Abington Superintendent Amy Sichel To Retire After 42 Years

ABINGTON, PA — Amy Sichel, the Superintendent of Abington School District for 18 years and an employee of the district for 42 years, has announced her retirement. The news comes just months after a far-reaching controversy about renaming the high school following a record-setting donation from a famous alum that drew national attention.

Sichel began as a guidance counselor in the district in 1976 and quickly moved through the ranks, being named Director of Pupil Services and Assistant Superintendent before becoming the district's first female Superintendent in history in 2001.

“For a superintendent to spend her entire career in one school district is remarkable,” Raymond McGarry, Esquire, President of the Board of School Directors, said in a statement published by the school district. “Dr. Sichel’s tenure in the Abington School District has been the backbone to our success with students, our achievements in many areas, our ability to be fiscally responsible, and our focus to rebuild and renovate our school buildings.”

According to Abington, Sichel is one of the nation's longest serving Superintendents.

"Together we have revamped curricula and student services to ensure that all students have the 'opportunity to learn,'" Sichel wrote in a letter to parents announcing her resignation. "We built new schools and upgraded all of our school facilities, infused and integrated technology, personalized instruction, and the list goes on."

During her time at Abington, she's won numerous awards, including the Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year in 2010 by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA).

Nowhere in Sichel's letters or in official district communication regarding the resignation was it suggested that Sichel's departure was connected to the recent controversy surrounding Stephen Schwarzman's $25 million donation to the school. But that has not stopped some from speculating, given the time frame, especially as many were calling for Sichel to resign in the wake of comments she made regarding the incident.

>>Abington Will Not Rename HS For Donor Who Gave $25 Million

Schwarzman was part of the class of 1965 and is now the CEO and co-founder of Blackstone, a private equity firm that operates worldwide. His donation, announced in February, was believed to be the largest ever given to a public high school in the United States, and he himself hoped that it would serve as inspiration to other donors to invest in public education.

Initial agreements were in place to rename the school district after Schwarzman, but staunch opposition from the public led the district to back down. Sichel was vocal in her support of Schwarzman and the renaming of the school, calling the resistance to the idea a "minority" and reportedly characterizing the opposition as "thoughtless" and "disappointing."

Sichel's annual salary was $319,714.

She is slated to officially leave her post on Nov. 9. A search for her replacement has already begun, and the district has said they will consider internal candidates for the position at an upcoming board meeting. If they need to consider outside candidates, they will consider hiring a search firm to assist in the hire.

Image via Abington School District