32 District schools to get new principals

This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.

by Benjamin Herold for the Notebook and WHYY/Newsworks

Thirty-two District schools will have new principals this year, according to information released last week.

Linda Cliatt-Wayman, until recently the head of the District’s academic division overseeing high schools, will become principal of Strawberry Mansion High, set to undergo major changes this year after the closing of nearby Rhodes and FitzSimons High Schools.

Daniel Peou will become the new principal of Furness High, where he is both an alum and a former assistant principal. Peou is replacing Timothy McKenna, who will be the new principal at Central High after the retirement of Sheldon Pavel.

Across the District, leadership turnover has been a hot topic in recent weeks.

In June, the School Reform Commission heard from frustrated principals during its "strategy, policy, and priority" meeting on the topic.

And in April, local groups ACTION United and Education Voters of Pennsylvania released separate reports raising concerns about turnover in Philadelphia’s principal corps.

A complete list of the principal changes is below.