New Superintendent for District

New Superintendent for District

Monday, December 06 2010

The Penn Hills School District welcomed Thomas K. Washington of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as the District’s new superintendent Monday night. Mr. Washington was given a 5-year contract at a starting salary of $140,000. His starting date is to be determined.

Mr. Washington is currently Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources in the Bethlehem Area School District. In this capacity, he has dealt with labor relations issues, principal supervision, child accounting, strategic planning, postgraduate programs, student teachers, human relations, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission/Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission matters. In addition, he co-chaired the superintendent’s committee on diversity.

As Director of Student Services, Mr. Washington dealt with a wide variety of student-related issues in the district, including guidance, student code of conduct, charter schools, homeschooling, student assistance program, and early childhood/child care. He also served as principal for a K-5 elementary building, implementing several reading programs, and spent time in Bethlehem as an elementary school teacher. In addition, he was an elementary school principal in the Allentown School District, assistant elementary school principal in the Pocono Mountain School District, and an elementary school teacher in the Albany City School District.

Initiatives implemented under Mr. Washington during his tenures include a schoolwide breakfast program, K-12 code of conduct, K-8 character education program, and curriculum development. He has served an integral role in the creation of academic programs for students as well as designing professional learning communities for teachers. In addition, his experience has utilized collaboration with not only parents, students, and teachers, but the general community as well. The leadership skills he has gained as he has progressed through the school system will play an important part in his role as superintendent of the Penn Hills School District.

Mr. Washington has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Education from the State University of New York and a Master of Education in Education from Kutztown University. His principal certificate was obtained from Penn State University, with his letter of eligibility from Lehigh University. He is currently pursuing his doctorate at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Washington takes over management of the District from Interim Superintendent Stephen Vak. Dr. Vak has been in the interim position since the retirement of Dr. Joseph W. Carroll, Jr., as superintendent in July 2010.