Hite is new Philadelphia schools chief
William R. Hite Jr. is the new Philadelphia School District superintendent. The School Reform Commission made the announcement Friday night
Hite is new Philadelphia schools chief
Kristen Graham
William R. Hite Jr. is the new Philadelphia School District superintendent. The School Reform Commission made the announcement Friday night.
Hite, 51, has been the schools chief in Prince George's County, Maryland since 2009. He's also worked as deputy superintendent there and in Cobb County, Georgia. He was a teacher, principal, and central office staffer in the Henrico County system in Richmond, Virginia.
"Today, we take a giant step forward toward providing safe, high quality educational opportunities for all Philadelphia children," SRC Chairman Pedro Ramos said in a statement. "Dr. Hite is an eminent educator and a proven transformative leader."
Mayor Nutter said that he was "very impressed with Dr. Hite's passion and commitment to educating children, support for the professional development of teachers and principals, and his dedication to working with the broader Philadelphia community."
Further details, including Hite's salary and start date, were not immediately available.
SRC Commissioner Wendell Pritchett said that Hite's contract will be made public as soon as it is finalized.
He met the community earlier this week, declaring his intention to "stop talking and listen" if appointed Philadelphia superintendent. "Only when you do that is there an opportunity to begin a healing process," Hite said.
Hite is walking into a difficult job. Philadelphia schools are on the brink of insolvency, having already cut $700 million last year. The district must borrow at least $218 million to operate in 2012-13, and funding is still up in the air, with City Council not providing as much new money to schools as district leaders had hoped. How that shortfall will be bridged is still unclear.
Prince George's County, though set in an affluent area, is still a majority-poor district, with a growing number of needy students. As schools chief there, Hite has earned the trust of the teachers' union, despite presiding over three years of $100 million-plus budget cuts.
Hite has said he has read up on Philadelphia's multiple plans - a blueprint for transformation, a strategic plan, a budget - and feels they're "disconnected." He would want to help clarify how they fit together, Hite said.
When he visited Philadelphia on Tuesday, Hite had said he hadn't decided he would take the job if offered.
Hite is married with two children and a young grandchild.
He earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Virginia Tech University in 2001. His thesis was entitled: "The Effects of Extending the School Year on Student Achievement, Student Attendance and Parent, Student and Teacher Satisfaction."
The other finalist was Pedro Martinez, the deputy superintendent in Clark County (Las Vegas) Nevada. Martinez accepted a job as superintendent of the Washoe County (Reno) Nevada school system this morning.
Hite was paid $250,000 annually as Prince George's County superintendent.
By the terms of his Prince George's contract, Hite had to give 120 days written notice to get out of that job, "unless the board and the superintendent agree to a longer or shorter period of time in writing. Should the superintendent fail to provide the notice required by the provision or otherwise agreed to by the board, the superintendent shall forfeit receipt of the severance benefit."
No immediate word on how the 120-day notice clause will be handled.
They've been preparing it for ten years ever since the state took over the school district and set up the SRC. Ackerman was on the Board of the Broad Foundation, a leading privatizer, while she was Superintendent. All her antics, including running up a huge deficit, were part of the Broad Foundation program.— tom-104- I would love to see some educational leader have the words "parent responsibility" in their thesis or even their philosophy for guiding the district.— mick-of-the-moment
- Who hires these people, can't wait to see the buyout package. Didn't the school board where he came from just vote that they had no confidence in him?— joepir
- You didn't seriously think they were going to give it to a white guy did you— DeerHunter123456
- Well Dr Hite, if you think Prince George's was a challenge, Philly is far worse ! Good Luck !— Peter of Manassas
- DOOMED. More of the Ackerman years to come. Not one thing will change, except more freebees on the back of the tax payers.— dontlikedems
- This guy has enough baggage to put all of the Red Caps at 30th street to work. Philly's version of Musical Chairs, or Carl Greene where are you when I need you?— paulfromtheoblongtable
- Why the rush to bring this guy on?
Why no public involvement in the process?
Didn't we learn anything from the Ackerman debacle?!
And will someone on the SRC be held accountable when this guy proves himself a loser like Ackerman?
You know that's what's going to happen.— Fee - Shocker. The black guy got it.— Barry M
- Comes from the most corrupt school system in Maryland. Check out P.G. county's public school history. Why does philly.com withhold comments re: the catholic church and Penn State sex abuse cases, yet lets anyone weigh in on our children's future in this city. This post will most likely be axed by philly.com's powers that be.— mass
- Diversity thats what you need in the philly schools and you got it and BTW folks who still live in philly guess what............Wilson goode jr voted to raise your real estate taxes yesterday to help pay this guys salary— chesterfield
- Diversity thats what you need in the philly schools and you got it and BTW folks who still live in philly guess what............Wilson goode jr voted to raise your real estate taxes yesterday to help pay this guys salary— chesterfield
It's a real good thing everyone's property taxes were raised again to support the School District, especially with this fool in charge. Philly will NEVER change. So glad we left !!!— PhillyRed- The dismantling of the once great School District of Philadelphia begins now.— buddy100
- I thought the "commission" wanted clarity...how come his contract wasn't published? How much will his buyout be? What is his salary? How many assistants does he get? How many cars/drivers will he have? Do we pay his monthly Blackberry bill too? How many free lunches/dinners does he get/year? Ackerman all over again...— teach02
During the school year, you’ll frequently find her hosting live chats about the district on Philly.com. Please do pass along the scoop about what’s going on at your Philadelphia public school; Kristen welcomes tips, story ideas and witty banter at kgraham@phillynews.com or 215-854-5146.
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