Board Approves Appointment of Dr. Bernard Taylor, Jr., as Principal of Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy

The Board approved the appointment of Dr. Bernard Taylor, Jr., as Principal of Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy 6-12 at its June 5th Special Legislative Meeting. Dr. Taylor will transition from his role as Interim Principal of Pittsburgh Westinghouse to officially lead the school July 1, 2018. 

“Dr. Taylor has already demonstrated his joyful commitment to serving the students of Pittsburgh Westinghouse,” said Dr. Hamlet.  “He has a wealth of experience, both locally and nationally, and the knowledge of what it takes to be a turnaround leader.“

From 1995- 2000, Dr. Taylor served as a principal in the Pittsburgh Public Schools at West Side Traditional Academy (1995-1997) and Weil Technology Institute (1997-2000).  He later served as Executive Director for School Leadership at Kansas City Missouri School District, where he went on to serve as Superintendent of Schools from 2001-2006.  Dr. Taylor served as Superintendent of Schools at Grand Rapids Public Schools from 2006-2012, where under his leadership the number of schools meeting federal Adequate Yearly Progress doubled. 

Before coming back home to Pittsburgh to serve as a Project Manager and then Director at Pittsburgh Milliones in 2016, Dr. Taylor was Superintendent of Schools for East Baton Rouge Parish School System. As Superintendent he removed 12 schools from Louisiana Department of Education’s academically unacceptable list and improved the state's school report card grades for 27 schools.  Dr. Taylor has served as Interim Principal of Pittsburgh Westinghouse since March 2017.