Dear School District of Philadelphia Community,

Today, I am writing to share a few exciting leadership updates. I am pleased to share the following leadership announcements:

Interim Chief of Student Support Services
Dr. Jayme Banks, the Deputy Chief of Prevention, Intervention and Trauma, will transition to become the Interim Chief of Student Support Services. In this role, she will report to the Deputy Superintendent of Academics, Dr. Jermaine Dawson and will perform duties that include, but are not be limited to, leading programs with city, community, and school partners that result in increased regular student attendance, increased graduation rates, and decreased dropout rates. Additionally, she will lead the school selection processes in a manner that engages schools and community partners, and builds trust.

Chief Talent Officer
Kaylan Connally, current Chief Strategy Officer, will transition to become the Chief Talent Officer. In her new role, she will support Deputy Superintendent for Talent and Culture, Jeremy Grant-Skinner, in expanding staff recruitment efforts, reducing our staff onboarding time, increasing training and development for all job roles, and increasing our staff retention rates. In addition, she will help lead the teacher pipeline strategies in our strategic plan, as there has been a 71 percent decline in teacher certifications awarded in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The strategy office, currently led by Chief Connally, will now report to Chief of Staff, Sarah Galbally. These staff changes are budget neutral.

Associate Superintendent of School Performance Appointments
Kimberly Newman has been appointed as the Associate Superintendent of School Performance for Elementary I. For the past six years, Ms. Newman has served as the Assistant Superintendent for Learning Network 6. Prior to this role, she served as a principal at Houston Elementary and Marian Anderson Academy, formerly Chester Arthur, for 11 years. Under her leadership, Network 6 has made the following progress:

• 4.4 percentage point increase in student attendance
• 7.2 percentage point increase in teacher attendance
• 7.6 percentage point decrease in Grades 3 Reading Below Basic
• 11.5 percentage point increase in Grade 3 Math

Hilderbrand Pelzer III has been appointed as the Associate Superintendent of School Performance for Elementary II. Currently, Mr. Pelzer serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Network 13.  Under his leadership, Network 13, has made the following progress:

• 5.4 percentage point increase in 9-12 Literacy Proficiency (STAR Spring vs. Fall 2023-2024)
• 5 percentage point decrease in the 9-12 Literacy Below Basic (STAR Spring vs. Fall 2023-2024)
• 7.4 percentage point increase in 9-12 Math Proficiency (STAR Spring vs. Fall 2023-2024)
• 4.1 percentage point decrease in 912 Math Below Basic (STAR Spring vs. Fall 2023-2024)

Assistant Superintendent of School Performance Appointments
Dr. Alphonzo Evans has been appointed as the Assistant Superintendent of School Performance. For the past two years, Dr. Evans has served as the principal at Stearne Elementary School, where he led the school’s turnaround and built a 94% teacher retention rate.  Under his leadership, the school has made the following progress:

• 13.5 percentage point increase in student attendance
• 17.4 percentage point increase in teacher attendance
• 12.6 percentage point decrease in Grades 3-8 Reading Below Basic
• 7.8 percentage point decrease in Grades 3-8 Math Below Basic

Prior to his role at Stearne, he has served as a Chief Academic Officer and Regional Superintendent with Achieve, Chester and Southwest Leadership Charter Academies, and served at the Director of Schools to the Regional Superintendent in the former South Region in the School District of Philadelphia.

Dr. Timothy Jones has been appointed as the Assistant Superintendent of School Performance. For the past 11 years, Dr. Jones has served as the principal of BEST Academy 6-12. BEST Academy, an all-male STEM Certified school in Atlanta Georgia, is the nation’s only STEM Certified Schools for all boys. While serving as the principal, the school achieved a 96% graduation rate and 100% college acceptance rate, as well as secured conditional acceptance and enrollment for all graduating seniors at Arkansas Baptist College, Benedict College and Morris Brown College. Under his leadership during the 2022-2023 school year, the school made the following progress:

• 5.8 percentage point increase in the number of high school students proficient in Literature, Algebra, Biology and US History
• 2.7 percentage point increase in number of middle school students proficient in Reading and Math
• 91.7% of the target met on closing the achievement gap with student subgroups
• 78 % of high school students demonstrated academic progress on the 2023 state assessment

Timothy McKenna has been appointed as the Assistant Superintendent of Post-Secondary Readiness. For the past two years, Mr. McKenna has served as the Deputy Chief of Accountability in the Office of Evaluation, Research, and Accountability.  In this role, he leads the Office of Assessment and Office of Planning and Evidence-based Supports (PESO). Previously, he served as the principal of Central High School for 10 years.  While serving as principal of Central High, he achieved the following:

