Inside this Edition

Issue # 5: Winter 2023

Welcome to this edition of the Board’s quarterly newsletter, where you will find updates on the annual Board reorganization and new leadership, Board Member Wilkerson’s lifetime achievement award, the Charter Schools Office, and the latest Goals & Guardrails progress monitoring report.

A Message from the Board President

As the recently elected Board President, I am deeply appreciative, honored and humbled for the opportunity to serve in this role. I would like to thank my Board colleagues for their vote of confidence in me. However, no person is an island, and I look forward to the Board’s continued support as we continue to do the work for our children.

If not for being a former student who benefited from my public education in Philadelphia, first at Leeds Middle School and then finishing up at Germantown High School, I would not be here today. However, I know in my heart that my educational foundation is what has been the springboard to being in this position and as a practicing attorney in Philadelphia.

I also know that it took a village to raise me as a child and to get me to this place of public trust. I understand because I experienced homelessness, the war on drugs and its impact on our communities, and almost all of the other barriers that our children face today. I credit my collective village (mother, father, family and educators), who together wrapped their arms around me in a way to mitigate those barriers.

My dream is for every child in Philadelphia to have their village wrap their arms around them to mitigate many of the barriers our children now face. Collectively, we all can be that village.

— Reginald L. Streater, Esq., Board President

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The Board Elects New Leaders for 2023

At its December 2022 Action Meeting, the Board of Education held its annual organization meeting and elected new leaders: Reginald L. Streater as President and Mallory Fix-Lopez as Vice President, who immediately began serving their one-year terms. They replace Joyce S. Wilkerson as President and Leticia Egea-Hinton as Vice President, who opted to leave their leadership roles but who will remain on the Board.

Mr. Streater, appointed to the Board in 2021, believes that public education is not only a civil right but also a human right. He is a graduate of Germantown High School and has two children attending a Philadelphia public school. Board President Streater, an attorney at Berger Montague, practicing in the Employment and Unpaid Wage group, is a fierce advocate for historically disempowered people in the law and in the public in general.

Ms. Fix-Lopez, appointed to the Board in 2018, is currently an Assistant Professor of English-ESL (English as a Second Language) at the Community College of Philadelphia and is an adjunct faculty member in Educational Linguistics at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Vice President Fix-Lopez also regularly consults with biomedical research institutions across the United States to support professional development efforts focused on effective science communication for their international researchers. She lives in South Philadelphia with her husband and two children, with one who attends George W. Childs School.

Board Member Joyce Wilkerson Receives a Prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award

Board Board Member Joyce S. Wilkerson received the Benjamin Elijah Mays Lifetime Achievement Award for her longstanding commitment to the educational needs of urban school children. The Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) presents this award each year to recognize current or former school board members who have made a difference for the students they serve.

In 2016, Ms. Wilkerson was appointed to the School Reform Commission by Mayor Kenney, and then Governor Wolf appointed her its Chair in 2016. In 2018, the Mayor appointed Ms. Wilkerson to the Board of Education and then Board Members elected her President, an office she held until December 2022.

During her six-year tenure with the School District, Ms. Wilkerson guided the School District’s transition from the state-controlled School Reform Commission to the locally controlled Board of Education in 2018. The Board then oversaw the transformation of a District in fiscal and academic distress to one that improved educational outcomes for students, while it developed strong financial management, attaining an investment grade rating from Moody’s Investor Services for the first time since 1977.

The Charter Schools Office Supports Board in its Role as Charter School Authorizer

As the governing body for the School District of Philadelphia, the Board of Education’s main role is to oversee all policies and budgetary decisions for the District. But the Board has two other important duties. One is to appoint and evaluate the Superintendent. The other is to serve as the authorizer of all brick-and-mortar charter schools in Philadelphia.

Helping the Board fulfill this mission is the Charter Schools Office (CSO) which helps families make informed decisions about their options for attending charter schools in Philadelphia and holds charter schools accountable to ambitious goals. The CSO promotes high standards and offers meaningful support, while it also preserves charter school autonomy and protects the rights of students and families. The CSO is led by Peng Chao, Acting Chief of the Charter Schools Office, and includes about 16 staff members.

“The Charter Schools Office team is committed to supporting students and families as they navigate the charter sector in Philadelphia and to ensuring that all students have access to schools that challenge them academically, support their well-being, and prepare them for success,” said Mr. Chao.

Board Monitors Progress on Achieving Goals & Guardrails

At its January 26th Action Meeting, the Board of Education held an end-of-year update on the Goals & Guardrails progress monitoring sessions held in 2022. Last year, the Board monitored progress for all five academic Goals and all four Guardrails. As a reminder, Goals & Guardrails is the Board’s five-year strategic plan to raise student achievement. The five academic Goals focus on reading, math and college and career readiness. The Guardrails set the conditions that are necessary for learning. They call for:

Welcoming and supportive schools,
Enriching and well rounded school experiences,
Partnering with parents/family members, and
Addressing racist practices.

In December, the Board monitored progress toward achieving Guardrail 3: Every parent and guardian will be welcomed and encouraged to be partners in their child’s community. The Board reviewed two performance indicators for this Guardrail.

Upcoming Board Meetings

February 23, 2023 - Action Meeting

March 23, 2023 - Action Meeting & Adoption of Lump Sum Statement

April 20, 2023 - Action Meeting & Budget Hearing

About the Board of Education

The Board of Education is the governing body responsible for overseeing all policies and budgetary decisions of the School District of Philadelphia. Additionally, the Board of Education serves as the authorizer for all charter schools in Philadelphia. The Board comprises nine Board Members who are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council. Current Board Members are: Reginald L. Streater, President; Mallory Fix-Lopez, Vice President; Sarah-Ashley Andrews; Julia Danzy; Leticia Egea-Hinton; Chau Wing Lam; Lisa Salley; Cecelia Thompson (not pictured here) and Joyce S. Wilkerson.

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Thanks for Reading Our Newsletter!

Thank you for taking a moment to read our news and to connect with the Board of Education. If you have any comments or questions, please email us at schoolboard@philasd.org .