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From YouTube: City Council Members Answer Media Questions on the Future of School District Governance 11-02-2017
Description
Following Mayor Jim Kenney's speech on the dissolution of the School Reform Commission (https://youtu.be/1GFGDJ1rZyY) and the future governance of the School District of Phildelphia, City Council members meet with the media to answer questions, share reactions.
More info: http://phlcouncil.com/education-chair-blackwell-moves-restore-local-control-philadelphia-public-schools/
A
Sorry,
good
afternoon,
everyone
we're
briefly.
This
is
a
very,
very
significant
day,
as
you
all
know,
for
years
literally,
there's
been
this
concern,
and
conversation
surrounding
state
control
was
here
when
it
happened.
The
taking
of
the
school
district
by
the
state
ended
up
being
somewhat
of
a
cooperative
arrangement,
but
at
the
end
of
the
day,
at
some
point,
the
SRC
outlived
his
usefulness,
I
want
to
reiterate
with
respect
to
us,
moving
ahead
and
I
want
to
thank
the
mayor
for
coming
up
and
lain
laying
out
his
vision
for
what
we
need
to
do.
A
We
obviously
concur
that
everybody
needs
to
have
skin
in
the
game
very
clear
that
local
control,
as
it
relates
to
governance,
does
not
mean
only
local
funding,
because
the
state
still
has
this
constitutional
mandate
as
a
release
of
funding
public
education.
So
we
want
to
make
very
clear
that
everybody
understands
that,
but
we
look
forward
to
this
process.
We
have
been
working
with
the
mayor's
office
over
several
weeks
working
to
craft
legislation
that
would
be
as
inclusive
as
possible.
A
As
you
know,
there
were
some
issues
with
respects
to
the
elected
school
board
and
all
the
other
things.
There
was
a
lot
of
conversations.
So
what
we
look
to
craft
believe
me
will
give
an
opportunity
for
everybody,
every
citizen
to
participate
in
this
process,
and
we
thank
the
mayor
for
working
with
the
City
Council
and
also
the
General
Assembly
members,
because
we
have
been
in
contact
with
them
with
respect
to
how
we
move
ahead.
A
So,
at
the
end
of
the
day,
we
believe
that
we
will
have
in
place
a
school
board
that
reflects
not
only
the
demographics,
but
this
mindset
of
this
particular
City,
which
is
a
city
that
is
on
the
move
and
enhance
public
education.
Unlike
is
it's
ever
been
done
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
so
I
just
want
to
thank
all
of
our
colleagues
and
all
the
people
that
are
participated.
Thank
you
all
for
being
here.
A
B
Good
afternoon,
and
thank
you
very
much
council
president
today
is
a
new
day
in
Philadelphia,
and
it's
certainly
going
to
make
a
very,
very
big
difference
for
the
children
that
we
serve
it.
Local
control
is
just
so
so
important
in
the
governance
of
this
city,
because
it
means
that
here
in
City
Hall,
along
with
the
elected
officials
along
with
the
parents
of
who
send
their
children
to
Philadelphia
schools,
the
business
community
and
others,
we
all
have
an
investment
that
we
have
to
make
in
our
children,
and
today
is
a
commitment
to
do
just
that.
B
C
Thank
you,
ivory
with
all
that
has
been
said.
Many
of
us
have
a
year-in
and
year-out
been
dealing
with
the
whole
issue
of
who
runs
schools.
The
fact
that
we
know
we
need
a
change.
We
know
we
have
to
have
more
control
over
school
districts
and
we
know
that
both
parents
neighborhoods
school
district
teachers
and
all
of
us
thought
that
we
needed
a
change.
C
So
this
day
has
finally
come
we're
looking
forward
to
this
change,
we're
looking
forward
to
the
public
being
involved
in
the
discussion
that
people
from
neighborhoods
people
who
are
interested
in
as
and
have
the
opportunity
to
say,
I
want
to
be
involved.
I
want
to
have
something
to
say:
I
want
to
serve
on
a
board
that
deals
with
the
future
of
our
youngsters,
so
we
believe
all
of
us
have
at
the
core
of
it
were
all
at
the
same
place
at
the
same
time
and
we're
looking
forward
to
a
public
discussion
citywide.
Thank
you.
A
Why
did
I
know?
