Tony Watlington has been named Superintendent of the Year by a national group
Watlington, leader of the Philadelphia School District since 2022, was chosen over leaders from Connecticut, New York, Texas, and Utah for the prize.
Philadelphia schools leader Tony B. Watlington Sr. has been named Superintendent of the Year by a national organization.
Watlington won the honor from the District Administration Leadership Institute, a Florida-based membership organization that provides leadership development opportunities for educators across the country.
“Tony Watlington has exemplified what it means to lead with integrity, vision, and impact,” Amy Dujon, DALI Vice President of Education, said in a statement. “His bold initiatives and passion for education stand as a beacon of excellence for educators nationwide.”
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Philadelphia schools have improved since Watlington arrived in June 2022. Reading and math scores, which had been among the lowest in the country compared to other large urban school systems, are up incrementally, as are student and teacher attendance. Fewer students are dropping out.
Watlington said the recognition belonged to the district as a whole.
“The progress we’ve made would not be possible without the collective dedication of the Board of Education, our staff, parents, students and unions,” he said in a statement. “Together, we are shaping a brighter future.”
Watlington’s goal for Philadelphia, the nation’s eighth-largest district, is clear: He often says he wants the district, with its 216 schools and 117,000 students, to become the fastest-improving large urban school system in the United States.
To win the DALI prize, Watlington beat out leaders from the Baldwin Union Free School District on New York’s Long Island; the Ysleta Independent School District in El Paso, Texas; the Middletown Public Schools in Connecticut, and the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind.
Watlington is paid $367,710 annually.