Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Pittsburgh Public Schools names superintendent candidate
Pending a school board vote tonight, Anthony Hamlet will be the new superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools. The selection was announced at a press conference earlier today where Hamlet, formerly of Palm Beach County's school district, addressed the audience.
"I strive to create opportunities and remove roadblocks as we focus on the journey, not the destination. For it is a process, not an outcome," said Hamlet. "A successful superintendent has to satisfy many constituencies keeping high achievers in the system while devoting resources to those who need them most."
Hamlet brings more than a decade of experience as a teacher and principal for both alternative learning institutions and suburban schools. In his current role he serves as director of school transformation accountability. (He also played professional football for the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts.)
"As research in the area of education evolves, so should our district leadership in order to prepare our school leaders and teachers for the complexity and level of cognitive work our students must achieve in order to become college and career ready," Hamlet said.
The school board's candidate was selected from an initial pool of six that were narrowed down from the dozens of applicants by Perkins Consulting. Hamlet was chosen from a final group of two men and one woman.
"The call for applications was a very specific one. We weren't looking for hundreds of applications," said Brian Perkins, the search consultant hired by the district. "We said we wanted someone who has teaching experience. We said we wanted someone who has been a principal."
A group of PPS high school students developed a questionnaire for superintendent applicants. After the students reviewed the applicants' answers to their questions, they provided feedback to the school board.
"We did a lot of things in this search process," said Perkins. "We were deliberate in our actions to get the community involved. From my view it was a textbook clinic of how to get the word out and get the community involved."
A number of local politicians attended today's announcement, including Mayor Bill Peduto, city councilors Dan Gilman and Theresa Kail Smith, and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.
“I’m excited that Dr. Hamlet will be bringing his years of expertise, leadership and commitment to the lives of children to Pittsburgh’s schools, and the greater community as well. I look forward to working with him and the PPS Board to further build upon the partnerships we have forged to support children and families throughout the city," Peduto said in a statement. "On behalf of the city residents we serve together I want to thank Board members for their hard work in finding a new schools leader, and their proven commitment to reaching out to parents citywide in informing their decision"
Hamlet will replace Superintendent Linda Lane who has lead the district since 2010.
"I strive to create opportunities and remove roadblocks as we focus on the journey, not the destination. For it is a process, not an outcome," said Hamlet. "A successful superintendent has to satisfy many constituencies keeping high achievers in the system while devoting resources to those who need them most."
Hamlet brings more than a decade of experience as a teacher and principal for both alternative learning institutions and suburban schools. In his current role he serves as director of school transformation accountability. (He also played professional football for the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts.)
"As research in the area of education evolves, so should our district leadership in order to prepare our school leaders and teachers for the complexity and level of cognitive work our students must achieve in order to become college and career ready," Hamlet said.
The school board's candidate was selected from an initial pool of six that were narrowed down from the dozens of applicants by Perkins Consulting. Hamlet was chosen from a final group of two men and one woman.
"The call for applications was a very specific one. We weren't looking for hundreds of applications," said Brian Perkins, the search consultant hired by the district. "We said we wanted someone who has teaching experience. We said we wanted someone who has been a principal."
A group of PPS high school students developed a questionnaire for superintendent applicants. After the students reviewed the applicants' answers to their questions, they provided feedback to the school board.
"We did a lot of things in this search process," said Perkins. "We were deliberate in our actions to get the community involved. From my view it was a textbook clinic of how to get the word out and get the community involved."
A number of local politicians attended today's announcement, including Mayor Bill Peduto, city councilors Dan Gilman and Theresa Kail Smith, and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.
“I’m excited that Dr. Hamlet will be bringing his years of expertise, leadership and commitment to the lives of children to Pittsburgh’s schools, and the greater community as well. I look forward to working with him and the PPS Board to further build upon the partnerships we have forged to support children and families throughout the city," Peduto said in a statement. "On behalf of the city residents we serve together I want to thank Board members for their hard work in finding a new schools leader, and their proven commitment to reaching out to parents citywide in informing their decision"
Hamlet will replace Superintendent Linda Lane who has lead the district since 2010.
Tags: education , public schools , PPS , superintendent , Image
