As promised, Mayor Nutter today made the first of his two appointments to the School Reform Commission by giving the job to his former staffer, Dr. Wendell Pritchett, the Chancellor of Rutgers University-Camden.  

In a statement, Nutter described Pritchett as "a respected scholar in urban history and an experienced government policy-maker."

His appointment comes a day after the resignations of SRC Chairman Robert Archie and Commissioner Johnny Irizarry.   

“I am very pleased to appoint someone with the qualifications, the imagination and the commitment to public education of Wendell Pritchett,” Nutter said. “He has demonstrated real leadership in the areas of education, local government and sustainable community development for many years.”

Pritchett, who served as deputy chief of staff and director of policy for Nutter, was responsible for writing the city’s Five-Year Plan and Budget, reorganizing the city’s anti-poverty programs and supervising the operations of the mayor’s office, according to Nutter's statement.

“I am honored by this invitation to serve on the School Reform Commission and look forward to working with a committed group of commissioners and educators who are also dedicated to the students in Philadelphia schools,” Pritchett said.

Stay tuned for more on this developing story.