The Philly Board of Education recently announced the 13 members of the newly-created Superintendent Search Advisory Committee.
The members are:
- Rebecca Allen
- Ernie Bennett
- Virginia Field
- Regina A. Hairston
- Cindy Lee Hauger
- Dr. Ayesha Imani
- Pep Marie
- Marina Nunez
- Armando Ortez
- Dr. John W. Spencer
- Dr. David E. Thomas
- Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, Ph.D.
- Christiana Uy
The committee includes, among others, a current District teacher (Field), a District principal (Spencer), a labor partner (Bennett), a member of the business community (Hairston), a member of the educational advocacy community (Marie), a member of the higher education community (Thomas), a charter school leader (Imani), current guardians of District students and current students (Allen, Ortez).
“From the start of this superintendent search process, the Board has been focused on including Philadelphians who are passionate about the success of public education in this city,” said Joyce Wilkerson, the Board of Education president, in a press release.
School District Superintendent Dr. William Hite announced in September his intention to leave his post next year after nearly 10 years at the helm.
The committee, while it will not select the superintendent finalists, will aid the Board in evaluating and reviewing final superintendent candidates and provide input that will help contribute to the Board’s decision-making process.
The committee will also ensure that the Board is making decisions that are in line with the goals and priorities that came out of the community engagement process that started the superintendent search in October.
Committee member Dr. David E. Thomas, the vice president of strategic initiatives and community engagement for the Community College of Philadelphia, said in the press release that maintaining student success will be one of the committee’s top priorities.
“I am committed to doing all within my ability to ensure that there is an educational system in our city where all students and families have access to safe, clean, nurturing, rigorous and high-achieving schools and educational programs where student success is at the core,” Thomas said.
Fellow committee member Cindy Lee Hauger, the operations director for Project Based Learning Inc., also noted the strong value of public school education.
“I believe there are inequities in our public school system and hope to be a part of changing that,” Hauger said.
