Philly’s new superintendent won’t have local roots. So what? | Opinion
Let’s focus on their credentials and track record above all else because their ability to do what’s best for our children is not predicated upon them being from a Philadelphia neighborhood.
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Last week, Philadelphia was introduced to the three final candidates vying for the position of the next superintendent; and soon enough, Philadelphia will learn who our next school leader will be. This highly anticipated announcement follows a robust process led by Philadelphia’s school board over more than six months. As a mother of four children in the public school system, a board member of the Fund for the School District, and a proud alumna of Philadelphia public schools, the result of this process is deeply important to me. And I am not alone. We have nearly 200,000 students enrolled in Philadelphia’s public school system.
The school board led the most inclusive and engaged public search process that I have ever witnessed. The board held more than 40 public meetings, engaging hundreds of Philadelphia stakeholders in multiple languages, formats, and locations. Teachers, parents, and interested parties were all invited to weigh in. A community advisory board of 13 representatives of diverse backgrounds was formed to vet resumes and help move the board from, as it reported, 400 potential candidates, to a much smaller finalist pool. And this past week, when the candidates came to town, we all had the opportunity to tune into the conversations they had with students, parents, teachers, and principals — along with an in-person evening town hall.
The board’s process sent a message to Philadelphians that we are all partners to the School District, that our voices matter, and that we all have a role to play in supporting our public schools.
Let’s not sugarcoat what a challenging position the superintendent’s job is. The School District has faced financial and student achievement hurdles for as long as anyone can remember. The state’s unjust funding formula leaves it perpetually underfunded, with Philadelphia receiving nearly $12,000 less per student than Lower Merion. On top of all that, COVID-19 has hit like a tsunami, pummeling parents, students, educators, and administrators with unpredictable and ongoing challenges. William R. Hite Jr., the outgoing superintendent, must be credited with leading the district out of the massive fiscal shortfall that he inherited, and making important gains in student achievement and graduation rates despite these challenges.
None of the three finalists has ties to Philadelphia, which has raised the eyebrows of many people, including State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, who called for the search to be paused until a qualified local candidate can be identified. My response to the candidates’ lack of local ties is a resounding: So what?
We should focus on their credentials and track record above all else. A superintendent’s ability to do what’s best for our children is not predicated upon them being from a Philadelphia neighborhood.
I am disappointed that there are no women in the final three candidates, even though a January update on the search identified 21.4% of the candidates as women. That’s a problem. But the lack of women in superintendent positions is an industry-wide problem that isn’t unique to Philadelphia. Just as there is a shortage of Black and brown teachers nationwide. Let’s call on both the board and the new superintendent to use this transition as an opportunity to build a bigger pipeline for Black, brown, and female talent to be best positioned for leadership positions all over the district.
We cannot wait to deliver for our children. Let us meet this moment with energy and enthusiasm; the last thing we need is for people to greet our new leader with skepticism or negativity. More than ever, our next superintendent needs a coalition of dedicated partners who can help bring new resources to the table.
“A superintendent’s ability to do what’s best for our children is not predicated upon them being from a Philadelphia neighborhood.”
The new superintendent may not have every single attribute the public asked for. In making this such a transparent process, the school board must have known that it would have to manage some disappointment; no process can make everyone happy. Yet it took that risk because a public process leads to a better result.
The announcement of the next superintendent is the beginning of a new era for the School District. Let’s build on the inclusive engagement and diverse community leadership that fueled this process. We can all step up and serve as active agents of change alongside our new superintendent.
Sylvie Gallier Howard is a board member of the Fund for the School District.