Can leadership with love make a lasting change? Can it turnaround even the toughest of situations? As an education advocate with an unwavering belief in the potential of all children, Principal Linda Cliatt-Wayman certainly thinks so.
Linda’s highly acclaimed accomplishments as “the turnaround principal” of Strawberry Mansion High School in North Philadelphia drew Diane Sawyer and her team to spend an entire school year documenting Principal Wayman’s efforts, which were featured on both ABC World News Tonight and Nightline.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSEkXSkgKLY?rel=0
LIVE online February 24, 2022, at The Global Leadership Summit: Special Edition, we’re excited to welcome Principal Linda Cliatt-Wayman to the stage to share timely leadership insight from her latest book, Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard: Finding Your Purpose and Putting it To Work.
Get your tickets today, and in the meantime, enjoy this short excerpt from her book, Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard, and a get a preview of how she uniquely brings people together to exceed expectations.
How could I replace three English teachers at one time? I started to total up the students from all three classes who needed to be tested. It was nearly 99 students. I asked myself, how could I teach so many levels at one time? Then, I thought about the library. It was a beautiful space. We had replaced all of the broken furniture, and we had many desktop computers there. There it was. I devised a plan that I would teach all 99 students myself in the library. I needed the help of two people: Ms. Jackson and a noontime aide. Ms. Jackson would make sure the library was fully equipped with the resources I needed, and the noontime aide would help me with the paperwork. It was her responsibility to grade all of the assignments. I also needed help with what I would teach them. Then I thought about small groups, and the focus on individual students’ skill development. I found a computer program that focused on every assessment anchor and eligible content that would be tested on the state exam, and it aligned with the curriculum from the district. I was ready to start teaching my 99 students.
How could I replace three English teachers at one time?
Every day, the classes were escorted to the library, where the noontime aide and I would assign students to every computer. Students who did not have a computer sat with me for small group instruction. The students and the staff thought I was crazy. The teachers and other staff members would walk into the library on their prep period and just stare at the students working alone with me. I knew some of them thought, “That is what she gets for making us work so hard,” but others became even more invested.
One day, as I was working with the students, a teacher came though on her preparation period. Instead of staring at me, she asked, “Mrs. Wayman, what can I do to help you?” What she did not know was that it was week two of me going solo, and I was getting tired—but I had to make it work. I had to let the teachers and staff understand that I was the leader and I was not going to let 99 children sit with no teacher for eight weeks, then be asked to take a state exam. I was prepared to forge ahead. I looked at the data and told her that one group of girls still needed help with this particular skill. She sat down and tutored those girls on her preparation period. She did not ask me for compensation. She just helped the students. That started an enormous amount of support. All of the teachers who believed in our ability to teach these students through difficult times joined me on their prep periods to help the students learn. We started to hand out prizes to keep the students motivated to do well, and we had turned a horrible situation into a relationship building exercise.
…we had turned a horrible situation into a relationship building exercise.
Even with all the staff support, the school family could not overcome this huge obstacle of filling the void of three English teachers without some additional outside assistance. We formed a wonderful service learning partnership with Villanova University, whose students would come from the Main Line to North Philadelphia twice a week to help tutor my students in English or math. The partnership was invaluable. The students were so patient, kind, and helpful. Every time they walked into the library prepared to help my students, I really wanted to cry. I needed their help, and they were willing to help. Most people will remember Villanova University for their nationally ranked basketball team, but my students and staff will remember them as the school that cared enough to make sure children they barely knew had a chance at life.
I taught in the library until it was time for state testing. I missed a lot of deadlines and I was late for many meetings. When I had to attend a meeting, I taught others how to run the process for me. The show had to go on, whether I was there or not.
At the end of that assembly, we told them how much we loved them—very much.
The day before we took the state exam in 2009, the leadership team held an assembly program. We call it the “PUSH” assembly. We wanted to tell the students how special they were. We told them we were proud of their efforts. We reminded them that they were smart, intelligent, and prepared for the assessment, and we told them what we expected from them. I then decided to give them a history lesson. Since my students were 100 percent African American, I had one of my history teachers put together a PowerPoint of African American history highlighting the many sacrifices made by African Americans in order for them to be able to dream. I showed them examples of times in history when others were asked to push through their circumstances to excel in difficult times, and they did. I told them that it was now their time to show that they were indeed educated and on the path to make a difference in the next era of American history. At the end of that assembly, we told them how much we loved them—very much.
