Mallory Fix Lopez is one of the first nine members appointed by Mayor Kenney to the Philadelphia Board of Education (BOE) in April 2018. Beginning in July 2018, the Board will oversee the School District of Philadelphia.

Mallory is an educator and a small business owner, who is committed to supporting neighborhood schools. Mallory has lived in Philadelphia for 15 years, after moving here to pursue a Bachelor and then Master degree in Education. Mallory began her career in Philadelphia schools as a teacher of social studies and English as a Second Language, and today she is a full-time faculty member at the Community College of Philadelphia where she specializes in ESL. Mallory has been an active member of Neighbors Investing in Childs Elementary, supporting G.W. Childs Elementary where she plans to send her child in the next few years.

What area of the city do you call home? What are your hobbies?

I moved to the Point breeze section in Philadelphia 5 years ago with my husband Juan, and our son, Santiago.

In my down time I like to run. I run the Philadelphia half marathon every year my schedule allows, and recently ran the Broad Street Run. I used to volunteer with Students Run Philly Style, which I loved doing. They’re a great organization doing great work.

Who were the people in your life who helped you to form your values?

My parents were very active parents, and also worked a lot. I like to think I got my strong work ethic from them. My teachers also played a big role in my life. I loved the teachers at my school and I feel like they really got to know us as individuals. My teachers also taught me to be proud of what I accomplish.

What motivated you to apply to join the Board of Education?

My experience formally working with the School District of Philadelphia was a big motivator for me. Working with the District, I saw that our schools had amazing students, amazing opportunities, and amazing teachers, but something wasn’t working together. I saw potential all around me but I felt like not everyone could see it, or wanted to see it. Also, having a 2 year old has certainly helped to reinvigorate my mission to help others see the potential in our school district.

Tell us about your educational journey. What inspired you to pursue the majors and degrees you now have?

I’m a first-generation college graduate. My parents always expected me to work hard both inside and outside of school. I got a job as soon as I was legally old enough to work. I was lucky that my parents instilled that work ethic, but it wasn’t until a teacher said to me “you should be a teacher” that I really started to think about what I wanted to do. I had never thought about being a teacher, but hearing someone say that they saw potential in me made me think about my future in a different way.

What are your personal goals for your service on the Board?

I really want to listen and be transparent for the community. I have a lot of teacher friends that feel unheard. One of my goals is to make sure there is a better connection between these educators who are in classrooms and the people who are making high level decisions. Ultimately, I’d like to help the city as a whole to take back the narrative of the school district.

What brought you to Philadelphia? What do you love about living here now?

I moved to Philadelphia 15 years ago to attend Temple University. What is unique about Philly is that even though the people have a reputation of being rough around the edges, I genuinely think that everyone wants those around them to succeed. Overall everybody really does look out for their neighbors.

I like that Philadelphia is a small big city. You feel like you know your neighbors. You see your City Councilperson on the street.

There’s also something to be said about the amount of resources our city has. We have everything we need – now we just have to figure out how to work together to use it.

What experiences formed your commitment to education?

I have a deep commitment to ESL (English as a Second Language). I used to teach History to all ESL students and having that experience, and lacking the highly specialized skills needed to be especially impactful in that role, pushed me to go back to graduate school. Through my teaching experience I realized the power of voice, literacy, and agency. As a city of immigrants, it’s important to have a voice on the board that recognizes that. Shared language gives people a way to explore and express their talents in a variety of ways and I want to make sure that every student in Philadelphia has those opportunities.

Briefly, what vision do you have for our school system in 5 years?

I’d like to see a narrative shift across Philadelphia around the potential that our schools have. In order to do that, we have to make sure that Philadelphians can really get a look behind school walls and see what’s inside. We need to unlock city schools to the city. I want people to see the potential in their neighborhood schools and see their local school as a quality option.

What was your first impression of the slate of Board appointees?

I think it’s awesome that everyone on the Board has a common goal but comes from different viewpoints, backgrounds, and ages. The majority of Board members are first generation college graduates, which I think is important to note as well. It’s been amazing to hear everyone’s story. There is no cookie-cutter journey that anyone took.