Hite hits the ground running
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia School District by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Kristen Graham.
Hite hits the ground running
Kristen Graham
For William R. Hite Jr., the clock started ticking today.
It was the new Philadelphia schools chief’s first day on the job full time, the first day of factfinding for a plan he said he will release on Jan. 2.
Hite said he will spend the next 90 days crisscrossing the city, visiting classrooms and churches, talking to students and parents and community members — anyone with a stake in the Philadelphia School District.
He will make visits to Harrisburg and to City Council and the Mayor’s office. He’ll want to look at the district’s finances (dire) and operations (in flux, as the school system prepares to completely reinvent itself).
“Once I learn all that information, it’s important to make very public what I intend to do about it, and then say what individuals can do to hold me accountable about it,” Hite said in an interview.
Hite is well aware that there’s an overabundance of plans already out there — strategies about safety and governance and operations, a controversial, deep-dive analysis from the Boston Consulting Group, even a five-year plan recently adopted by the School Reform Commission.
He wants to study them all, and come up with a document that helps make plain what he will focus on as superintendent.
Hite’s been in town a few days a week all summer, as he transitioned out of his job as head of the Prince George’s County, Md. school system. He’s already met plenty of people who have opinions about Philadelphia schools.
What’s on people’s minds?
“Making sure that all students have high quality seats,” Hite said. “I think that’s something that I’ve heard over and over again. Ensuring that students are safe and secure. Really making sure that we do a better job in engaging the public.”
Hite, who spent his first day in meetings at district headquarters, said he knew the task ahead was daunting, but said he was happy to roll up his sleeves.
“I’m excited that I’m not off after a certain time of day to board a train,” he said. “Now I feel like I have my feet on the ground, and here permanently. I’m excited about that.”
Color me a skeptic. I was excited for Hornbeck, Vallas and Ackerman but now I look back and see that they did little than spend a lot of money on new programs and fill us with pipe dreams. Prove yourself Hite, otherwise I will view you as just another in a long line of expensive carpet baggers.— D.C. Stinkley- I'm with you Stinker, Hite is just another different face. It's almost like The School District has elaborate Halloween masks that they put on the same incompetent person in charge. Hite is being paid to perform. Therefore Hite will present a 5 year plan that will undoubtedly outlive Hite's time here. By then, he will have just rearranged the furniture with different platitudes and, to borrow a classic lie, promise hope and change. Hite is paid to make drastic improvement. It can't be done. As a taxpayer, I would rather invest in and place my trust in a present day School District employee with promise and vision. Someone that is young and bright and is familiar with the workings of The District. Someone with a stake in our community. Someone that will be here in 20 years. That person could make steady, incremental progress and not rely on some circus tricks like all of the other previous hired-gun Superintendents of the last few years. Instead of pet projects that siphon dollars from the rest of the District, my nominee will make gradual and substantive long lasting improvements. She will grow with the job. Stop bring in these high priced temporary carpetbaggers. That is what Hite is.
- I likes the headline "HITE HITS THE GROUND RUNNING". He best be careful, peoples are very suspicious of brothers on the run. But seriously folks. I don't have this brother's back. I have been reading up on him and he is Trouble with a capitol T. That's why I always say sometimes...Philadelphia's School District's new low is our man Hite!
— DarnelX - Could you give us, please, a synopsis of what you've found out about him that leads you to feel this way? Just curious.
— wb2nd - That's okay Darnel, you are a product of the Philadelphia public school system. You are fortunate to be able to string a couple of sentences together. We all make errors especially here in this informal setting.
— Magistra® - Anyone who went through the Broad Superintendents Academy as Hite did (whose first director was Arlene Ackerman before she became Superintendent in Philadelphia, and she also was on the Broad Board while Superintendent in Philadelpia) is trouble. — tom-104
- True. And to answer wb2nd's question about what Darnel found on Hite. I recall someone posting links here with a lot of negative press on Hite. Accusations of womanizing coworkers and a lot of other unsavory arrogant Ackerman like bad press. He was painted in a very negative light. My take away was that Hite was brought in by the SRC on some kind of Political agenda and not necessarily on his qualifications. More of the same and no real change in the way of thinking. If you want to know more just Google and you will find what Darnel posted. — Magistra®
- The best hint he could right now is cut the budget across the board by 5%.— krautmef1
- Do you have an opinion about he should do about the education of the next generation? — tom-104
- Eh. Nothing new here. Same ol', same ol'.— Go-Eagles
- Hit the ground running??? Take the money and run, you mean.— cgraham
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.
You can also follow Kristen on Twitter here.
