Anthony Hamlet

Anthony Hamlet is the superintendent of schools in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was previously a football player at the University of Miami and briefly with the Indianapolis Colts.

Education

After attending public schools in Palm Beach County, Florida, Anthony Hamlet earned a BS in general studies from the University of Miami (1992). In 2003, he earned an MS in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University, and in 2007 received a Doctor of Education, also from the same institution.^[1] In 2015, he was a member of the first class at the AASA-Howard University Urban Superintendent Academy, a program intended to train leaders for urban school districts.^[2]

Career

At Miami, Hamlet was a starting defensive tackle on the Hurricanes' undefeated 1991 National Co-champion football team. The team remained undefeated by beating Nebraska, 22-0, in the 1992 Orange Bowl. He played the 1993 season as a defensive end with the Indianapolis Colts,^[3] He also spent time with the Seattle Seahawks and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.^[4]

He began his educational career as a case manager and behavioral specialist with a Palm Beach County mental health unit. He subsequently held positions as teacher, dean of students, assistant principal, principal, and district administrator, mostly with the School District of Palm Beach County.^[1] He worked in many different educational settings: urban and suburban, affluent and poverty-stricken, and with high-performing and low-performing schools.^[2]

In October 2015, the Pittsburgh School Board commissioned a national search for a new superintendent. In January 2016, their independent consultants issued a public call for applicants. Hamlet submitted his application in March, including a five-page resume and several letters of recommendation. Two months later the Pittsburgh school board unanimously voted to hire him as superintendent, with a five-year contract and an annual salary of $210,000.^[5][6]

Eleven days later, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette broke a news story about discrepancies in Hamlet's resume. The news and allegations were troubling to the board, which called in a former state prosecutor to investigate. Hamlet's resume was found to be 'fraught with errors', and to include several plagiarized paragraphs. The Palm Beach County school district, Hamlet's long-time and most recent employer, did not provide a statement and refused all interview requests by the investigators. After the extensive investigation, the discrepancies were found to be "primarily the result of typos, inaccurate verbiage and lack of clarity or precision in his resume". Hamlet's attorney told the board that Hamlet "lacked the necessary intent" to plagiarize.^[5]

In early July, 2016, Anthony Hamlet was finally sworn in as superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools.^[7] Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto welcomed him, as did local teachers' union officials. In an interview several weeks later, Hamlet said he wouldn't change anything about his resume.^[8]

References