One-on-One: PPS superintendent Anthony Hamlet discusses his plans for district

PITTSBURGH — As 25,000 Pittsburgh Public Schools students prepare to head back to class next Monday, their new superintendent is gearing up for the new year.

Channel 11’s David Johnson recently sat down with Anthony Hamlet for a one-on-one interview to find out how he plans to better Steel City children.

When asked why he believes the district selected him as superintendent, Hamlet admitted part of it was simply timing. He was looking for a new job and the position became open.

Hamlet said his experience working with underperforming schools as a teacher, a principal and an administrator have all taught him that he doesn’t know everything.

"I don't want to be the sage on the stage. I want to be the guy on the side facilitating this process,” he said.

Right now, the process starts with what Hamlet calls his Look, Listen and Learn Tour, which involves going to all the schools, holding public meetings and finding out what the problems are.

He said he knows that fighting and violence at some schools are among the problems.

"Sometimes kids come to school with life circumstances, and, you know, sometimes we just put books in front of them. They're not ready for that. Their mind is not there. Their mind is at home with these life circumstances they're dealing with,” Hamlet said.

Hamlet knows a thing or two about life circumstances. His were less than ideal in a rough neighborhood of Delray Beach, Florida. He said he hardly knew his father, who ended up in jail, and was raised by his mother.

"(My) mother was a strong woman. Strong woman. I never got into trouble, although trouble was all around me,” he said. "From an early age, I always knew I wanted to go to college to play football. As a matter of fact, the kids on the block used to laugh at me because I wasn't the fastest. I wasn't the strongest. I wasn't the smartest. But that's what I wanted. I set my mind to do that.”

Indeed he did, starting for the National Champion Miami Hurricanes. He also made it to the NFL, but a knee injury ended his career.

"I always knew I wanted to help children,” Hamlet said.

However, Hamlet said he never thought he'd end up a teacher or a principal, much less a superintendent. He said along the way, he learned that that every employee in a school district has a responsibility for everyone else.

"You support somebody who supports somebody else who supports a teacher in the classroom and the teacher supports students automatically,” Hamlet said.

Lastly, he shared a message directed at all parents with children in PPS.

"I'm going to champion for your child every day,” he said. “We are here in support of children.”

Hamlet’s hiring has been surrounded with controversy, from accusations of plagiarism on his resume to questions about the district’s very pricey hiring process.

Hamlet declined during his interview with Johnson to comment on those issues, saying he’s focused on a 100 percent graduation rate and improving standardized test scores.

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