PHILADELPHIA – Mayor Jim Kenney today announced that he has appointed Sarah-Ashley Andrews and Chau Wing Lam to the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia. After confirmation by City Council they will join seven current Board members, filling two vacancies on the nine-member Board of Education.
“I am very proud to appoint Sarah-Ashley Andrews and Chau Wing Lam to the Board of Education,” said Mayor Kenney. “They have dedicated their careers to supporting children and families, and I know that they will each make important contributions to the Board’s leadership and Philadelphia’s public schools. I am very grateful that they have agreed to take on this vital responsibility.”
About the new Board of Education appointees:
Sarah-Ashley Andrews: Sarah-Ashley Andrews 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 steering committee, whose primary purpose is to build a more equitable city for all Philadelphians.
“I am a product of North Philadelphia and the public school system,” said Sarah-Ashley Andrews. “Also, I am a product of advocates who fought for my educational opportunities. I am proud and ready to serve on the Board, and stand committed to educational equity for every student in Philadelphia. I am concerned about the whole child, how we can challenge and change unfair systems and norms, and advocate for life-changing educational opportunities within the city of Philadelphia. It has been stated in the past that ‘We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that they are someone today.’ I am committed to helping Philadelphia’s students today, to ensure a better life for them in their tomorrow.”
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 Pennsylvania to advise on cyber charter authorizations. Chau Wing holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.
“I am humbled and honored to be appointed,” said Chau Wing Lam. “Public education is the backbone of our society, and our collective goals for education are much more complex than PSSA and Keystone scores. At high quality schools, children discover passions, integrate learning, resolve conflict, dream big, and most importantly, they matter. My career has been dedicated to ensuring that all young people have pathways to success that do not depend on background or origin. As a Board Member, I look forward to drawing from my experience in public finance, policy, leadership development and change management. I look forward to sharing my voice and perspective and to advocating on behalf of children across Philadelphia as if they were my own.”
Mayor Kenney selected the appointees from a list of eight nominees recommended by the Educational Nominating Panel on Monday, May 16. The Educational Nominating Panel received 62 applications for the two vacancies on the Board of Education.