Central Office

Calling it "an enormous, enormous challenge," acting superintendent Leroy Nunery yesterday said the Philadelphia School District is determined schools will open Sept. 6 "in a systemic and orderly" way. "We've got to restore confidence that the public has in public education," Nunery said at a news conference a day after he was named to replace Arlene Ackerman. "It's not going to be easy given all the things that have happened around us. But I think we have an opportunity to restore that confidence, that sense of pride in how people identify with the schools that they go to. " Nunery promised a better relationship with labor unions, including granting greater access to information and communication with district headquarters.

THE CITY'S Department of Homeland Security is still trying to figure out who sent a bomb threat to the school district over the weekend. District officials on Sunday said that an email addressed to Superintendent Arlene Ackerman contained a threat to detonate a bomb at lunchtime yesterday. The email included several complaints against the district and was directed toward Ackerman and staff. On Sunday, four bomb-sniffing dogs and a host of police officers searched district headquarters, near Broad and Spring Garden streets, but found nothing.

In a surprise move, the Philadelphia School District agreed Friday to halt its effort to fire outspoken English teacher Hope Moffett and allow her to return to the classroom on Monday. The decision was made when the district agreed to settle a First Amendment lawsuit filed by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers in federal court last week on Moffett's behalf. "It's miraculous," Moffett said when reached by phone Friday night. "This is like the best-case scenario. " Moffett will instead face a five-day suspension that will proceed to an expedited arbitration, and the union will argue that the Audenried High School teacher should face no disciplinary action.

For the last two years, as the federal government doled out millions for education spending, the School District of Philadelphia has enjoyed an increase in teacher hires, resources and student achievement. But with massive financial uncertainty looming, district officials now face the daunting task of restructuring the way they do business. And that may include deep cuts across the board, from central office staff to teachers to music and sports. Deputy Superintendent Leroy Nunery said that if the district doesn't get enough money from the city or state to plug the hole, the district should prepare for layoffs and budget cuts.

Philadelphia Superintendent Arlene Ackerman said Wednesday that city students' state test scores are up for the eighth consecutive year. "For the first time ever, more than half of our students now score in the proficient or advanced level," Ackerman said in brief remarks before the School Reform Commission. Students in third through eighth grade and eleventh grade took the exams in reading and math this spring. Ackerman also said that the district's "Empowerment" schools - 105 chronically failing schools given extra supports and closer scrutiny by the central office - mostly showed "significant and dramatic" gains in reading and math.

New Philadelphia schools chief Arlene Ackerman has surrounded herself with a diverse inner circle of educators picked from far and wide, shaking up a historically inbred district with fresh faces. The 14 people Ackerman has tapped are seven women and seven men, most with classroom experience. They include a former Army colonel and a handful of ex-principals. They come from around the country - New York, Detroit, Louisiana, Arizona, California. Most are her former doctoral students from Columbia University or graduates of prestigious national programs she's attended herself.

With dozens of heavy hitters in the arts community looking on, Philadelphia schools chief Arlene Ackerman said yesterday that she would solidify the leadership in art and music education by the end of the month. A central office overhaul stripped the longtime heads of those departments of their jobs, causing supporters to balk and a private contributor to threaten to pull its funding. But at a School Reform Commission meeting yesterday, Ackerman and commission members reiterated their support for arts education and said the upheaval was necessary to ensure equity among all students.

IN THE LAST four years, reports that the region's arts and culture organizations are on shaky financial ground have become more frequent. And troubling. Last year, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance found that though arts and cultural organizations are important assets to the region - they bring in $573 million in revenue annually and do wonders for tourism - far too many live hand-to-mouth. With operating margins at a lean 1.7 percent, many groups lead a precarious existence.

Federal disaster aid is now available for Chester County residents and businesses recovering from the one-two punch of a devastating flood followed a few days later by the winds of Hurricane Isabel. County officials announced yesterday that, starting Friday, a central office staffed by state and county emergency-management officials, as well as by several county agencies, will be open to help those harmed by the two natural disasters. The first step is to call and register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Citing her disagreement with the "magnitude" and rapid pace of the plan to change Philadelphia schools, the district's acting superintendent - a lifelong city resident and graduate of its schools - announced her resignation yesterday. Deidre Farmbry, acting superintendent and chief academic officer, whose career in Philadelphia spans 28 years, will leave July 31. Her departure comes amid a swirl of change in the school district, including this week's expected announcement of the elimination of 300 jobs in the district's central office.