Philly’s outgoing school superintendent has a new job
Jan 29, 2022 | 6:30 am ET
Description
School District of Philadelphia superintendent William Hite has been named the new CEO/President of KnowledgeWorks (School District of Philadelphia photo/The Philadelphia Tribune).
By Chanel Hill
PHILADELPHIA –School District of Philadelphia superintendent William Hite has been named the new CEO/President of KnowledgeWorks, a national nonprofit that partners with school districts, state departments of education and education agencies to prepare students for college and meaningful careers.
He will begin his new role July 1.
Hite announced last September that he did not intend to renew his contract at the end of the 2021-22 school year. He will remain in his current role with the school district through the end of the school year.
“KnowledgeWorks will benefit tremendously from Dr. Hite’s significant experience in the K-12 space and his focus on innovation and quality, which will enable us to operationalize our personalized, competency-based learning model and scale up nationally,” said Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds, chair of the KnowledgeWorks Board of Directors in a statement.
“We also look forward to his ability to help us refine our mission in the context of equity, refocus our strategic plan and maximize our investments,” she added.
In his new role, Hite will oversee an annual budget of $14 million, a $125 million investment portfolio and a staff of nearly 50.
“Nothing is more important than ensuring that our nation’s children have a strong education, and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in my career to work toward that mission, particularly with the School District of Philadelphia,” Hite said in a statement.
“I’m excited to take on a new challenge in this journey and look forward to working with the KnowledgeWorks team to deploy innovative education approaches that position students to thrive in college, career and civic life,” he added.
Hite has been one of the longest-tenured superintendents in the history of a district that educates nearly 120,000 students in more than 200 schools.
He came to Philadelphia in June 2012 from Prince George’s County Public Schools, Maryland’s second-largest school district, where he was superintendent.
His resume also includes stints as assistant superintendent for Georgia’s Cobb County School District before his appointment to Prince George’s County Public Schools.
Board of Education president Joyce Wilkerson congratulated Hite on his position.
“On behalf of the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia, I wish to congratulate Dr. Hite on his appointment,” Wilkerson said in a statement. “We are grateful for his continued leadership and service to the School District, and we support his ongoing efforts to ensure a safe and consistent school year for the children and families of Philadelphia.
“This announcement does not require any adjustments to the current superintendent search plan. Dr. Hite will be instrumental in the plan to onboard his successor, and we look forward to collaborating with him to support a smooth transition to a new superintendent,” she said.
“We wish Dr. Hite the best in his upcoming role leading KnowledgeWorks, and we look forward to working alongside Dr. Hite and School District stakeholders to ensure we are setting the next leader of the School District up for success.”
Chanel Hill is a reporter for the Philadelphia Tribune, where this story first appeared.
Harrisburg, PA
