Another City Council member on trial | Morning Newsletter

You’re looking at a sunny Monday, with the forecast calling for temperatures in the mid-60s.

Today is the start of the federal bribery trial of City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson. We’ve got a preview for what to expect, who’s involved, and what’s at stake.

Also, with a week of interviews wrapped for candidates to become the next superintendent of Philadelphia schools, we take a look at the finalists — and their chances.

🏀 For you March Madness fans, the East region of the Sweet 16 starts Friday in Philly. How’s your college hoops bracket?

— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Jury selection is expected to begin today in the federal bribery trial of Kenyatta Johnson, a three-term Democrat. Johnson allegedly took more than $66,000 to help a struggling nonprofit hold on to real estate in his district.

Johnson’s wife, Dawn Chavous, was paid that amount for a consulting contract with Universal Companies, a South Philly community development charity and charter school operator founded by legendary Philly music producer Kenny Gamble. Prosecutors say Chavous did next to nothing for the money, and that the payment was actually for Johnson’s intervention.

That’s only a fraction of what’s detailed in the 42-page indictment. If convicted, Johnson could face up to 20 years in prison on each of the two counts of honest services fraud with which he’s charged — and the loss of his Council seat.

The trial starts four months after Councilmember Bobby Henon was convicted of federal bribery charges along with longtime leader John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty. Our reporters Jeremy Roebuck and Oona Goodin-Smith set the stage.

They’ve also got this helpful breakdown of everything you need to know.

The three final candidates to be the next Philadelphia School District superintendent sat for interviews with parents, teachers, principals, and community stakeholders last week. Here’s a look at who they are, their backgrounds, and who may have the edge to succeed departing Superintendent William R. Hite Jr.

🍎 Who are the candidates? John Davis, the current chief of schools in Baltimore; Krish Mohip, deputy education officer for the Illinois State Board of Education; and Tony B. Watlington Sr., superintendent of Rowan-Salisbury schools in North Carolina.

🍎 Who has the most experience? It depends on how you define “experience.” Of the three, Davis has the most experience in big urban districts, spending decades in Washington and Baltimore, where he’s now chief of schools, supervising all principals. Mohip began his career as a Chicago kindergarten teacher and eventually rose to be “chief transformation officer,” responsible for Chicago’s lowest-performing schools. Watlington’s current school system in suburban North Carolina enrolls about 20,000 students, most of whom are economically disadvantaged.

🍎 Do any have ties to Philly? The short answer is no, which has some community members calling for the school board to keep searching. School board vice president Leticia Egea-Hinton, who led the search, said it won’t.

🍎 Who is the early favorite? Of more than a dozen people interviewed by The Inquirer — parents, teachers, administrators, union leaders, community members, all of whom participated in the search process or paid close attention to their answers over the three days — all but two said Watlington would be their pick.

Our reporter Kristen A. Graham attended all three interviews. She has more on the candidates and what happens next.

And our columnist Helen Ubiñas says it’s absurd that no women made the cut.

With a permanent Harriet Tubman statue slated to come to Philly next year, the city will add another public sculpture to its landscape. Today’s question: Do you know how many public sculptures there are in the City of Brotherly Love? Take a guess and find the answer here.

a. 500

b. 750

c. 1,000

d. 1,500

🤿 Suggesting: That you read this story on the independent dive team helping authorities find missing people, and families find closure.

🤔 Wondering: Since when did SEPTA start treating its regional rail stations like a fortress?

🌿 Reading: How an urban farmer turned this abandoned Germantown lot into an organic produce oasis.

You shouldn’t need to give attending this annual fest considerable “thought.”

CITO SPRI CON

Think you know? Send your guess our way at morningnewsletter@inquirer.com. We’ll give a shoutout to a reader at random who answers correctly. Today’s shoutout goes to Chuck Margis of Media who correctly guessed PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW as Sunday’s answer.

Thank you for getting your morning started with The Inquirer. 🌞