Inquirer Editorial: Take a good look at Green

The state senators who will individually interview Bill Green about his nomination for chairman of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission should be as thorough as if they were questioning him in a formal hearing - which, unfortunately, they won't.

A huge flaw in the SRC appointment process is that it offers little or no opportunity for public input after the mayor and governor make their choices. That can reduce the required Senate confirmation to a rubber stamp.

But that should not be the Senate's approach to any SRC nomination, and especially not when it comes to Green, whose past statements in favor of charters and vouchers have some in the education establishment questioning his commitment to traditional public schools.

Adding to the uneasiness about Green is his sudden shift from gathering support for a mayoral campaign to seeking the SRC post. Did that have anything to do with the councilman's reported divorce from John Dougherty, the head of the local electricians' union, which was expected to oil the Green election machine with campaign contributions?

In any case, Green says he is no longer running for mayor and is committed to serving a full five-year term on the schools commission. He says the timing of his nomination was based on the unexpected resignation of SRC Chairman Pedro Ramos, who left the panel for personal reasons in October.

Green suggests his City Council experience could be an asset to the SRC, which at times is treated like a political football. One can't help but wonder whether politics was in play when Gov. Corbett chose Green to replace Ramos. The governor also nominated Farah Jimenez to the commission, which raised the question why he didn't appoint her, a fellow Republican, to the chairmanship.

Senators should ask Green whether the SRC job is more than a landing spot for him now that his mayoral ambitions appear to have receded. They should also ask him to clarify his educational philosophy and explain how he would attack the School District's deficit. Green told an Inquirer editorial writer, "I'm agnostic as to where the money comes from" as long as the schools are properly funded. But given the state's tendency to shortchange its public schools, Green shouldn't avoid pointing fingers.

Green has written several position papers on public education that can provide the context for questioning him. In one, he suggested that the SRC be replaced by a local school board appointed by the mayor. Does he still believe that? And how will he get the teachers' union to agree to rule changes allowing regular schools to operate more like successful charters, as he has suggested they should?

Green may be right that the SRC needs a leader with political experience who can navigate a large bureaucracy. But given the political intrigue surrounding past SRC appointments - as well as subsequent questions about lucrative contracts it awarded to vendors - it's also possible that making a politician the chairman will not improve the commission.

Corbett's nomination of Green does not require pro forma confirmation. Philadelphia's senators should take the lead in making sure every SRC candidate is right for the job.