Former superintendent running same plays with more support

During his short tenure as superintendent of Kansas City’s Public Schools, Anthony Amato earned his share of detractors. Since he wasn’t around long enough to develop ideas, it wasn’t clear if the programs he implemented would have long-term results or if they were prepackaged methods designed to provide a quick academic bump that would wear off within a year or two.

It didn’t help that about half the school board hated him, as well as many teachers. Were they mad a necessary reformer wouldn’t accept their disastrous methods? Or was he just a good salesman who didn’t like dissent? Amato recently finished his first semester at his new job running the Stockton Unified School District in California. We know this for sure: It helps if the people you work with don’t hate you.