Washington, DC

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Bowser announced her nomination of Paul Kihn as the Acting Deputy Mayor for Education, effective October 1, 2018. Kihn, who has worked in education for nearly three decades, began his career as a teacher and later served as the Deputy Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. Most recently, he has worked in Washington, DC as an independent consultant, guiding school operators, city agencies, and philanthropies on effective strategies for improving equity and better serving at-risk students and youth.

“Paul brings a wide range of experiences to this position—from working in the classroom as a teacher, to studying and implementing best practices as a consultant, to helping to lead a large urban school district,” said Mayor Bowser. “Paul understands what it takes to build strong schools, he’s committed to equity and transparency, and we are excited to have him on our team.”

Kihn served as second-in-command to the Philadelphia Superintendent from 2012 to 2015. In that position, he directly managed academic and operational functions for the 135,000-student school district and oversaw the revision of charter authorizing policies and procedures. As Deputy Superintendent, Kihn was responsible for building a strategic school management system; balancing the budget and successfully pulling it from a five-year structural deficit; and promoting evidence-based innovations in schools and classrooms.

Prior to his work in Philadelphia, Kihn led multiple teams and engagements in turnaround efforts for urban school districts and charter organizations at McKinsey & Company as the leader of the U.S. K12 Education Practice.

Kihn began his career in education teaching in South Africa, Ireland, and New York City.

Kihn is a Ward 2 resident. He received a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School, a Master of Education in Educational Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts in African Studies from Yale University.