Pittsburgh Public Schools Names Interim Replacement For Hamlet

Pittsburgh PA

30 September, 2021

7:38 AM

Description

PITTSBURGH, PA — Pittsburgh Public Schools directors have named Wayne Walters as its interim superintendent effective Friday. Walters, currently assistant superintendent of professional development and special programming, has more than 30 years of experience with the district. Walters, 51, will replace Anthony Hamlet, who announced his resignation Sept. 8 after being cited by the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission for various violations. Hamlet's last day is today. The school board appointed Walters Wednesday night in a unanimous vote. He will serve for a year or until a permanent superintendent is named; that search won't begin until December, when new school directors join the board. "We want Pittsburgh Public Schools to be the best it can be," Walters said in a district release. "We have an incredibly hardworking staff, the best teachers and devoted administrators—and all of us have the great responsibility and privilege of educating our students. We remain committed to our core function and that is helping students learn to their fullest abilities." A native of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Walters arrived in Pittsburgh when he was 16 to attend Carnegie Mellon University, where he received a bachelor's degree in music performance-music education. He subsequently received a master's degree in music education-technology from Duquesne University and a doctorate degree in education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2007. He began his teaching career at King Elementary in the North Side. He has experience as a district assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent of 6-12 schools. "Dr. Walters is no stranger to us. We know first hand that his commitment to Pittsburgh Public Schools and the city of Pittsburgh is unwavering," board president Sylvia Wilson said. "Couple this with Dr. Walters' depth of experience and unmatched skill level, we could not be more pleased that Dr. Walters has agreed to serve as interim superintendent." The ethics commission last month ruled that Hamlet violated several provisions of the state Ethics Act. He was ordered to repay more than $8,750 in restitution and investigative costs and forfeit 14 vacation days worth more than $12,000 in salary. In a 147-page decision, the ethics commission ruled that Hamlet improperly received reimbursements for travel expenses that already had been paid by the district and that he improperly carried over and used vacation and personal days for himself from one year to the next in violation of his contract and accepted honoraria in recognition of appearances, speeches and presentations directly related to his position as superintendent. The ethics commission also found deficiencies in Hamlet's financial interest statements in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Hamlet will receive a salary and benefits package worth about $400,000 upon his departure. Be the first to know what's happening in your community and region. With a free Patch subscription, you'll always be up to date on local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe.