STATEMENT FROM SRC CHAIRMAN GREEN

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf asked School Reform Commissioner Marjorie Neff last week
to assume the Chair of the Commission. Current Chair Bill Green issued this statement:
I recently learned from my fellow Commissioner, Marjorie Neff, that Governor Wolf has asked
her to serve as the Chair and she has accepted. I have tremendous respect for Commissioner
Neff and her years of service to the District, and I appreciate her dedication and insight as a
fellow Commissioner.
Commissioner Neff told me that although she believed I was doing an excellent job as Chair, the
Governors people were not willing to work with me as Chair.
I will continue to try to work with and help the Governor in my role as Commissioner. Thats
what the SRC, under my leadership, has been doing.
The legal issue
Like the Governor, I am devoted to public service. I made sacrifices to take the non-paying
position of SRC Chair because it is crystal clear that solving the Districts problems is essential
not just to the children of Philadelphia but to the future of the city.
I accepted the position of Chair with the understanding from the Districts own General Counsel
that the Chair could not be removed from office. The SRC statute - 696(b)(2) -makes clear that
no Commissioner may be removed from office except for misfeasance and malfeasance.
I hold the office of Chair and the office of Commissioner; there is no vacancy in the Chair and no
legal basis for another Commissioner to be named Chair. This is important: by limiting removal
to cause, the SRC statute makes clear that commissioners, once appointed, need to be free from
political repercussions for their actions in office.
I have to assume, however, that the Governor also has attorneys and that he would not
purposefully take an action that is contrary to the law as I believe this action is. I believe this
issue needs to be resolved, so I will be filing an action in Commonwealth Court seeking a ruling
on the law. I will not attempt to block the Governors action in the interim but I will show up for
work and do my job.
While I do not question the capability of Commissioner Neff, I am concerned by the Governors
belief that he can influence this body. The School Reform Commission is a governing body that
has taken hard decisions and is built to stand apart from political influence.
I note the Senate is currently resolving constitutional and legal questions regarding the
Governors appointing authority.

Funding SDP
I did not set up this structure of governance and am not seeking to remain Chair for powers
sake. I am seeking to remain in the office so that the SRC can continue to advocate for the
resources our children deserve and to support Dr. Hite and his leadership team I ardently hope
Governor Wolf, Mayor Nutter, and the legislatures will give us all the resources our schools
need: as I have said repeatedly, when those resources are delivered, I will personally propose
the elimination of the SRC and fight for a first rate School Board appointed by our Mayor.
Governor Wolf made the schools and funding the central issue in his campaign. Im not sure
how this action helps the effort to achieve full and fair funding, but I must assume he would not
do anything to jeopardize that outcome.
I am very concerned, though, about the message this sends to the PFT, with whom our
negotiations have gone backwards in recent weeks. I believe the PFT needs to allow its
members to contribute to their health care like most other teachers and most Americans. Since
the start of negotiations, the PFT has stonewalled on the most serious issues under discussion,
including benefits reforms and essential work rule changes.
I will continue to put the interests of students first and push the PFT to contribute its fair share
to solving the problems we have. I hope Governor Wolf will work with me in this effort.
The SRC s accomplishments
I am very proud of what the SRC has accomplished.
In the last year, with spare resources, we have made significant progress on many fronts
including:
Securing over $240 million in recurring revenue through the cigarette tax, sales tax,
concessions and savings not impacting schools;
opening 3 new model high schools;
piloting two District turnaround schools;
implementing the School Performance Report which will measure all District and Charter
schools by the same standard, allowing us to make expansion, creation, turnaround, and
closure decisions based on data and evidence;
debuting the School Redesign Initiative;
adopting the Authorizing Quality Initiative; and
improving climate and culture in our schools, including having no schools on the states
persistently dangerous list
The SRC has stood firmly behind Superintendent Hites leadership and we will all continue to
have his back to make sure he gets what he needs from Harrisburg, the City of Philadelphia, the
PFT, and anyone else that can help our schools and our students.
I am confident that Commissioner Neff and I will continue to be able to work together in this
effort, which remains of the highest importance for our city and the more than 200,000 students
in our public schools.
The full statement will be available on Twitter at @GreenForPhilly
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