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Mayor Kenney Asks For City Council's Help Replacing School Reform Commission

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is asking City Council and voters for help as he picks a new school board.

Last month, the School Reform Commission voted to dissolve itself, and the decision is expected to be approved by the state education secretary.

If it does, Mayor Kenney must put a panel together to help him select a new city school board, and the panel will in return give him 27 nominees to choose from.

"The mayor will choose nine people as the board of education appointees," said Jane Slusser, the mayor's chief of staff.

On Tuesday, Slusser testified in front of a committee advocating for City Council to make a change to the charter that would give the council a say in the mayor's selections.

"In May's primary, voters will vote on whether or not they want to have council have a say in approving the mayor's appointments to the board of education," said Hillary Linardopoulos.

Philadelphia City Council
(credit: Justin Udo)

Linardopoulos is with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and says their organization is in favor of more oversight.

They also have requests they want the mayor and potentially city council to consider as they build a new school board.

"School board members should be committed to advocating for neighborhood public schools as the center of community," she said. "School board members should reflect the diversity, school board members should demonstrate a deep understanding of the issues that effect public school children and staff."

Council's vote on the charter change is expected to take place in the next month.

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