"Pedro Ramos has a strong and well-deserved reputation as a leader in Philadelphia's educational community, and he understands the many challenges facing our state's largest public school system," Corbett, a Republican, said in a news release. "I'm confident Pedro will bring the same level of determination and dedication to the School Reform Commission's important work."
As a member of the school board, Ramos forged positive relationships with former state Education Secretary Charles Zogby, now Corbett's budget secretary, and others in Republican Gov. Tom Ridge's administration.
The Corbett administration reached out to him about the position, Ramos said in an interview.
The district is at a critical juncture, facing a $629 million budget gap, Ramos said, adding that he is now in a position to help. His children, who were 4 and 1 when he was first appointed to the board, are now 19 and 16. Ramos' younger daughter is finishing her junior year at Masterman, the prestigious district magnet school.
"I think it's a combination of the opportunity to be a part of a partnership among the state, the city, and the School District," Ramos said, "and that I think I can make a big difference."
He acknowledged that the district had changed greatly in his absence and that there would be a "learning curve" as he joined the SRC. "But I have experience and knowledge that make the learning curve less steep," he said.
Ramos declined to comment on speculation that he might be named chairman.
Revelations about closed-door meetings and a possible conflict of interest of the current chairman, Robert L. Archie Jr., led Mayor Nutter to direct the city's chief integrity officer to investigate why an Atlanta charter-school company withdrew from plans to operate Martin Luther King High School this year. That report is pending.
