Ackerman worked to make education fair for all students. She made sure that schools with lower-performing students received extra support. She also introduced a "weighted student formula." This meant that schools received different amounts of money for each student, depending on their specific needs. Another change was "site-based budgeting," which gave individual schools more control over their own money. After these changes, most schools that were struggling started to improve. All student groups showed better results, scoring above state and national averages in reading and math.

Challenges and Departure in San Francisco

Arlene Ackerman worked hard to manage the district's money carefully, especially when funds were tight. This sometimes led to disagreements with the teachers' union. In September 2005, the school board decided that it was time for her to leave. They agreed on her resignation within the next year. Some people felt she was "forced out" because of ongoing disagreements within the leadership. She later had a disagreement with the district about her final payment, but she dropped her lawsuit the following month.

Working in New York

After leaving San Francisco, Arlene Ackerman joined Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. She became the Director of the Urban Education Leaders Program. This program helps public school leaders earn their doctorate degrees. She also chaired the Superintendents and Scholars Symposium. In 2006, she became a professor there, holding a special position called the Christian A. Johnson Professor of Outstanding Educational Practice.

Leading Schools in Philadelphia

In 2008, Arlene Ackerman became the superintendent for the Philadelphia public schools. She created a five-year plan called "Imagine 2014." This plan aimed to improve schools and get more resources for those that needed them most. Under her leadership, for the first time since the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, half of all Philadelphia schoolchildren met the standards on state exams. However, questions were raised about the fairness of some test results during this time.

After three years, Arlene Ackerman decided to leave her role in Philadelphia. She reached an agreement with the Philadelphia School Reform Commission to resign. She received a payment of $905,000, plus $86,000 for unused vacation time. In November 2011, she surprised many by applying for unemployment benefits.

Awards and Recognitions for Arlene Ackerman

Arlene Ackerman received many awards and honors throughout her career. These included the Apple for the Teacher Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Harris Stowe Teachers College. Harvard University's Urban Superintendents Program also recognized her work.

She served on The President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This group advises the President and the Secretary of Education on how to make these important institutions stronger. In 2004, the National Association of Black School Educators named her 'Superintendent of the Year'.

In 2010, she received the Richard R. Green Award for Urban Superintendent of the Year from the Council of Great City Schools. This award honored her important contributions to city schools and students. As part of this award, Ackerman received a $10,000 college scholarship to give to a student. She chose Emilio Garcia, a 2011 graduate of the district, to receive the scholarship. In 2011, she also received the Effie Jones Humanitarian Award. This award celebrates leaders who promote educational equity and excellence.

She held a special teaching position at Teachers College, Columbia University. President Barack Obama and United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan praised Ackerman and her team. They recognized her approach to helping struggling schools in the District of Columbia improve.

Death

Arlene Ackerman passed away in Albuquerque, New Mexico on February 2, 2013. She died from pancreatic cancer.

See Also

• Superintendent (education)