CULTURE BUILDING
Residents: Next superintendent should be strong collaborator who can move district forward
The next Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent should be a team-builder with the ability to support district staff at all levels and, importantly, be someone who loves children.
That’s what a group of city residents at Westinghouse 6-12 on Wednesday told a representative of BWP & Associates, the Illinoisbased consultant firm leading the superintendent search for the district.
The gathering of about 15 people, made up of retired district employees, community partners, parents and others, was one of three across the city where residents had the opportunity to voice the qualities they want to see in the next superintendent, as well as what they see as strengths and weaknesses of the school system.
The attendees said creating a collaborative culture with the entire school community would be paramount to the success of the next superintendent.
“You need somebody who can build a culture of innovation so the same old, same old doesn’t continue, by building trust across silos and barriers, across teachers, administrators, community, community organizations to reimagine schools that have historically and chronically failed their kids,” said Ron Sofo, a concerned citizen and former education consultant.
It will also be necessary for a superintendent to put a quality leadership team in place around himself or herself that can help improve trust, they said.
“They have to build people around them who are strong, have expertise and can help provide that support,” said Ellen Estomin, a retired district administrator.
Another key, those in attendance said, will be ensuring that the superintendent has a similarly aligned view of the direction of the district with the board and other major stakeholders so that progress doesn’t get blocked by policy disputes.
To help feel out that shared vision, the group suggested that the school board participate in a retreat with some of the superintendent candidates before a selection is made.
“You date somebody before you get married,” Westinghouse teacher Sean Means said. “The chemistry needs to work with these two groups. It needs to, because you’ll be hitting your head against a wall for years.”
The attendees agreed, though, that no matter what the next superintendent does for the district staff, the students must be the priority.
“One of the questions I hope you ask the next superintendent is whether or not they love kids,” said Tim Smith, the founder of Center of Life, a Hazelwood community organization. “I hope that’s on the interview.”
The forum also gave those in attendance a chance to say what the district does well and what it could do better.
A strength, they said, was quality and experienced teachers. But they also noted a high rate of turnover in school administrative ranks.
A major issue was districtwide equity. They said the district had some good schools, but many
others were lacking.
“Right now, you have two or three schools ... those are the places that people look to as strong places of learning,” Mr. Means said. “And they have a filters in and they have a filters out.”
The district’s financial management was also a concern.
The district’s budget “equates to over $30,000 a kid,” Mr. Sofo said. “Ninety- five percent of your superintendents in Pennsylvania would die for that money per kid. So we’ve got money, but how are we spending it? We’re not getting the return on investment.”
Two more in-person sessions and a virtual session will be held on Thursday.
Percy Mack, the BWP representative who led the session, said the firm would use the feedback to develop a leadership profile that it will present to the board during a public meeting on May 26.
In addition to the community forums, BWP will hold focus group sessions with participants representing district administrators, educators, parents and guardians, students, faith -based organizations, foundations, corporate leaders, board members and other constituencies.
The board said it hopes to have a permanent superintendent in place by the start of the 2022-23 school year.
Wayne Walters has served as interim superintendent since former city schools chief Anthony Hamlet resigned amid fallout from a state ethics report that discovered multiple violations over several years.