Middletown schools’ leader interviews today for Cincinnati’s top school job

Middletown Schools Superintendent Marlon Styles Jr., who has led the district since 2017, is one of three finalists to fill the superintendent's job at Cincinnati Public Schools, which is the third largest district in Ohio. The 41-year-old Styles has installed sweeping education reforms in Middletown's schools, including working to close the "digital divide" for many students in the city schools. (File Photo\Journal-News)

Middletown Schools Superintendent Marlon Styles Jr., who has led the district since 2017, is one of three finalists to fill the superintendent's job at Cincinnati Public Schools, which is the third largest district in Ohio. The 41-year-old Styles has installed sweeping education reforms in Middletown's schools, including working to close the "digital divide" for many students in the city schools. (File Photo\Journal-News)

The Middletown Schools’ superintendent will interview today for the top position with Cincinnati Public Schools.

Middletown school officials confirmed Superintendent Marlon Styles Jr., who has led the city schools since 2017, has interviews Thursday as a finalist candidate to Cincinnati’s schools, which comprise the third-largest district in Ohio.

Styles declined to comment Wednesday, as he has previously since Cincinnati school officials announced last month he was one of three finalists for the job out of dozens of initial candidates.

Also competing for the job are Tianay Amat, Cincinnati Schools’ deputy superintendent and currently its interim leader and Iranetta Wright, deputy superintendent for the Detroit Public Schools.

A final hiring decision is scheduled for early March.

In his Nov. 21, 2021 cover letter sent to CPS’ school board, Styles wrote he was “excited” about applying for the district’s superintendent’s job.

“The tradition of excellence and diversity across the school community in connection to the (CPS) district’s focus on preparing students for a successful future makes this position attractive to an inspirational educational leader like myself,” wrote Styles.

“As an equity-centered visionary leader with rich experience in the education sector, a Masters of Education and a Superintendent License, I am confident I will make immediate contributions to Cincinnati Public School’s goals while displaying a great deal of pride in serving the community.”

“The focus of my career to date has been in systematically transforming educational institutions and developing student-centered strategies that lead to inclusive and diverse schools, student success, and community pride in their school system,” Styles said.

Styles, whose current contract pays an annual salary of $175,000, has two years remaining on his employment agreement with the Middletown school board.

The 43-year-old former principal of Mount Healthy Schools in Hamilton County was the first African-American in Middletown Schools’ history to hold the superintendent’s job on a non-interim basis.

Prior to landing the Middletown job in 2017, Styles was the executive director of curriculum and instruction for Butler County’s Lakota Schools, which is the ninth-largest district in Ohio.

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