School District of Philadelphia names Dr. Tony Watlington Sr. as next superintendent
PHILADELPHIA - After a search with several candidates, officials announced Dr. Tony Watlington Sr. as the next superintendent of Philadelphia schools.
Watlington serves as the Superintendent of Rowan-Salisbury Schools in North Carolina and has a well-rounded background in education that spans nearly 30 years.
According to the Philadelphia School District's website profile on Watlington, he has educational experience in instructional leadership, closing student achievement gaps, organizational efficiency, fiscal management and recruitment.
"The reception feels great," Watlington Sr. said. "I'm excited to be here in the School District of Philadelphia and I can't wait to hit the ground running."
One of his most notable achievements is the development of Rowan-Dalisbury's strategic plan, "Renewal 2027," and increasing the percentage of schools that met or exceeded state growth targets from 55% to 71%.
Dr. Tony B. Watlington Sr.
He has served in several teaching positions including high school teacher, assistant principal and principal. As the Superintendent of Rowan-Salisbury Schools, Watlington oversaw about 18,000 students across 33 schools.
The School District of Philadelphia has roughly 100k more students and a number of serious school building concerns including asbestos and lead in water. Watlington Sr. said he plans to use the next few months to listen and learn.
"Over the next few months, I'll be taking the time to do a listening/learning tour, I'll be partnered with Dr. Hite to full understand the depth of every issue," Watlington said. "We won't solve all those problems tomorrow, but we are going to address them with a sense of urgency."
Watlington Sr. will officially take over as the leader of Philadelphia's public schools in June.
Last fall, Superintendent Dr. William Hite announced that he would not seek to renew his contract and the end of his term in 2022.
"After a lot of personal reflection, I decided not to pursue a renewal of my contract and that’s my choice so I had informed the board of that choice," Hite said at the time.
Hite arrived in the city in June of 2012 when schools were being buffeted by cost-cutting and layoffs. During his tenure, the school district was returned to city control with a school board appointed by local officials.
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