Award for Philly schools superintendent sparks controversy following antisemitism failures

Allegations of antisemitism in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) erupted after the October 7, 2023, attacks against Israel, but the district’s actions and a subsequent investigation don’t show a culture that’s improving. I reported in May about extensive accusations from students, parents, and teachers within the district. 

When Superintendent Tony Watlington and his administration failed to respond appropriately to the concerns, parents filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of Civil Rights (OCR). The investigation concluded in December that the district did not comply with federal laws following antisemitic harassment and complaints. 

Local Jewish advocacy groups viewed the December settlement between OCR and the district optimistically, as a starting point to right the ship and address the district’s repeated failures to address complaints, file reports, or implement preventative measures in response to antisemitism.

The letter of agreement between the district and OCR to rectify the deficiencies was signed on December 18, 2024.

The very next day — December 19 — a national membership organization, the District Administration Leadership Institute (DALI), announced Tony Watlington as the Superintendent of the Year.

While DALI may not have known about the complaints and subsequent OCR findings, many Jewish parents and community members in the district were surprised and disappointed by the award.

“We are deeply concerned by Superintendent Watlington’s recent award, given his failure to protect the district’s Jewish students from systematic harassment and targeting, both in and out of the classroom. This includes the troubling role of district teachers and administrators in promoting antisemitism within the curriculum — issues that fall under his responsibility,” the School District of Philadelphia Jewish Families Association said in a request for comment.

“The findings of the OCR Resolution further expose his neglect and the suppression of complaints regarding antisemitic incidents, all of which are under his purview. Awarding Superintendent Watlington despite these blatant violations of Title VI and his failure to protect Jewish students sends a disgraceful message, showing a clear disregard for the Jewish community both within the district and beyond.”

The national membership organization honoring Watlington, DALI, provides professional development summits for superintendents and other district administrators and has over 200 members according to Amy Dujon, Vice President of Education. The group accepts nominations from both members and non-members, and award recipients are not required to be members. 

“The selection committee is made up of sitting and retired superintendents and educational leaders from across the country. In the nomination process the submission must include detailed metrics/evidence of impact. Data includes student achievement metrics, graduation rates, etc….” said Dujon in a request for comment.

In a press release, DALI praised the new superintendent’s leadership skills.

“Watlington has been a transformative leader in the nation’s eighth-largest district since he took the helm in 2022. Under his Accelerate Philly strategic plan, attendance and graduation rates have grown by 3% while teacher attendance rose by 7% and dropouts have decreased significantly.”

Jonas Divine, a Philadelphia resident and taxpayer, disagrees. 

“While the district claims Watlington has been responsible for improved test scores and graduation rates, I am afraid these metrics, while laudable themselves, don’t tell the full story. Under Watlington’s leadership the SDP board tacitly supported Philadelphia teachers who replaced the goal of excellence in language, history, math, and science with political indoctrination and classroom activism,” Divine said. 

“While claiming to lift the banner of ‘antiracism’ this cadre of teachers promotes thinly disguised bigotry in and out of the classroom. Often under the disingenuous narrative of social justice, scores of Philadelphia teachers in primary and high schools have transformed curricula into political propaganda with the help of organizations like Rethinking Schools. Perhaps it’s time to rethink if SDP still meets the federal requirements for Title I funding.”

According to the DALI’s website, one of the three criteria for selecting winners includes community engagement. “Proven success in building strong partnerships with parents, community leaders, and local organizations to support and enhance educational outcomes.”

Local Philadelphians interviewed felt strongly that Watlington has not built partnerships with parents, community leaders, and local advocacy groups in the Jewish community to support and enhance educational outcomes.

Watlington’s comments about the award felt like a slap in the face to many Jewish families.

“This recognition belongs to our entire school community. The progress we’ve made would not be possible without the collective dedication of the Board of Education, our staff, parents, students and unions. Together, we are shaping a brighter future.”

Those comments did little to reassure parents and taxpayers that Watlington is getting the message about changes that are desperately needed to protect Jewish students and teachers.

Parents and community members are looking for a zero tolerance regarding antisemitic rhetoric and consequences for students and staff who continue to engage in threatening behavior. Additionally, they want disciplinary measures for teachers who elevate political activism over the mission of the district. Until that is achieved, there is no bright future for Jewish students and staff.

Local media outlets, including The Philadelphia Tribune and The Philadelphia Inquirer penned sweeping headlines — Philly schools’ Tony Watlington Sr. named Superintendent of the Year and Tony Watlington has been named superintendent of the year by a national group — with no mention of the OCR report, although they did report separately on the issue in December.

Beth Ann Rosica resides in West Chester, has a Ph.D. in Education, and has dedicated her career to advocating on behalf of at-risk children and families. She covers education issues for Broad + Liberty. Contact her at barosica@broadandliberty.com.

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One thought on “Award for Philly schools superintendent sparks controversy following antisemitism failures”

  1. Awards such as these should be done away with altogether. They often are self serving for the organizations that pass them out to one member after another. So the so called professional association that distributes the awards enhances its own prestige while strengthening its support from its grateful awardees. It’s all meaningless and in this case despicable. How is it that Philadelphia s superintendent could minimally merit any award without showing significant improvement in students’ achievements in basic skills?

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