School commission chief resigns after Newsworks/Notebook investigation

Robert Archie’s surprise resignation today as chairman of the commission that runs Philadelphia schools is slightly less of a surprise to regular readers of Newsworks and the Philadelphia Public School Notebook.

If you haven’t seen it yet, you should read Bill Hangley’s exclusive story on how former schools chief Arlene Ackerman says she was warned months ago that embarassing financial information would come out about her if she didn’t get her “mind right” about who should run Martin Luther King High.

Soon thereafter, a TV report said Ackerman owed back taxes.

Ackerman declined to tell Hangley who had issued this warning, but said she’d given the name to Joan Markman, Mayor Nutter’s chief integrity officer who conducted an investigation into the Martin Luther King controversy.

To find out why Archie is connected to this mess, read Hangley’s story here.

It’s just the kind of careful, public-spirited reporting that the collaboration between Newsworks and The Notebook was created for.

I expect we’ll see much more on this developing in the coming days including, I hope, the release of Markman’s report, which I’m told has been finished for weeks.

Meanwhile, appreciate Hangley, The Notebook and Newsworks. If you’re moved, there’s a yellow Support Newsworks button above.