School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony B. Watlington, Sr., Ed.D., has been named one of District Administration’s 2025 Top 100 Influencers for his impact in accelerating academic achievement in Philadelphia. The second annual list is comprised of educators who are laser-focused on improving outcomes for students. Superintendent Watlington’s inclusion in the list underscores his commitment to create conditions that promote student success through a strategic vision and collaboration.

“I am honored to be chosen as a top 100 influencer by District Administration,” said Tony B. Watlington, Sr., Ed.D., superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. “I am proud to serve at the School District of Philadelphia where we are making significant progress towards becoming the fastest improving, large urban school district in the nation.”

Superintendent Watlington was appointed to lead the nation’s eighth largest school district serving nearly 200,000 students in April of 2022 and was sworn in on June 16, 2022. In June 2023, the Philadelphia Board of Education unanimously approved the District’s ambitious five-year strategic plan, Accelerate Philly, that drew on themes that emerged from Watlington’s historic Listening and Learning Tour and recommendations from his Transition Team Report, to achieve the Board of Education’s Goals and Guardrails.

By focusing on five priority areas with 63 research-based strategic actions outlined in Accelerate Philly coupled with the five high levers for accelerating student achievement, the District has already seen progress over the last two year, including:

• Increased student enrollment by 1,841 students.
• Increased number of students with regular attendance (90 percent or more days) by over 3,500.
• Increased third grade reading proficiency by 6.2%-points.
• Increased third grade math proficiency by 6.6%-points.
• Increased third through eighth grade math proficiency by 5.5%-points.
• Increased NOCTI exams pass rate by 12.6%-points.
• Increased the four-year graduation rate by 6.3%-points.
• Reduced the number of dropouts by 1,400.

Earlier this year, Dr. Watlington was named Superintendent of the Year by the District Administration Leadership Institute (DALI). The award recognizes distinguished achievements in six key categories, including Academic Excellence, Ed-Tech Innovation, and Career Pathways, while also spotlighting individual leaders whose visionary strategies are shaping the future of education.