Title
Honoring Superintendent Dr. William Hite upon his departure from the Philadelphia School District and thanking him for his exemplary service to the students and citizens of Philadelphia over the past ten years.
Body
WHEREAS, Dr. William Hite has been the Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth's largest school district, since June of 2012; and
WHEREAS, When Dr. Hite arrived in Philadelphia, the School District was facing a precarious financial situation and the major task of transitioning to local control after nearly two decades of governance by the School Reform Commission; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hite's work paved the way to a successful return to local control because of the District's improved financial position under his leadership and the fact that more children are now graduating from high school, reading on grade level, enrolled in advance placement, IB and honors courses. Additionally, thanks to Dr. Hite's leadership, all K-8 students now have access to art and music. The District has continued to expand its facilities improvement work under Dr. Hite including three new schools constructed and updated facilities for the first time in years; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hite is a native of Virginia. He attended Virginia Tech where he earned his Bachelor's degree. Dr. Hite also holds a degree in educational leadership from the University of Virginia. Dr. Hite earned his doctorate at Virginia Tech specializing in educational leadership; and
WHEREAS, Prior to becoming an executive leader, Dr. Hite was a teacher, then principal, then central office administrator in his career. His depth and breadth of experience in education prepared him to lead large, urban school districts; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hite was previously superintendent of Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland, where his central work focused on increasing access and rigor to ensure college- and career-readiness. Prince George's County Schools, one of the 25-larges...
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