Andy Toy, a 1980 graduate, was recently appointed to the Philadelphia Board of Education's Education Nominating Committee. Credit: Chenyao Liu 
Andy Toy, a 1980 U of A graduate who served on the recently announced Philadelphia Board of Education's nominating committee, reflected on the importance of public education and the considerations that shaped the board's selection.
On April 1, 2016, Fells School of Government alumnus and Philadelphia Mayor Sherrell Parker appointed nine members, including three Penn alumni, to the Philadelphia Board of Education. Mr. Parker selected the directors from a short list of candidates submitted by the 13-member Education Nominating Committee. The committee met in February and March and recommended 27 names.
In an interview with the Daily Pennsylvanian, Toy talked about his career trajectory in Philadelphia, the board's nomination process and Parker's final selection.
At Penn, Toy earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in economics. Since then, he has been involved with a variety of organizations focused on public policy in Philadelphia. This includes serving on both the Mayor's Commission on Asian Pacific American Issues and the Philadelphia Metropolitan Planning Standards Commission. Toy currently works as policy director at the Philadelphia Association of Regional Development Corporations.
Toy is also deeply involved in education in Philadelphia. Prior to serving on the Education Nominating Committee, Toy co-founded the Philadelphia Public Giving Circle, a foundation dedicated to providing grants to support the city's public schools, and led Philadelphia's education nonprofit news service. In the Philadelphia Public Schools he served on the Notebook Committee.
“I believe that education is an equalizer between people,” Toy said. “The importance of getting a good education cannot be underestimated.”
Serving on the Education Nominating Committee was especially important to Toy because he has many personal ties to Philadelphia Public Schools.
Toy said, “I was honored to be chosen as someone who has been involved in education for many years.'' “I am a public school graduate, both of my children attended public schools in Philadelphia, and my mother was a public school teacher in Philadelphia for over 35 years.”
Toy said that throughout the nomination process, the nomination committee conducted more than 60 interviews and ultimately selected 27 finalists from 121 applicants. Parker ultimately selected 13 people from this list to serve four-year terms on the school board beginning May 1. The candidates were made up of four current members of the Board of Education and five new members.
“It was a tough process,” Toy said. “[We] I met some really great people in Philadelphia who were passionate about education and had many skills and talents. ”
Toy said the nominating committee was looking for someone with a deep dedication to education and the ability to dedicate significant time to the school board's duties.
“This is going to take a very long time,” Toy said. “Most of them understood, but I think some didn't realize how much of a commitment it would take until they actually got into the interview process.”
Toy also emphasized that the nominating committee is seeking candidates with diverse skills and experience, both in education and other fields.
“Schools are a big business, much more than just education,” he says. “This is a very large operation, so we were really considering whether there was diversity there as well.”
Three of the selected members – Chau Win Lam, a 2012 Wharton and School of Social Policy alumnus, Joyce Wilkerson, a 1973 alumnus, and Joan Stern, a 1972 alumna. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. Toy praised all three as “fantastic candidates,” noting that each was very different in “background, age and what they bring to the table.”
Toy expressed hope that the new board will work to expand the resources available to the Philadelphia school system. Recently, the Philadelphia School District was projected to have a $407 million deficit next fiscal year. Toy emphasized that the board must work to earn the trust of Philadelphians.
“Part of the board's role is to make sure people have confidence in what's happening in their governance,” he said. “That's a lot of work.”
Toy acknowledged Penn's support for West Philadelphia schools, but encouraged Penn to expand support for local education beyond West Philadelphia.
“I think there is an opportunity to support more schools across the city, not just in our backyard,” he said.
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