You
were
going
to
ask
that
question
No?
The
simple
reality
is,
is
that
you
know
the
school
district
has
a
significant
challenge
with
respects
to
its
five-year
plan.
It
will
need
additional
funding
for
the
public
schools,
not
only
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
but
in
the
state,
which
is
why
I
opened
and
started
my
remarks
by
referencing.
This
is
a
change
in
governance
process,
not
a
change
in
responsibility
to
fund
the
public
school
system.
We
don't
know
what
that
number
is,
but
there
will
at
some
point
be
a
number.
A
We
will
continue
to
work
with
our
partners
in
the
state
to
ensure
that
we
get
the
appropriate
state
funding
a
fair
funding
formula
from
the
state,
and
we
will
work
with
respects
to
the
local
support
and
all
different
types
of
way,
because
the
first
response
at
home
was
in
a
minute.
First
response,
as
we
always
like
to
say
around
here,
is
always
sticking
your
hands
in
the
taxpayers
pocket
all
right.
There
are
other
opportunities
to
make
sure
that
there
is
appropriate
funding.
D
A
Well,
I
mean
if
simple
reality
is
the
General
Assembly
was
in
Republican
hands
and
we
continue
to
get
support.
We
just
got
legislation
that
allowed
us,
through
these
changing
the
Aviat
process
to
hopefully
realize
over
a
five-year
period,
approximately
a
quarter
million
dollars,
so
we
have
been
getting
support
from
the
state
and
we
will
continue.
That
is
a
constitutionally
mandated
requirement
right.
Well,
we
don't
know
we
don't
know
what
the
numbers
will
be.
A
Recently
there
was
this
move
to
put
DHS
as
a
part
of
the
school
district
operation
that
did
those
th
will
edge.
Hs
workers
were
already
a
part
of
the
government,
were
already
funded.
Having
those
people
involved
in
the
school
district,
not
only
will
improve
the
educational
opportunity
for
these
children,
but
it
will
save
us
money
because
we
don't
have
to
hire
additional
people
in
the
school
district.
A
There
are
numerous
opportunities,
as
you
remember
a
couple
years
ago,
we
floated
this
issue
about
solids
all
services
in
lieu
of
taxes,
as
we
relates
to
our
numerous
universities
around
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
and
they
were
open
to
that
discussion
to
provide
the
appropriate
support
for
our
school
district.
We're
all
in
this
together.
A
Well,
the
legislation,
essentially
that
we
worked
with
the
administration
on,
as
the
mayor
said,
it
will
be
a
nominating
panel
that
nominating
panel
will
open
its
arms
and
ask
any
citizens
that
meet
the
certain
qualifications
to
submit
their
application.
To
be
possibly
a
member
of
the
school
board
that
nominating
panel
along
with
the
administration
will
work
to
ultimately
send
put
27
names
for
it.
The
Mayor
was
then
send
nine
names
to
City
Council
for
confirmation
there
will
be.
A
Special
election
now
well
I
mean,
if
we're
looking
for
the
next
election,
which
will
be
in
May
yeah
yeah,
we've
kind
of
laid
for
this
one,
but
we're
looking
at
May
passage.
What
what
we
wanted
to
do
is
run
concurrent
to
the
dissolution
of
the
SRC
process,
which
is
will
be
starting
in
two
weeks
that
the
mayor
indicated.
A
A
What
a
mayor-
and
you
can
ask
them
this
question:
I'm
assuming
we'll
start
that
process
as
we
release
the
nominating
panels
and
all
the
other
things
associated
with
what
what
has
to
happen.
The
timeline
on
the
dissolution
of
the
SRC
will
coincide
with
the
timeline
of
the
passes
of
the
Charter
change,
assuming
that
the
voters,
because
the
voters
do
have
an
opportunity
to
vote
so
we
anticipate
positive
vote
on
local
control.
Mayor
will
then
submit
his
names
and
we
will
proceed
from
that
point.
A
Well,
I
mean
that's
all
relative
to
your
perspective.
I
can
ask
my
personal
perspective
as
it
relates
to
elected
school
board.
I
would
be
very
concerned
giving
these
challenges
around
running
a
citywide
election
and
who
would
ultimately
get
elected.
