Here’s what you need to know about Mayor Parker’s school board picks and their priorities

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker publicly introduced the nine members of her school board Tuesday, saying their nomination was “by far the most important decision as mayor that I will make during this four-year tenure.”

In choosing the people who will run the Philadelphia School District and its $4.5 billion budget, steering the course for 197,000 children in traditional public and charter schools, Parker said she sought “a board with a diversity of skills and experiences, from different neighborhoods, sectors and communities. A group with diversity of thought that supports quality seats in both traditional district and public charter schools, no us versus them.”

Parker outlined her priorities for the board: The district must tackle its facilities crisis, work on teacher recruitment and retention, and bring year-round education to the city.

Parker’s nine picks, subject to confirmation by City Council, are:

Andrews has been a school board member since 2022 and is a licensed professional counselor and nonprofit founder.

Andrews said she first applied for the board because she wanted kids from every zip code to have the same opportunities she had. But she was encouraged to re-apply because the district is making progress in academic achievement, student and teacher attendance and dropout rate.

“We are headed in the right direction, and I am excited to continue this great work,” Andrews said.

Cubbage has worked as a NASA engineer, a Peace Corps volunteer and a teacher at public and private high schools, a nonprofit founder and part of a team that opened new schools with Drexel University and the district. She is now the director of the Philadelphia Learning Collaborative.

“I want to serve because too much intellect, creativity and raw talent in my hometown goes unrealized,” Cubbage said. She also said her views sync with Parker’s on teachers.

“I treat them like professionals,” said Cubbage. “I like that Mayor Parker is prioritizing teacher retention and recruitment — it’s critical. They’re the linchpin for turning this thing around.”

Harper was human resources chief for the late Philadelphia Superintendent Constance E. Clayton, and has also worked in the Camden School District and for the Pa. Department of Education. She’s a current Cheyney University trustee.

“I’m a product of Philadelphia,” said Harper , a Germantown High graduate. “And when you look at me, you see what happens in education. I also want to implement Mayor Parker’s initiatives of 12-month schools. During the pandemic of 2020, our students lost a lot.”

She also said that she intends to engage with the community and let people know the board is “not in an ivory tower.”

Jones is chief financial officer at the nonprofit Children’s Crisis Treatment Center, and previously worked in finance for the KIPP charter school networks in San Antonio and Philadelphia. He also monitored charter schools’ financial stability with the D.C. Public Charter School Board.

Jones zeroed in on the district’s massive facilities issues — the school system has an estimated $7 billion worth of work to do on its buildings.

“Every child, every teacher, every family deserves to show up every day in an environment that is welcoming, safe and conducive to learning. There is a lot of work to be done, but I am confident that we are up to the challenge.”

Lam has been a school board member since 2022 and has a child who attends a city charter. Lam is also operations director of the Gun Violence Intervention Coordination Center and previously worked for the district, as a consultant to the state on cyber charter authorizations and renewals, and as a teacher abroad.

Lam immigrated to the U.S. as a child and “felt out of place and alone.” She had to miss weeks of school to work in her family’s takeout restaurant, but soared when given opportunities in her public school. “I benefited from a system of education that led to the future where I’m currently sitting here, nominated by the mayor to serve the city of Philadelphia on the Board of Education.”

Novales is executive pastor of the City Reach Church, and the former CEO and principal of Pan American Charter School who also has experience teaching in district and charter schools. She was principal of the former Sheridan Elementary and a kindergarten teacher at Elkin Elementary. She’s a board member of the Tacony Civic Association and the Philadelphia Gospel Movement.

No matter families’ zip codes, socioeconomic status, or the type of school they attend, “a student’s progress and a parent’s hope is still the same,” Novales said. “It is our collective duty to see it fulfilled.”

Novales said she believes “that we can work together to provide a standard of excellence for school buildings like the one I went to, with an extended school year that will make up for systemic inequities.”

She is a public finance attorney who has drafted debt and finance legislation enacted in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Stern has also served as special counsel and bound counsel to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the city, and the district for decades. She was hailed as a “fiscal guru” and “the mother of Philadelphia’s fiscal stability” by Parker.

“When I was growing up in the city of Philadelphia, I went to schools which are still in use — that were built by the [Works Progress Administration]. Our children deserve better than this. I am particularly motivated by the mayor’s concept of year-round schooling and capital improvements that give our children the best places to study at any time of the year...”

“I want to also to convey to all Philadelphians and all Pennsylvanians that public education is a public good. It needs to be paid for by all taxpayers whether they have children in the system or not.”

Streater, the current school board president, is a lawyer and the parent of two children who attend a district school.

Streater said his vision aligns with Parker’s, and her priorities include “sound and pragmatic initiatives.”

Streater said Philadelphia’s children deserve “not crumbs, but the whole loaf. Let us educate the whole child...”

Wilkerson was an original member of former Mayor Jim Kenney’s school board, as well as a former board president and School Reform Commission chair. Wilkerson, a lawyer, worked in government for years and was former Mayor John F. Street’s chief of staff.

Sometimes, Wilkerson said, a new administration feels the need to throw out everything the old one did. “I want to thank you for valuing continuity,” Wilkerson said, stressing that the district needs to continue its academic progress. “The children of Philadelphia cannot afford to sacrifice as we start reinventing the wheel.”

City Council will hold a hearing on the nine nominees. Council President Kenyatta Johnson, in a statement, said council will “question the appointees thoroughly before voting on each nominee. Councilmembers are looking forward to hearing from each nominee.”

To meet a May 1 deadline of seating the new school board, Council would have to vote on the nominees at or before its April 25 meeting.