Philly schools have a new deputy superintendent for academics

Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. has named another key cabinet member, choosing Jermaine Dawson as deputy superintendent of academic services.

Dawson comes to the Philadelphia School District from the Birmingham, Ala., city school system, where he is chief academic and accountability officer, a job he’s held for two years.

Birmingham educates about 22,000 students; about 113,000 are enrolled in traditional public schools in Philadelphia.

Watlington said Dawson’s experience “leading significant academic growth and closing achievement gaps” makes him the right choice for Philadelphia to further Watlington’s mission to become the fastest-improving, large, urban school system in the United States.

Dawson, Watlington said in a statement, “is battle-tested and provides collaborative, results-oriented and data-driven leadership that produces improved student outcomes.”

Philadelphia’s offices of elementary schools; secondary schools; curriculum and instruction; special education and diverse learners; and student support services will all be under Dawson’s supervision.

Dawson will be paid $260,000, and start working in Philadelphia on Aug. 1.

Dawson, who had previously been a finalist for superintendent jobs in St. Louis; Akron, Ohio; and Huntsville, Ala., is an Atlanta native who spent time as an elementary and middle school math teacher and elementary and middle school principal. He’s also worked in the Houston Independent School District; Duval, Fla., county public schools; Fulton County Schools in Georgia; and Charter Schools USA, a charter network with schools in five states.

Mark Sullivan, the current superintendent of Birmingham City Schools, said Dawson knows “how to move the needle. He is incredibly committed to students — specifically focused on the improvement of underprivileged students.”

Dawson replaces ShaVon Savage, who resigned in March after less than a year working for Watlington, and joins Jeremy Grant-Skinner, whom Watlington recently named deputy superintendent for talent, strategy and culture. Grant-Skinner came to Philadelphia from Houston.

Watlington still has another key role to fill; the chief of special education and diverse learners job is vacant, and a national search is underway.