Philly School Board Adds Two Teen Members

Julia Frank and Alfredo Praticò are being sworn in as Philly’s two newest school board members during a meeting Thursday. What’s notable about this fact? Both are 17-year-old students. This marks the first time in the two decades of the school board’s existence that students will have a voice on the board’s decisions, which affect some 200,000 students in the Philadelphia area. The Philadelphia Board of Education is the newest iteration of the school board, which was formerly run by the School Reform Commission.

Praticò and Frank, who were chosen out of a field of 54 applicants after rounds of rigorous interviews, will take an oath of office and will have all the same responsibilities as their adult counterparts, except that they will be non-voting participants. Praticò is a natural leader, the first president of the district’s citywide student government. Rounding out his resume is service as a Philadelphia Youth Commissioner and membership of Superintendent William R. Hite Jr.’s student advisory council. Frank, who attends the city’s largest school, also works at a pizza shop, and is an entrepreneur — she founded a company selling her own lip balm.

The two are not just figureheads:

The two will have real work on their plate, officials have promised: In addition to attending board meetings, Frank and Praticò are preparing for a schedule of school visits, roundtables, and social media responsibilities.

The two say that they fully feel the weight of their positions, because they know that they are representing the interests of their friends and fellow students. Charter students were eligible to run for a spot, but none were selected. Praticò and Frank say that they are committed to listening to charter students to ascertain their needs and make sure that they are represented.

The two new members will read and weigh in on all matters considered by the board. Preparation has started already: they were both given inches-thick briefing books for Thursday’s meeting