Incoming North Allegheny superintendent devoted to education from a young age

From the time he was in eighth grade, Dr. Brendan Hyland knew he wanted to be a social studies teacher.

Fast-forward to today, Hyland is set to take over as superintendent at North Allegheny starting July 1.

“Having previously spent a decade in this district, I know the limitless potential that North Allegheny has. The only thing that can stop us from being the premier school district in the nation is ourselves. We need to make sure everyone is on the same page with our goals and plans, and then we have to turn people loose to unleash their talent and skills to help these students reach their fullest potential,” said Hyland, who will earn a starting salary of $240,000.

Hyland said he likes making a positive difference in the lives of students.

“I think that kids growing up in today’s society have it so much harder than we did growing up. There is so much pressure on students today. I also like formulating new and meaningful relationships with individuals. This is my fourth district over 32 years in education, and I have found that the relationships and trust that you build with people in an organization are the key to moving forward. I enjoy the people,” he said.

Growing up in Level Green in Penn Township, Westmoreland County, Hyland graduated from Penn-Trafford High School in 1986.

He received a bachelor’s degree in education from University of Pittsburgh in 1991. He later earned a master’s degree and principal’s certification in administration and policy studies from Pitt.

After teaching seventh grade at Page Middle School in the Gloucester County School District in Southeastern Virginia, Hyland became a teacher at the Mt. Lebanon School District in 1993. He became assistant principal at Mt. Lebanon high school in 2001.

“When I became an administrator at Mt. Lebanon, I found that I had the opportunity to have an impact on students on a much larger scale. I liked the work and the behind the scenes things that contributed to a welcoming school environment,” Hyland said.

He was hired as principal at NAI in 2007. During his tenure there, he earned his doctorate from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2014.

He left NAI, ready for a new challenge, and took on the job as superintendent at Plum Borough in 2018.

“The district that I went to was going through some challenges and I felt I could have a positive impact on the students there. I wanted to challenge myself and also continue to grow as an educator and leader,” Hyland said.

Hyland was hired during what school board President Mike Devine described as Plum’s “dark days” following the conviction and imprisonment of three teachers in 2017 for having sex with students and financial settlements the district paid to its high school principal and superintendent whose resignations were connected to the scandal.

Divine credited Hyland with bringing back honor to the school district.

Hyland said if there’s anything he could improve by using his position, it would be to end division.

“I don’t enjoy the divisiveness that is occurring in our society,” he said. “There is too much us-and-them, and not enough we. It seems that everything is portrayed as a zero-sum game, that there always has to be a winner and loser. I wish there was more compromising and trying to see the other person’s perspective. I think social media has a lot to do with driving people into their own corners and is not helping us to see different perspectives,” he said.

NA residents that have commented at school board meetings, have stressed to the board and to school officials the value of the district being open and transparent.

“I think you need to say what you mean and mean what you say. If you are true to your beliefs and core values, telling people your thoughts comes easy. Transparency is very important, especially when you live in a representative democracy like we all do. Citizens have the right to know what is happening with their local governments,” he said.

Hyland and his wife Tricia, an eighth-grade teacher in the Moon Area School District, live in Mt. Lebanon and have three children, ages 24, 18, and 16. The youngest plays high school sports, including football and lacrosse.

When his children were younger, he was more active in coaching. However, since being a superintendent is like a 24-hour job, it limits outside commitments, he said.

But still, spending time with family is a high-priority for him and his wife.

He golfs when he finds the time, and he loves the Pitt Panthers in anything they are playing. He is a fan of all three Pittsburgh professional sports teams.

Hyland and his wife enjoy the theater and plan to travel when they retire. He said he hopes to get a private pilot’s license when he decides to ”hang it up.”

Hyland said he’s happy to return to North Allegheny.

“North Allegheny is and always has been a fantastic district. It was the only district that I would even consider leaving my former job for.”