School Visits, Celebrations and More!

This fall, Board Members’ calendars have been packed, not only with attending meetings but also with visiting district and charter schools, attending School District celebrations and hearing public testimony.

During the school year, Board Members plan to visit more than a dozen schools to learn more about school communities, their challenges and opportunities. Visits include a school tour and a meeting with the school principal and leaders to discuss areas of success and areas of growth and improvement. So far, Board Members have visited Warren G. Harding Middle School, KIPP – Philadelphia Octavius Catto Charter School, Eleanor C. Emlen School and William L. Sayre High School.

“Board Members enjoy these school visits and we thank school communities for welcoming us,” said Board of Education President Reginald L. Streater, Esq. “We feel that it’s important to hear directly from our students and educators about how Board policies and budget decisions impact them.”

The Board also visited Thomas Edison High School on October 5th when it held a public hearing, devoted solely to public testimony, there and were welcomed with a student vocal performance, a drumline and a trumpet-piano trio — all well received!

In late September, Board Vice President Mallory Fix-Lopez shared remarks at the street renaming ceremony, held at Overbrook High School, that honored the career of Joyce Stephens Abbott, a retired SDP educator who is the namesake for the popular television program, “Abbott Elementary.” Also attending the celebration were Board Members Sarah-Ashley Andrews and Cecelia Thompson.

Earlier this fall, Board Vice President Fix-Lopez spoke at a press conference at the School District’s Education Center and called for the state to provide a fair, adequate and predictable funding system for public education in Pennsylvania. She stressed that funding should enable all children to meet state academic standards.

Also this fall, Board President Streater spoke at a press conference, held at Mary McLeod Bethune School, to announce that the City will be receiving a $25 million RAISE grant to install six North Philadelphia School Slow Zones.

Board President Streater thanked U.S. Senator Bob Casey, U.S. Representative Brendan Boyle, Mayor Jim Kenney for their work in securing this grant that will help keep our students safe as they go to and from school and when they are out of school walking along city streets.

Finally, Board Vice President Fix-Lopez and Board Member Joyce Wilkerson attended the Council of Great City Schools’ 6th Annual Fall Conference. School district leaders gathered from across the country to share examples of their work and insights on governance best practices.