Interim Chief Goes On-Air To Talk Schools
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Thursday, March 26, 2009
William R. Hite Jr., the interim schools superintendent for Prince George's County, made his case for keeping the job March 6 before the Board of Education. But Hite, the only declared candidate, had a chance to make an impression on another influential group -- the public -- Friday, when he appeared on WAMU's "Kojo Nnamdi Show," one of the most popular broadcasts on local issues in the Washington region.
Hite, whose deep voice is a natural for radio, turned in a solid performance in the hour-long interview as Nnamdi and callers asked questions touching on most of the major issues affecting the 128,000-student school system.
One question focused on a proposal to redraw school boundaries, which officials say will balance the student population among schools that are overcrowded and underutilized.
"I hope the end result will be that we have better schools," Hite said.
When asked what the system is doing to combat truancy, he said, "We tried most of the strategies out there that are known to man."
When questioned about the prospect of paying teachers more for good performance, Hite responded, "I think it has merit."
Nnamdi also asked about Hite's attitude toward working in Prince George's.
"Part of what attracted me to the county was, number one, the level of interest in education in a county that primarily served African Americans," Hite said. "The other one was the vision of John Deasy," Hite's predecessor. Hite said that Deasy operated under the principle that "education is an absolute civil right for all students."
But Deasy, who came to the county from California, resembled his short-term predecessors in that he left for another job in just 2 1/2 years. He left some programs incomplete and the school system's coffers nearly empty as the country enters a recession.
Nnamdi wondered aloud about whether Hite would break the pattern.
"Would you commit to staying with Prince George's County for a minimum time?" Nnamdi asked. "Say, five years?"
"Oh, absolutely," Hite said. "I quite frankly think that has been part of the problem in Prince George's County, because you've had this revolving door of leadership."
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