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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