City Council, in a surprise move, will now consider Joyce Wilkerson’s school board nomination on Monday
Wilkerson’s nomination had previously been held up in the committee, which is comprised of all 17 members of Council.
City Council, it appears, will decide on Monday whether Joyce Wilkerson is reappointed to the Philadelphia School Board.
Council’s Committee of the Whole will consider Wilkerson’s nomination during a hearing at 1 p.m. Monday, according to Vincent Thompson, a spokesperson for Council President Kenyatta Johnson.
Wilkerson’s nomination had previously been held up in the committee, which comprises all 17 members of Council.
After the committee endorsed Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s eight other choices for the school board, Council moved Thursday to confirm them: Reginald Streater, Sarah-Ashley Andrews, ChauWing Lam, Crystal Cubbage, Cheryl Harper, Whitney Jones, Wanda Novales, and Joan Stern.
The eight confirmed members are expected to be sworn in by May 1.
What changed?
Council initially declined to deal with Wilkerson’s nomination after a push, mostly by charter school advocates who believe she hasn’t adequately supported charters, to quash her nomination.
On Thursday, city lawmakers said they did not know when Wilkerson’s nomination might be considered, and Parker and Streater said they stood by the whole slate, including Wilkerson.
Johnson said Thursday that Wilkerson did not have the votes to move forward.
It’s not clear what shifted to get Wilkerson back on Council’s calendar. The district, separately, is set to appear before Council on Tuesday for its yearly budget hearing.
After Council’s shelving Wilkerson’s nomination, a broad coalition of advocates came out in force on her behalf.
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At Thursday night’s school board meeting, the final meeting of the board appointed by Mayor Jim Kenney, outgoing board member Julia Danzy minced no words.
Danzy, who did not apply for a term on Parker’s board, said she “sat and watched in horror” at Council’s hearing on school board members last week.
“If the litmus test is ‘Would you let the charter schools have what they want?’ there is something wrong with that,” said Danzy.
Danzy praised Wilkerson, who, Danzy said, educated a new board that entered “dumb as heck.”
“You set the example of what we want all of us to be: Stand tall and be, for children, what is right,” Danzy said.
Parker, in a statement, has said she stood by her whole slate.
“I selected nominees who wholeheartedly share my vision for public education in our city,” the mayor said.