Should Philly elect its school board? City Council to hold hearings on concept

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — City Council plans to hold hearings on whether the Philadelphia Board of Education should be elected. The move comes after Mayor Cherelle Parker clashed this week with Council over her board appointments.

Philadelphia is the only school district in Pennsylvania where the mayor appoints members of the school board. City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, chair of the education committee, introduced a resolution on Thursday to hold hearings on whether the city should explore an elected board.

“I think what happened recently put us in a position where we felt like this is the perfect time to revisit the conversation,” he said, “and to, again, explore why the system we currently have doesn't work.”

He said the current system “fosters a dynamic between parties that encourages confusion and distrust,” and that he favors a hybrid board, where some members are appointed and others are elected.

“You have a lot of people who are in favor of a fully elected school board and you have a lot of people who really don't like the model that we have right now,” said Thomas, “so I've always advocated for what I thought would be the happy compromise.”

Any revision of the system would require a change to the city’s home rule charter, which would require the approval of voters. Thomas’ move comes days after Parker asked former board president Joyce Wilkerson to continue serving, despite Council’s objections .