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Kihn out at school district, among several personnel moves

Deputy Superintendent Paul Kihn resigned Tuesday night. Naomi Wyatt, head of human resources, was named chief of staff for Superintendent William R. Hite Jr.

Deputy Superintendent Paul Kihn has resigned from the Philadelphia School District.
Deputy Superintendent Paul Kihn has resigned from the Philadelphia School District.Read more

THE SCHOOL district's second-in-command, Deputy Superintendent Paul Kihn, handed in his resignation Tuesday night, part of a major shakeup in the Hite administration.

Kihn, 49, hired for the position in August 2012 shortly after Superintendent William Hite began his tenure, will return to Washington, D.C., to be with his family, said district spokesman Fernando Gallard.

Kihn said in a statement last night that he was leaving the district "for personal reasons."

"It has been a privilege and an honor to serve the children and families of Philadelphia for the past three years, and I remain truly excited and optimistic about the superintendent's vision and the exceptional people on his team, especially our school leaders and our extraordinary teachers," he said.

In other district personnel moves set to take place in the next two weeks, Chief Talent Officer Naomi Wyatt, a/k/a the head of human resources, has been named Hite's chief of staff, a new position, Gallard confirmed.

Kendra-Lee Rosati, who has worked under Wyatt as director of recruitment for a year, has been named acting chief talent officer, Gallard said.

Chief Operating Officer Fran Burns will continue in her role but also is expected to fill departing Chief Financial Officer Matt Stanski's shoes, at least temporarily, Gallard said.

Burns will perform administrative work such as approving time sheets and days off, Gallard said.

The district hopes to move "as quickly as possible" on a national CFO search, he said. So far no candidates have been brought in, he said.

The head of food services, Wayne Grasela, was named acting deputy chief operating officer, Gallard confirmed.

Sophie Bryan, a director in the Superintendent's Office, has taken over government and external-relations work after the April departure of Executive Director of Government Relations Rodney Oglesby.

Kimberly Caputo, who was deputy chief of specialized services, has joined the district's Office of General Counsel as senior special-education counsel.

The district also has hired the following new employees:

* James P. Harris, previously the COO of Dayton Public Schools, to be executive director of operations.

* Frederick McDowell, who worked as an instructional superintendent for Denver Public Schools, as deputy chief academic-support officer.

* Natasha Smith, a former school psychologist with Howard County Public Schools in Maryland, who succeeds Caputo as deputy chief of specialized services.

* Jack Perry, founding executive director of Prestige Academy Charter School in Delaware, to be deputy chief of academic enrichment.

Kihn, whose annual salary was $210,000, follows Stanski out the door. Both men had connections to Hite before they arrived. Kihn consulted for Hite when the superintendent headed Prince George's County, Md., Public Schools. Kihn worked for the global consulting firm McKinsey & Co.'s education practice.

He played an instrumental role in district efforts such as the School Redesign Initiative and the Authorizing Quality Initiative, seeking to improve charter-authorization procedures.

Stanski, who earned $175,000 per year, also worked as CFO under Hite in Maryland.

- Staff writer Solomon Leach

contributed to this report.

Online: ph.ly/DNEducation