Current deputy superintendent Tianay Amat was named interim superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools during a Monday night board of education meeting.
"I look forward to the work ahead. We will continue to focus on putting students first and the CPS future is bright," Amat said during Monday's board meeting. "Thank you so much to superintendent Mitchell for all of your support and passing the baton, and I'm ready to go."
The board was tasked with quickly finding an interim leader after outgoing superintendent Laura Mitchell announced her resignation earlier this month to become the president and CEO of Beech Acres Parenting Center.
More: 'I will always consider Cincinnati Public Schools my home.' Superintendent Laura Mitchell resigns
More: Who applied to be Cincinnati Public Schools interim leader? We have the names.
According to the internal job posting, obtained by The Enquirer through an Ohio Open Records Act request, the interim superintendent contract is limited to 260 days but the term is "contingent upon Board needs."
"The board of education members look forward to working with Ms. Amat and continuing our successes as we set our intention on closing educational gaps this summer and reopening in the fall," board president Carolyn Jones said Monday after announcing Amat's appointment. "Ms. Amat's intimate knowledge of the district's concerns, challenges and successes will quickly help bridge the gap during this transition as we search for and select our new superintendent."
CPS has roughly 36,000 students, making it the third-largest district in Ohio. Racial minorities make up roughly 3 of 4 CPS students, state data shows. Nearly 4 of 5 are considered economically disadvantaged, according to the data.
Who is Tianay Amat?
Amat currently serves as the deputy superintendent of CPS and has more than 20 years of experience in education.
Amat graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland in 1993 with a bachelor's in education, according to her resume. She also holds a master's in education from the same university, a master's in education administration from the University of Cincinnati and is licensed to be a teacher, principal and superintendent.
Amat taught in New York City Public Schools for four years before coming to CPS in 2002 to teach at Rockdale Academy in Avondale. She has served as principal at Princeton City Schools' Heritage Hill Elementary and at CPS' Hyde Park School, and served as curriculum coordinator at Lakota Local School District where she was nominated for the Lakota Schools Vicki Curtis Leadership Award. She was awarded the Cincinnatus Association Public School Administrator of the Year in 2015 and the Hyde Park Neighborhood Council Community Builder of the Year award in 2016.
"I am prepared for the role of Interim Superintendent and would be able to restore hope to our staff, students and community as we launch the reset of the Strategic Plan," Amat wrote in her cover letter. "I am particularly interested in the Interim Superintendent position because I believe Cincinnati Public Schools is the District of Destination for students, families, staff and partners."
Amat has "actively participated in defining and executing" the district's Strategic Plan, she wrote. The district began implementing that three-year plan in the 2019-2020 school year. It includes five priorities: student-centered decision making, health and safety, community engagement and influence, optimized capabilities and growth. Further details on CPS' Strategic Plan are available on its website.
Mitchell is Amat's direct supervisor, and the two have known each other for 10 years. Amat listed Mitchell as her first and only reference for the interim position.
Saying goodbye to Laura Mitchell
Monday marked Mitchell's last board meeting as superintendent. Her last day with CPS is June 11, and she will start as Beech Acres' president and CEO on June 15.
Jones and other board members gave Mitchell a standing ovation towards the end of Monday night's meeting and thanked Mitchell for her service to the district, which spans 27 years.
"I just want to take the opportunity to wish you well and I know you're going to do great things at Beech Acres," Jones said. "I know that."
Mitchell, 52, grew up in Bond Hill and graduated from CPS' School for Creative and Performing Arts, according to the district’s website. She taught at the former Central Fairmount Elementary School, was assistant principal and then principal of Westwood Elementary School, worked as a teaching coach and then served as deputy superintendent and chief academic officer from 2005 to 2017. In 2017, Mitchell replaced then-superintendent Mary Ronan, who now serves as superintendent of the Norwood City School District.
In a news release, CPS listed some of Mitchell's greatest achievements during her tenure as superintendent, including voters' approval of three levy renewals in four years, the launch of a college and career readiness initiative entitled "My Tomorrow" and seven new schools opening in five years to keep up with increased enrollment.
Amat will take over as interim superintendent this summer and stay in the position while the board conducts a nationwide superintendent search.
Source link
