Fattah Weighs in On School District Changes

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It's been a week of change in the School District of Philadelphia, but that's not really anything new. The district has consistently made headlines over the past six or seven months for a variety of reasons, including , the and .

Rep. Chaka Fattah, though, whose district covers Mt. Airy, said this week that he feels the district is headed in the right direction. Here's his statement on some of the changes:

“Gov. Corbett’s designation ... of Pedro Ramos as the next chair of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission is the latest in a series of positive steps that bode well for Philadelphia’s school children and our city’s education community.

“I applaud the Governor’s appointment of Mr. Ramos, as well his selection of the newest SRC member Wendell E. Pritchett as interim chair pending state Senate confirmation of Mr. Ramos.

“The school district’s day to day operations are in good hands with Acting CEO and Superintendent Leroy D. Nunery II, who has already taken important steps to build public confidence in the school system. In addition, the Corbett Administration and Mayor Nutter have partnered with the appointment of Edward Williams and Lori Shorr as executive overseers, and forged a new .

“As an official who has taken a keen interest and leadership role in education throughout my career in public service—and as a regular visitor to Philadelphia schools to meet with our achieving students and talented teachers—I applaud these stabilizing steps and the cooperative spirit that underlies them.

“This new leadership team should enjoy the confidence of all Philadelphians. The school district has chalked up nine consecutive years of progress in academic achievement, graduation and college going rates. It is the new team’s responsibility to maintain and accelerate this significant progress. I am confident that they can make that happen.”