There
are
a
lot
of
special
interest
groups
out
there
that
would,
frankly
speaking,
push
all
their
resources
and
get
people
elected
that
wouldn't
necessarily
reflect
the
demographics
of
the
city
of
Philadelphia
I'm.
D
A
Mean
it's
the
Charter
as
introduced
today
again
it
has
to
go
through
a
public
hearing
process
itself.
It's
clear!
It
just
establishes
a
confirmation
process
similar
to
other
boards
and
commissions
that
are
happening
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
and
I.
Think
that
the
operation
which,
by
state
law
of
the
school
district,
does
not
allow
City,
Council
or
external
forces,
will
be
by
the
school
board.
That's
elected!
A
What
we
have
to
go
through
to
do
something
as
simple
as
councilman
Jones
saying
I
want
to
take
my
city
capital
money
and
put
a
playground
in
the
schoolyard.
It
is
the
most
ridiculous
thing
I've
ever
seen.
They
say
you
cannot
do
this
because
it
is
state-owned
SRC
control,
so
you
literally
have
to
go
to
all
of
these
master
nations
in
terms
of
how
to
figure
out
a
way
to
help
kids
duck.
Read
playgrounds.
Go
into
that
now.
D
B
A
Everybody
has
their
perspective
on,
while
I
was
taking
over
and
members
free
to
talk
about
that
mine.
We
asked
for
money
and
it
stands
for
that.
They
decided
to
take
over
the
function
and
the
governance
and,
from
my
perspective,
it
was
about
a
look,
providing
a
little
help,
but
was
also
access
to
patroness
and
was
access
to
contracts
and
that's
what
happened
in
the
early
versions
of
the
SRC
patroness
went
away.
Let
me
have
any
money
contracts
went
away.
Could
we
have
any
money.
C
A
A
D
A
Yeah
I
think
you
all
are
an
understanding.
That's
your
job
to
move
the
cart
before
the
horse.
Today
we're
talking
about
the
start
of
local
governance.
Now
you
all
have
jumped
all
the
way
into
the
budget
and
raised
it.
I
know
that's
your
job
and
all
due
respect.
Our
job
is
to
think
about
a
process
and
take
that
process
to
the
level
that
it
needs
to
be,
and
then
ultimately,
we'll
have
to
make
a
decision.
A
A
Now
I
mean
people
have
to
vote,
there's
gonna
be
a
charter
change
of
minute,
and
people
have
to
vote
to
decide
as
to
whether
or
not
they
want
this
version
of
the
local
control
the
SRC
has
to
vote.
They
have
started
that
by
indicating
that
it
will
be
on
the
agenda
on
the
next
SRC
board
meeting
to
start
that
process
of
dissolution.
A
C
A
All
right,
I'll
deal
with
it,
you
know
he's
just
like
everybody
else
will,
at
the
appropriate
time,
I'm
just
right
now.
You
know
the
mayor
came
here,
gave
an
impassioned
speech
about
moving
ahead,
getting
ready
stations,
SSRC
fence
role,
you're
here
saying
that
we
are
poised
working
with
the
administration
have
put
in
place
the
appropriate
level
of
governance.
A
A
Again
speaking
for
myself,
I
think
there
should
be
broad
range
that
reflects
the
demographics
of
the
city,
both
in
terms
of
racial
economic,
eval,
echo,
social,
all,
the
whole
gamut.
Clearly,
parents
and
parents
organizations
have
been
in
the
forefront
of
public
education
personally.
I
have
no
idea
why
I
personally
wouldn't
be
supportive
of
either
a
parent
or
somebody
from
a
parents
organization,
but
at
the
end
of
the
day,
you've
got
to
have
nine
people
that
are
qualified,
but
not
people
that
are
committed.
A
D
A
D
B
A
Said
earlier,
I
started
out
by
saying
that
the
state
is
constitutionally
mandated
to
fund
public
education
to
the
level
that
it
should.
There
is
a
fair
formula
formula
discussion
currently
taking
place
there
Walter
may
end
up
in
some
sort
of
litigation.
The
simple
reality
is
that
this
counsel
and
these
individuals
have,
over
the
years
step
four
for
public
education.
I
mean
it
was
a
big
tax
vote,
but
two
months
before
a
primary
election
I
mean
so,
but
to
some
reality
again,
you're
putting
the
cart
before
the
horse.