Pittsburgh Public Schools Board Votes To Renew Superintendent Dr. Anthony Hamlet's Contract
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Pittsburgh Public Schools board voted 7-2 to renew Superintendent Dr. Anthony Hamlet's contract Wednesday.
During the meeting, multiple board members have shown support for Dr. Hamlet, saying that he hasn't been given enough time to make substantial changes. They say giving someone only four years to turn the district around is setting unrealistic expectations.
Pittsburgh Public Schools board members held several virtual meetings this week to discuss technology and the Dr. Hamlet's future.
Comments were read both for and against the renewing Hamlet's contract. Some people were concerned about low test scores in the district, while others felt changing superintendents during a public health crisis would be too chaotic.
"That's why our district can't really solidify or define what transformation looks like because we keep changing the leader as soon as they start getting their feet off the ground," said Kevin Carter, District 8's first vice president.
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During the pandemic, Hamlet led a through execution plan to keep students and staff safe both in and out of the classroom. He's also pushing to get all of the district's 23,000 students a device for online learning.
Dr. Hamlet will now be the superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools until 2025. His current contract is set to expire in June 2025.
"I want to thank the Board for this vote of confidence," Dr. Hamlet said in a statement. "And while the misdirected self-interest of a few attempted to take away from the progress we have made together, we are now able to move forward squarely focused on improving outcomes for our students."