beloved heroes!!!

beloved heroes!!!

beloved heroes!!!

On today's marathon #PHLed school board Council hearing, the 8 nominees who moved forward, and what happens next: inquirer.com/education/phil…

7 hour hearing, feeling pretty good about eating that 10:30 a.m. hoagie!

OK, that's it, Reginald Streater, Sarah-Ashley Andrews, ChauWing Lam, Crystal Cubbage, Cheryl Harper, Whitney Jones, Wanda Novales, and Joan Stern have moved fwd. 7 hr hearing over. #PHLed

Public testimony over now, moving on. 13 Council members are present. Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson moves that 8 school board nominations - all but Joyce Wilkerson's - move forward. #PHLed

It is 5:19. We are just now moving to public comment on this Council #PHLed school board hearing.

Setting the table for really interesting #PHLed budget Council hearings - multiple members say they'll revisit issues at that hearing, which is forthcoming. (Councilman Curtis Jones is giving the school board a 7-part assignment to answer at that hearing.)

Shoutouts to DopeTeacher and middle school CTE programs from Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson and others in council.

Councilmember Phillips addresses board prez Streater - seems like the board is dominated by Streater. Said he's seen other members go to speak but Streater has dominated. Both C. Lam and S. Andrews say - we're all leaders, but there's 1 president. He's our spokesperson. #PHLed

Thomas: We want a plan to get more art and music programs in schools. (All #PHLed schools have art or music, but many don't have both.) 'We're struggling with librarians in our schools.' (The district has one.)

Councilmember Isaiah Thomas: 'We want you to give the principals more autonomy to fill vacant seats' at special admission schools. #PHLed

specifically he said he apologized if his “authentic blackness” offended anyone & added that he knew the board understood, it was other people he was talking to

Thomas presses: will we have a #PHLed facilities plan by the end of 2025? Streater: it's up to the mayor, that's above my pay grade, but I'd say it's possible, 65-70% chance we will.

Board president Reginald Streater on facilities: 'It would be disingenuous to say we have a plan now' - we don't have all the data we need, and we don't want to tell communities what they need without getting their perspective. #PHLed

Councilmember Isaiah Thomas said his earlier tone bothered some, but as a Black man he's passionate about the fate of Black kids. #PHLed

Back at the #PHLed school board/Council hearing. Council Pres Kenyatta Johnson asks Crystal Cubbage what healthy schools have that some #PHLed schools lack - Cubbage cites the district's Science Leadership schools as models - they know who they are and what they stand for.

Council breaks til 3:30. Back then. #PHLed

Streater: on 3-5-7-9 - #PHLed has the right superintendent. 'I believe that Dr. Watlington is definitely in tune with this and he's doing the work to figure this out.'