Activists seek Hamlet’s retention
The Western Pennsylvania Black Political Assembly has voiced its support for Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Superintendent Anthony Hamlet and urged the school board to renew his contract.
In a letter sent to school board members last week, the community activist group said Mr. Hamlet has “built a foundation” that has moved the district in the right direction academically as well as in other areas.
“We want to support Dr. Hamlet because it seems that he is trying to right the ship,” the Rev. Johnnie Monroe, a WPBPA steering committee member, said Thursday in a phone interview. “The problem he inherited is a problem that’s been going on for years, and it seems that we’re beginning to see — not a whole lot — but we’re beginning to see a glimmer of light in some areas.”
Mr. Hamlet’s five-year contract expires June 30, 2021. The school board has until Feb. 1, 2021, to inform Mr. Hamlet if it intends to renew his contract.
Asked for comment on the
WPBPA letter, school board President Sylvia Wilson said the superintendent’s contract was a personnel issue that will be decided by the board.
“Board members have gotten lots of comments from parents and other members of the community on this specific issue,” she wrote in an email. “All is taken in stride, but ultimately [it is] a decision to be made by the board.”
Controversies have plagued Mr. Hamlet since the beginning of his tenure in Pittsburgh, from
to a high rate of staff turnover to questions about his relationships with outside vendors. Those criticisms and others were listed among the reasons a group of Black women sent the school board a letter last month saying the district should let Mr. Hamlet’s contract expire.
The WPBPA identified several reasons the group believes Mr. Hamlet’s contract should be renewed.
The letter listed overall rising proficiency rates on state exams from 2015 — the year before Mr. Hamlet’s tenure began — to 2019 in English language arts/reading and mathematics for students in grades 3-8 as well as in science in grades 4-8.
Mathematics proficiency increased from 25.6% in 2015 to 28.7% in 2019. English and reading performance increased from 42.8% in 2015 to 47.3% in 2019. And science increased from 46.5% in 2015 to 49.8% in 2019.
Critics of the superintendent have noted that a wide achievement gap remains between Black students and white students in the district, which Mr. Hamlet has acknowledged and vowed to improve.
The letter lauds Mr. Hamlet’s efforts to connect with the community during his “Look, Listen and Learn” tour when he spoke with more than 3,500 constituents, held 10 communitybased listening sessions, special meetings with principals, teachers, bus drivers, administrative staff, regional stakeholders and students, and visited all 54 district schools.
WPBPA’s letter also cites the creation of the 2017-2022 strategic plan, “Expect Great Things,” the launch of a citywide student advisory council, and the rerouting of buses to ensure reliable transportation to the district’s vulnerable youth as reasons Mr. Hamlet should stay.
Rev. Monroe said he shares some of the concerns that critics have about Mr. Hamlet, but the progress the district has made under the superintendent surpasses the issues that have had a negative impact. He also said it is imperative for the district to retain its Black male superintendent to serve as a role model for Black students.
And, Rev. Monroe said, stability is crucial for the district, even more now than usual amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think he’s brought about some stability to the district,” he said. “Is everything perfect? No. But we believe that there is a glimmer of hope and that outweighs some of the other pieces.”