PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia school board may soon have a full nine-member board for the first time in nearly a year, as Mayor Jim Kenney has named two new appointees.
“I am very proud to appoint Sarah-Ashley Andrews and Chau Wing Lam to the Board of Education,” Kenney said in a statement Tuesday. “They have dedicated their careers to supporting children and families, and I know that they will each make important contributions to the Board’s leadership and Philadelphia’s public schools.”
Andrews is a family therapist and former social worker who attended W.B. Saul High School before earning a degree in biblical studies from Lancaster Bible College. She founded Dare 2 Hope, a suicide prevention nonprofit.
“I am a product of North Philadelphia and the public school system,” Andrews said in a statement. “I am a product of advocates who fought for my educational opportunities. I am proud and ready to serve on the Board, and stand committed to educational equity for every student in Philadelphia.
“I am concerned about the whole child, how we can challenge and change unfair systems and norms, and advocate for life-changing educational opportunities within the city of Philadelphia. It has been stated in the past that ‘We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that they are someone today.’ I am committed to helping Philadelphia’s students today, to ensure a better life for them in their tomorrow.”
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Lam is the parent of a charter school student. She works as the director of operations for the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders, an organization that trains principals. She also worked in the School District of Philadelphia superintendent’s office for six years, as well as in the Office of Evaluation, Research and Accountability.
“I am humbled and honored to be appointed,” Lam said in a statement. “Public education is the backbone of our society, and our collective goals for education are much more complex than PSSA and Keystone scores. At high quality schools, children discover passions, integrate learning, resolve conflict, dream big, and most importantly, they matter. My career has been dedicated to ensuring that all young people have pathways to success that do not depend on background or origin.
“I look forward to drawing from my experience in public finance, policy, leadership development and change management. I look forward to sharing my voice and perspective and to advocating on behalf of children across Philadelphia as if they were my own.”
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The names of the two appointees must go before City Council for confirmation.
Andrews and Lam would replace Angela McIver, who stepped down last summer, and Maria McColgan, who resigned her board seat earlier this month.