A few months into office, Mayor Cherelle Parker has made her picks for the Philadelphia Board of Education.
The board member nominees were selected from 122 applicants, narrowed down to 27 by the Educational Nominating Panel, a group also selected by Parker. Next, Philadelphia City Council will hold public hearings and vote on each nominee. If these picks are approved, the new board will start a four-year term on May 1.
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The board oversees the budget, guides curriculum and selects the district's superintendent for the School District of Philadelphia. It can also open and close charter schools in the city.
The nominees are a mix of current board members, former educators and those of different career backgrounds that Parker felt were relevant to the board's work. Parker's nominees are:
• Crystal Cubbage, a former NASA engineer-turned teacher. Cubbage is also the founder of Teachable Moments International and executive director of the Philadelphia Learning Collaborative.
• Cheryl Harper, a former teacher and Philly native who's worked as the director of human resources for the Philadelphia and Camden school districts.
• Whitney Jones, chief financial officer at the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center, a nonprofit working in children's mental and behavioral health.
• Wanda Novales, executive pastor of City Reach Church and founding CEO and principal of the Pan American Charter School.
• Joan Stern, a public finance attorney who focused on state and local funding. Stern formerly served as bond counsel for the district.
Additionally, Parker selected current board members Sarah-Ashley Andrews, Joyce Wilkerson and ChauWing Lam, as well as Board President Reginald Streater, to stay on the board. Three current members applied to stay on the board but were not selected.
"I said I wanted a school board with a diversity of skills, from different neighborhoods, sectors and communities, some with deep knowledge, some with new ideas, a group that truly reflects my vision of One Philly, a United City," said Parker in a statement. "I’m confident we’ve assembled that board, and that they are fully committed to sound governance and the best interests of the 197,000 students in our school system, as well as families, faculty and staff."
These selections follow the resignation of board Vice President Mallory Fix-Lopez, whose last day will be April 18. Fix-Lopez announced her resignation in March, citing time commitment issues and a medical procedure she has scheduled for mid-April.
Parker is scheduled to appear at a press conference Tuesday afternoon alongside her nominees.