• 99 percent of students scored proficient or above on Literature Keystone Exams
• 86.5 percent of students scored proficient or above on Algebra I Keystone Exams
• 86% of students met 9th Grade on Track Metric
• 99% Graduation Rate

Donna Ragsdale has been appointed as the Assistant Superintendent of School Performance for the Acceleration Network. For the past 13 years, Ms. Ragsdale has served as the principal of Prince Hall School.  Under her leadership during the 2022-2023 school year, the school has made the following progress:

• 6.3 percentage point increase in Teacher Attendance
• 10.2 percentage point increase in Grade 3 Reading Proficiency
• 20.5 percentage point decrease in Grade 3 Reading Below Basic
• 12.1 percentage point decrease in Grades 3-8 Math Below Basic

Mark Vitvitsky has been selected as the Assistant Superintendent of School Performance. For the past 10 years, Mr. Vitvisky served as the principal of Bache-Martin School. Under his leadership, the school has made the following progress:

• 15.3 percentage point increase in Student Attendance
• 8.9 percentage point increase in Teacher Attendance
• 9.6 percentage point increase in Grades 3-8 Math Proficiency
• 11.7 percentage point decrease in Grades 3-8 Math Below Basic

Principal Appointments
Katiedra Argro has been appointed as the Principal of the Philadelphia High School for Girls. This appointment will be a return for Principal Argro to her alma mater. For the past five years, she has served as Principal of John Barry Elementary School. Under her leadership, the school has made the following progress:

• 10 percentage point increase in Student Attendance
• 2.8 percentage point increase in Grade 3 Math Proficiency
• 1.9 percentage point increase in Grades 4 and 8 Science
• 3.6 percentage point decrease in Grade 3 Math Below Basic

Brian Wallace has been appointed as the Principal for Parkway Center City Middle College High School. For the last two years, he has served as the Principal of William M. Meredith Elementary School. Under his leadership, the school has made the following progress:

• 2.5 percentage point increase in Grades 3-8 Reading
• 16.3 percentage point increase in Grades 3-8 Math
• 7.4 percentage point increase in teacher attendance
• 5.7 percentage point in Grade 3 Reading

In addition, the following interim principals have been promoted to permanent principals:

Yancy Bright, Paul L. Dunbar School
Tisha Dunn, S. Weir Mitchell Elementary School
Lawrence King, Paul Robeson High School
Tiffany Osei, Laura H. Carnell School
Andrea Surratt, Robert E. Lamberton Elementary School
R. Michelle Torres, Isaac A. Sheppard School

Staff Departures and Retirements
Dr. Evelyn Nunez, current Associate Superintendent of School Performance for Elementary, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Esperanza Academy Charter School. She will remain with the District until the end of July. Over the course of 19 years, Dr. Nunez served first as an educator, then as a school administrator, and eventually led the District’s Schools Office. In her current role, she helped the District to achieve the strongest post-Covid recovery in Grades 3-8 math and reading performance among large districts in the nation in School Year 2022-2023.

Karyn Lynch, current Chief of Student of Services, retired from the District on May 31, 2024.  During her tenure, Chief Lynch managed the division’s departments of Guidance Counseling Services, Family and Community Outreach, Health Services, Homeless Education, Safe and Drug Free Schools and Character Education, as well as the Office of Student Appeals, and the Office Business and Community Relations. Under her leadership, the Student Support Services team also helped the District achieve post-pandemic recovery for Grades 3-8 in Math and Reading.

Sean Conley, current Assistant Superintendent of Acceleration Network,  has assumed a new position outside of the District. Under his leadership, the Acceleration Network achieved a 4 percentage point increase in teacher attendance, 3.2 percentage point increase in Grade 3 Reading, 4.1 percentage point increase in Grade Math, and 5.3 percentage point decrease in Grades 3-8 Math Below Basic.

Associate Superintendent Nunez, Chief Lynch and Assistant Superintendent Conely have been assets to the District and will be greatly missed. Please join me in thanking these leaders for their dedicated service to the District.

The talented individuals who are joining our School District of Philadelphia team will help us to prepare students to imagine and realize any future they desire, in our continued pursuit of becoming the fastest improving large, urban school district in the country.

In partnership,

Tony B. Watlington Sr., Ed.D.
Superintendent
The School District of Philadelphia