By Sylvia Maria Gross
KANSAS CITY, MO –
Kansas City Missouri's school board has parted ways with Superintendent Anthony Amato. Board members announced last night they would replace Amato with a former superintendent of the Grandview school district.
Superintendent Amato began a three year contract with the district in July of 2006. Last year, he reorganized neighborhood schools to go from kindergarten to eighth grade, installed new curriculum and initiated a universal pre-kindergarten program. But last summer, the board issued an evaluation critical of Amato's management style and implementation of the new programs. After yesterday's meeting, school board president David Smith declined to give reasons for Amato's replacement.
"Superintendent helped introduce some bold, aggressive kinds of programs that was supported by the majority of the board and his interest was seeing them executed and implemented," Smith said.
Amato will continue consulting for the district until December St. Louis Deputy Superintendent John Martin, who headed Grandview's schools for nine years, will serve as interim superintendent.