New Philadelphia School Superintendent’s First Extended Television Interview
(Philadelphia, PA) October 11, 2012 – PCCY’s Education Roundtable, the monthly discussion program featuring local education journalists, opens its seventh season with special guest, Dr. William Hite, the School District of Philadelphia’s new superintendent.
Appointed in June following a national search, Hite is the former superintendent of Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland. He joined regular panelists, PCCY Executive Director and host, Shelly Yanoff; Philadelphia Inquirer education reporter, Kristen Graham; Education Notebook editor, Dale Mezzacappa; and retired Daily News columnist Elmer Smith, engaging in a dialogue touching on a wide range of topics during a half-hour taping at the District’s television studio.
Referring to the current budget shortfall and the academic challenges facing the public schools, Hite listed “stabilization of the current environment inside this district,” as one of his top priorities.
“We don’t need another silver bullet,” he said, noting that initial improvements should be based on better utilization of existing resources.
Apprehensive about the recommendation of the Boston Consulting Group (hired by the District to devise strategies to stabilize finances and improve the quality of education) to create independent, decentralized“ achievement networks” to improve student education,
Hite called the strategy “disruptive” and “not proven,” adding that he was “not so sure that’s what we need right now.”
“We look forward to having Dr. Hite on again, as well as other key decision makers in the future,” Yanoff said.
‘Educational Roundtable’ airs on PSTV (Comcast Channel 52), the District’s own cable channel:
- Monday: 6:00pm
- Tuesday: 9:00pm
- Friday: 9:00pm
- Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday: 8:00pm
Check local listings for the broadcast schedule on PhillyCAM (Comcast 66/966 & Verizon 29/30).