PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia School Board is midway through its “listening sessions” as the public weighs in on the qualities desired in a new schools superintendent.
Through online surveys and in-person forums, the school board is crafting a job description for the person who replaces Superintendent William Hite.
After more than nine years as Philadelphia’s schools superintendent, Hite has announced his plans to step down after this school year.
The survey asks respondents to rank the experiences and qualities for a new superintendent:
- How necessary is running a large organization?
- Should the new superintendent have teaching experience?
- Should they be an independent thinker?
- Is it more important that they act transparently?
Violet Smith, a parent of three at Overbrook Elementary, filled out a survey outside the school Thursday. The next superintendent, she said, needs to build ties with individual schools.
“That’s the first priority," Smith explained, so you know what the school needs, what the kids need, what it’s like in there,” Smith told KYW Newsradio.
"If you’re not in there, you wouldn’t know what is needed.”
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Cecelia Henderson, an Overbrook seventh grader, wants her new superintendent to improve safety when young and older students are together.
“More security, more awareness for the children and older kids,” she said.
“ ‘Cause teenagers are rowdy and little kids are rowdy as well, and they don’t really pay attention to things, and something could happen.”
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Henderson said she wants the new superintendent to continue that effort.
“I would like them to focus on getting good high schools into the grasp of students who want to go to those high schools," said Henderson.
"Students who think that they have potential or who know that they have potential and they want to go to those extracurricular high schools, those academic high schools, those special-admission high schools, and make it more available to them.”
The board is gathering public input through October 29.