A top deputy of Superintendent Watlington’s is leaving: Evelyn Nuñez to become Esperanza Charter CEO
Evelyn Nuñez has worked in the district for 19 years. She's currently associate superintendent for elementary schools under Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr.
One of Superintendent Tony B. Watlington’s top deputies is leaving the Philadelphia School District.
Evelyn Nuñez, associate superintendent for elementary schools, has been named chief executive officer of Esperanza Academy Charter School, the organization announced Wednesday.
Nuñez becomes superintendent of Esperanza Academy, a K-12 charter in Hunting Park. It enrolls 1,646 students across three campuses; it’s authorized to enroll 2,235.
Nuñez, who will begin her new job in August, has been a teacher, principal and chief of schools in the Philadelphia district. She’s spent 19 years in there, and has also spent time working in ASPIRA charters.
Watlington, who said the district would conduct a search to replace Nuñez, praised her “dedicated service” to the system.
“In her current role, she helped our district to achieve the strongest post-COVID recovery in grades third through eighth math and reading performance among big-city school districts in the nation,” Watlington said in a statement.
Nuñez was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Philadelphia with her family at age 3.
Ángel Ortíz, chair of Esperanza Academy’s board, and chair of the search committee that chose Nuñez, said she was picked from a field of more than 200 candidates.
“Dr. Nuñez brings valuable experience from both the public and charter school sectors, coupled with her deep understanding of our community’s needs,” Ortíz said. “Her return to our neighborhood signifies her dedication to positively impacting our community.”
Esperanza Academy opened in 2000; it is affiliated with the larger Esperanza nonprofit, whose aim is to strengthen underserved Hispanic communities through arts, education, and economic development programs.
The Rev. Luis Cortés, the Esperanza founder and CEO, expressed faith in Nuñez.
“We are confident that Dr. Nuñez will carry the school’s excellence, innovation, and progress for our children into the future,” Cortés said in a statement.