PCCP welcomes school district superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr.

Dr. Tony B. Watlington Sr. began his tenure as superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia in 2022 with an aggressive three-phase Entry Plan: Phase 1 featured a listening and learning tour with 90 sessions. Phase 2 included a 100-member Transition Team that came up with short- and long-term recommendations. Phase 3 now underway includes the development of a 5-year strategic planning process with an audacious goal: to make Philadelphia the fastest improving large, urban school district in the United States.

So far, the District has outpaced other large urban districts nationwide and in Pennsylvania for math and reading in grades 3-8 (according to Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Research and Stanford's Educational Opportunity Project.) But more progress is needed. Dr. Watlington will talk about those efforts, the district's ongoing post-COVID recovery, and other issues facing the the nation’s 8th largest with nearly 200,000 students.

Previously, Dr. Watlington served as superintendent of the Rowan-Salisbury Schools, North Carolina’s first and only Renewal School District. Under his leadership, the Rowan-Salisbury district’s 3rd grade literacy ranking rose from 96 to 74 out of 115 districts. (See his full bio and past achievements at https://www.philasd.org/leadership/).

A first-in-his-family college graduate and a champion for equity, Dr. Watlington is committed to building collaborative school and community teams that are accountable for creating life changing opportunities for all children, while significantly reducing achievement and opportunity gaps. He is a native of Fort Dix, New Jersey, the youngest of seven children raised in rural Harnett County, North Carolina. He received his undergraduate degree in History Education from N.C. A&T State University, a master’s degree in American political history from The Ohio State University, a Master’s of School Administration and a Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership degree from UNC-Chapel Hill (where he was a NC Principal Fellow).

Outside of work, he spends time with his family, volunteers in his community, runs CrossFit and 5K races, practices guitar, and he enjoys an occasional basketball game with his sons Tony Jr., Aaron, and Caleb.

Host or Publisher Philadelphia Committee on City Policy (PCCP)