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PPS board votes 7-2 to keep Anthony Hamlet as district's superintendent

PITTSBURGH — The board of directors of Pittsburgh Public Schools voted 7-2 Wednesday night to keep Dr. Anthony Hamlet as the district's newly-appointed superintendent.

Hamlet, who was offered the superintendent job last month, has stayed out of the public eye since he first tried to defend concerns about discrepancies on his resume, and later, additional allegations of plagiarism.

learned that the board on Wednesday night saw a new report from an independent investigator who was hired by the district after the allegations surfaced to look into Hamlet’s credentials. However, the results of the investigation have yet to be made public.

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While Hamlet was not at Wednesday night’s meeting, PPS Board President Dr. Regina Holley explained how he defended the one line at the center of plagiarism allegations in his resume that was allegedly lifted from a Washington Post article.

“The words he used to describe his education philosophy came from a speech someone wrote for him more than a year ago, and he did not know their origin,” Holley said. “He ultimately takes responsibility for what he included in his resume, and he regrets the unintended consequences.”%

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The majority of the board voiced their support for Hamlet before the final vote was taken aside from two members, including Terry Kennedy.

“My belief is Dr. Hamlet will have a difficult time leading this district,” he said.

Channel 11 News had been investigating Hamlet’s background for weeks after allegations of plagiarism and discrepancies on his resume arose.

Hamlet comes to Pittsburgh from Palm Beach County Schools in Florida, where he also admitted to another mistake on his resume about a school under his leadership that went from a “D” to a “C” grade, not an “F” to a “C” as he originally told the board.

The two board members who voted against Hamlet staying onboard declined to comment following Wednesday night’s meeting.

Holley released the following statement after the board’s final vote:

“The review was extensive. The report and additional documentation regarding Dr. Hamlet’s experience and training led to a lengthy discussion. We asked Dr. Hamlet to explain the discrepancies, and he was able to clarify to our satisfaction the issues that arose regarding language, data and his employment experience. Dr. Hamlet is eager to move forward and so are we. 
 
“In many ways, Pittsburgh has become a city of second chances. I’m asking everyone who has had concerns to allow someone to have a first chance – a chance to demonstrate what he can do. We ask everyone to join us in supporting Dr. Hamlet and the District’s mission to improve achievement for all students.”

Hamlet responded to the board's decision to retain him as the district's superintendent by issuing the following statement:

“First and foremost, I want to thank the Board for its support and willingness to move forward in our work to address the differing needs of our students. I regret the concern this situation has caused, and I apologize to the parents and communities for this unintended distraction.  My focus has always been the children.
 
"As I prepare to be sworn in this Friday as the next superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools, I am committed to proactively reaching out to bridge the divide, so that together we can move forward to address the needs of Pittsburgh’s students. I will soon announce a transition team and plan to invite leaders, whether they’ve been supportive, unsupportive or simply have had concerns, to encourage all to work together for the best interest of our children.”

Hamlet will be officially sworn in as superintendent Friday morning.