PHILADELPHIA – In a public meeting today, the Educational Nominating Panel voted to recommend eight candidates for the Board of Education for the School District of Philadelphia to Mayor Jim Kenney.
The Educational Nominating Panel convened last month to begin the process of soliciting applications for the Board of Education. There are currently two vacancies on the nine-member Board.
The Mayor will select two appointees from the Panel’s recommendations and share his selections with City Council for advice and consent. Mayor Kenney has 10 days (until May 26) to request additional names from the Panel if needed.
The nominees are:
Sarah-Ashley Andrews: Sarah-Ashley Andrew attended W.B. Saul High School before attending undergraduate classes at Bloomsburg University and eventually earning a Bachelor of Arts in biblical studies with a minor in human services from Lancaster Bible College. Sarah works as a family therapist at TAG Inspires and formerly worked as a social worker with Philadelphia Health Management Coalition. In addition to her work, she founded Dare 2 Hope, a suicide prevention non- profit serving over 5,000 students locally and nationally. Additionally, Sarah has been an integral member of the Administration’s Reconciliation group, whose primary purpose is to build a more equitable city for all Philadelphians.
Elyse Castillo: Elyse Castillo is a department coordinator and public health student at Temple University. An LGBTQ+ parent of three district students, Elyse has extensive community-building and committee experience within and outside of public education. Elyse is a member of the Board of Education’s Parent and Community Advisory Council, vice president of Cook-Wissahickon’s HSA, and a former member of the Office of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Action Group.
Jerome Glover: Jerome Glover is a graduate of Philadelphia public schools and a parent of District students. An associate pastor in the Philadelphia area, Jerome previously taught in the Philadelphia School District for more than a decade and served as an assistant principal in Delaware County. He holds degrees from West Chester University, Saint Joseph’s University, and Palmer Theological Seminary.
Daniel Hopkins: Daniel Hopkins is a proud school district parent, a researcher, and a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania with extensive experience in the study of systemic racism in large bureaucratic organizations. Daniel has policymaking experience from his work with Philadelphia’s GovLabPHL and from previous service in New York City government and the U.S. House of Representatives. He holds two degrees from Harvard University.
Gavin Keirans: Gavin Keirans attended Philadelphia public schools and has a B.S. in Business Management from Penn State University. Now a Partner at Rox Strategy, a management consulting business, Gavin has previous leadership and management experience as the Vice President for The Madison Square Garden Company, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for Altice USA, and Management Consultant for Accenture. He is the founder and president of the Philadelphia Catholic League Service Corps and was the Executive Director of New Leaders Council Philadelphia from 2012-2015. Gavin is a father to a future SDP student and his wife is a special education teacher in the school district of Philadelphia.
Chau Wing Lam: Chau Wing Lam is a charter school parent and public school graduate with extensive experience with educational strategy, policy, and administration. Currently the Director of Operations for the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders, Chau Wing has six years of experience working for the School District of Philadelphia in the Superintendent’s Office and Office of Evaluation, Research, and Accountability, and has served on a panel entrusted by the Commonwealth of PA to advise on cyber charter authorizations. Chau Wing holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.
Pep Marie: Pep Marie is the coalition coordinator for Our City Our Schools and a cofounder and researcher for the Philly Participatory Research Collective. A graduate of Philadelphia’s High School for Creative and Performing Arts and Oberlin College, Pep has published and presented education research in several venues and participated in the Philly Student Union as a student chapter leader and adult staff. Over the last year, Pep served on Philadelphia’s Superintendent Search Advisory Committee.
Bill McKinney: Bill McKinney is the Executive Director of the New Kensington Community Development Corporation, with over 25 years of professional experience as a nonprofit leader, researcher, planner, and program developer. Bill chaired the School Reform Commission’s task force to address drop-out rates for African American and Latino male students in Philadelphia, serves as an advisory board member for FabYouthPhilly’s Play Captain Initiative, and previously served as the Executive Vice President and Director of Research and Evaluation at The Food Trust. He holds a Doctorate degree in Urban Anthropology from Temple University, a Masters degree in Applied Anthropology, and Certificates in Non-Profit Management, Racial Equity, and Trauma Informed Care.