PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — There’s a change at the top for the School District of Philadelphia Board of Education. The board Thursday elected a new president and vice president for the first time since the city regained local control of its schools.
The nine-member board unanimously elected Reginald Streater, an attorney with two children in public schools, as president.
“I would like to thank the board for its votes of confidence in me,” he said. “However, no person is an island, and I look forward to your continued support as we continue to do the work for all of our children.”
Joyce Wilkerson, who was chair of the state-run School Reform Commission, became president of the newly-formed local school board when the city regained control of its school system in 2018. At Thursday’s meeting, Wilkerson said the time was right for new leadership.
“I believe I was the right person to get us to this point,” said Wilkerson. “I don’t think I’m the right person to take us forward.”
Mallory Fix Lopez, a veteran educator, defeated board member Lisa Salley for vice president by a 7-2 vote.
“I wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t truly believe that we were moving in the right direction for public education in Philadelphia,” Fix Lopez said. She added that in the coming year, she wants to focus on making sure the city’s next mayor will know what a thriving public education system needs.
Leticia Egea-Hinton, who led the board’s superintendent’s search, declined to run again for vice president.