Groups call for search of new Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent

PITTSBURGH — Several local educational and civil rights groups have issued a joint statement, demanding that Pittsburgh Public Schools begin searching for a new superintendent to replace the recently-hired Dr. Anthony Hamlet.

“We felt finally we weren’t seeing enough progress, so we needed to speak out,” said Carey Harris, director of A+ Schools, which advocates for good school policy and practice.

A+, along with four other groups issued a joint statement asking that Hamlet be replaced.

“I think he’s going to have a credibility challenge and we need a superintendent set up for success,” Harris said.

Hamlet, a former administrator from Palm Beach County, Florida, has been under scrutiny because of a discrepancy on his resume and an allegation of plagiarism.

The joint statement said:

No additional amount of investigation will undo the damage already done. More time spent deliberating only further tarnishes the reputation for both Dr. Hamlet and Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Harris is also critical of the school board for hiring the company that conducted the search.

“For us, it’s not about Dr. Hamlet,” Harris said. “It’s about the board doing its job.”

Cox Media Group