This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
by NewsWorks staff
Mayor Nutter says the nomination of City Councilman Bill Green to chair the School Reform Commission is "quite frankly perplexing." The mayor’s statement came just hours after Pennsylvania Gov. Corbett tapped Green to become SRC chairman, a position that’s been vacant since Pedro Ramos stepped down in October.
In a press release, Nutter questioned Green’s nomination "given his votes against some education funding measures and his published views on public education."
But the mayor expressed support for the governor’s other nominee, People’s Emergency Center CEO Farah Jimenez, calling her a "smart, hard-working, and truly caring person."
Corbett announced the nominations this morning at the Center City offices of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He’d planned to make the announcement at an awards presentation at Central High School, but said that it was moved to avoid the distraction of hundreds of protesters who showed up.
"With these two nominations, I believe we are adding fresh talent and true dedication to the School Reform Commission as we move toward assuring every child in Philadelphia an education worthy of their talents and dreams," Corbett said.
The nominations come at a time when the Republican governor is running for re-election and struggling to cope with a school funding crisis in the state’s largest city.