Dr. Tony B. Watlington Sr. is the superintendent of The School District of Philadelphia, the nation’s eighth largest school district with nearly 200,000 students. Under his leadership, the district outpaces other large urban districts nationwide and similar districts in Pennsylvania for math in grades 3-8 and reading in grades 3-8. A first-generation college graduate and a champion for equity, Dr. Watlington is committed to building collaborative school and community teams that are accountable for creating life-changing opportunities for all children while significantly reducing achievement and opportunity gaps.

Before joining The School District of Philadelphia, Dr. Watlington was superintendent of the Rowan-Salisbury Schools, North Carolina’s first and only Renewal School District, where he launched a new equity-focused strategic plan and accountability model with multiple measures. He expanded competency-based education, problem-based learning, and strategies that develop the whole child, ensuring every student graduates and becomes enrolled in college, enlisted in the military, or employed in a good-paying job. Under his leadership, the district’s third-grade district literacy ranking among the state’s 115 school districts rose from 96 in 2019 to 74 in 2021, the percentage of schools that met or exceeded state growth targets increased from 55% to 71%, and the percentage of schools that exceeded state growth targets increased from 6% to 29%. Additionally, the district ranked #4 among 115 school districts in the state for career and technical concentrator students.

Dr. Watlington previously served as Chief of Schools in Guilford County Schools in North Carolina. He was responsible for improving systems that lead to excellence and equity for all students, which resulted in improved academic outcomes in all subjects, at all grade levels, and for all student groups. In addition to achieving four of the top-5-ranked high schools in North Carolina (according to US News and World Report), the district increased graduation rates and teacher satisfaction while reducing teacher turnover, student absenteeism, and student discipline incidents.

Dr. Watlington began his career as a history teacher in Guilford County, NC, in 1994 and was named district Teacher -of the Year in 1998. A life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Dr. Watlington was honored as the North Carolina PTA Administrator of the Year in 2014. He received the Communities-in-Schools (CIS) Champion’s Cup and the Business Leaders Movers and Shakers Award. He serves on numerous boards, including the Board of Community Behavioral Health, and he previously served on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Public School Forum.

He earned his bachelor’s in History Education from North Carolina A&T State University, a master’s in American political history from The Ohio State University, a master’s in School Administration, and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (where he was an NC Principal Fellow). He also holds training certificates from Harvard and Yale Universities and is a member of the National Urban Superintendent’s Academy, sponsored by Howard University and the American Association of School Administrators.