Description:
Dr. Tony B. Watlington, Sr. will begin his tenure as Superintendent of The School District of Philadelphia on June 16, 2022. In preparation for his tenure, Dr. Watlington is engaged in a consulting period as the incoming Superintendent. Dr. Watlington is engaged in learning as much as he can about the School District, its structures, personnel, goals, partners, and relationships, and about the City of Philadelphia and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as he transitions into the Superintendency. Under the terms of his Employment Agreement, Dr. Watlington will present the Board with an entry plan on or before July 1, 2022.
To support Dr. Watlington in this work, the work of K-12 education experts will be engaged to support a three phase transition process.
Phase 1 (April 8 2022 - September 30, 2022) will focus on the development and execution of a 100-day Entry Plan which will include a listening and learning tour of Philadelphia, a Board of Education retreat, a senior staff retreat, and multiple community engagement activities.
Phase 2 (September 1, 2022 - November 30, 2022) will focus on the development and implementation of a transition team process informed by the quantitative and qualitative data gathered during Phase 1. Dr. Watlington will evaluate the District’s capacity to achieve the Goals and Guardrails, with specific attention to the district’s organizational structure, internal talent, and the allocation of time, budget and professional learning. The transition support provided by K-12 education experts (and the timeline in which it is being provided) will expedite Dr. Watlington’s evaluation of the District. At the conclusion of Phase 2, a formal report will be developed with findings and specific recommendations to achieve Goals and Guardrails. This report will inform next steps, including the development of a 5 year strategic plan.
Phase 3 (December 1, 2022 - May 30, 2023) will focus on a process to develop a 5 year strategic plan. This plan will serve as the district’s roadmap to achieve the Goals and Guardrails. To support a successful transition, K-12 education experts will support Dr. Watlington and the Board of Education in utilizing the qualitative and quantitative data collected in Phases 1 and 2, in developing and maintaining systems and structures that support effective Board-Superintendent-Leadership relations, expectations for the long-and short-range planning, and other components of successful governance that support accelerating achievement of the Goals and Guardrails.
Joseph and Associates LLC are education leaders who have decades of service in K-12 public schools, universities, and colleges. The firm and Associates are active in national organizations including the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE), the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS), and the National School Boards Association (NSBA).
This transition support is standard practice to efficiently develop an in-depth understanding of the needs of a district as large and diverse as The School District of Philadelphia, and will build on Dr. Watlington’s expertise as he evaluates the District’s organizational structures, financial position, and performance. Intentional in its timing, this transition support allows overlap between the current and incoming superintendents to support operational continuity, planning for the first 100 days, and longer-term strategic planning and capacity building.