In 2009, we made Adequate Yearly Progress again. Everyone was overjoyed! We had worked together as a team to accomplish our goal. But our students deserve the recognition. They pushed through all of their fears and feelings about being tested, and focused on making themselves and their school proud. This was the work we were most proud of, because we did it together unselfishly.
This book excerpt from Principal Linda Cliatt-Wayman’s Book, Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard, has been shared with permission from Wiley.
Principal Linda Cliatt Wayman will be speaking at The Global Leadership Summit: Special Edition on February 24, 2022, and will be joined by an incredible lineup including Craig Groeschel, Dan Pink, Margaret Heffernan, and Hubert Joly.
Don’t miss your opportunity to gain new ideas and perspectives at this timely event. Get Tickets >>
Global Leadership Network
GLN Staff Writer | globalleadership.orgPrincipal Linda Cliatt-Wayman
CEO, Principal Wayman Consulting; Founder of CurrentlyTrending; AuthorLead Fearlessly, Love Hard
TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE
ExecutionLeading OrganizationsRelational IntelligenceResilienceServant LeadershipStrategyVisionCan leadership with love make a lasting change? Can it turnaround even the toughest of situations? As an education advocate with an unwavering belief in the potential of all children, Principal Linda Cliatt-Wayman certainly thinks so.
Linda’s highly acclaimed accomplishments as “the turnaround principal” of Strawberry Mansion High School in North Philadelphia drew Diane Sawyer and her team to spend an entire school year documenting Principal Wayman’s efforts, which were featured on both ABC World News Tonight and Nightline.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSEkXSkgKLY?rel=0
LIVE online February 24, 2022, at The Global Leadership Summit: Special Edition, we’re excited to welcome Principal Linda Cliatt-Wayman to the stage to share timely leadership insight from her latest book, Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard: Finding Your Purpose and Putting it To Work.
Get your tickets today, and in the meantime, enjoy this short excerpt from her book, Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard, and a get a preview of how she uniquely brings people together to exceed expectations.
How could I replace three English teachers at one time? I started to total up the students from all three classes who needed to be tested. It was nearly 99 students. I asked myself, how could I teach so many levels at one time? Then, I thought about the library. It was a beautiful space. We had replaced all of the broken furniture, and we had many desktop computers there. There it was. I devised a plan that I would teach all 99 students myself in the library. I needed the help of two people: Ms. Jackson and a noontime aide. Ms. Jackson would make sure the library was fully equipped with the resources I needed, and the noontime aide would help me with the paperwork. It was her responsibility to grade all of the assignments. I also needed help with what I would teach them. Then I thought about small groups, and the focus on individual students’ skill development. I found a computer program that focused on every assessment anchor and eligible content that would be tested on the state exam, and it aligned with the curriculum from the district. I was ready to start teaching my 99 students.
Every day, the classes were escorted to the library, where the noontime aide and I would assign students to every computer. Students who did not have a computer sat with me for small group instruction. The students and the staff thought I was crazy. The teachers and other staff members would walk into the library on their prep period and just stare at the students working alone with me. I knew some of them thought, “That is what she gets for making us work so hard,” but others became even more invested.
One day, as I was working with the students, a teacher came though on her preparation period. Instead of staring at me, she asked, “Mrs. Wayman, what can I do to help you?” What she did not know was that it was week two of me going solo, and I was getting tired—but I had to make it work. I had to let the teachers and staff understand that I was the leader and I was not going to let 99 children sit with no teacher for eight weeks, then be asked to take a state exam. I was prepared to forge ahead. I looked at the data and told her that one group of girls still needed help with this particular skill. She sat down and tutored those girls on her preparation period. She did not ask me for compensation. She just helped the students. That started an enormous amount of support. All of the teachers who believed in our ability to teach these students through difficult times joined me on their prep periods to help the students learn. We started to hand out prizes to keep the students motivated to do well, and we had turned a horrible situation into a relationship building exercise.
Even with all the staff support, the school family could not overcome this huge obstacle of filling the void of three English teachers without some additional outside assistance. We formed a wonderful service learning partnership with Villanova University, whose students would come from the Main Line to North Philadelphia twice a week to help tutor my students in English or math. The partnership was invaluable. The students were so patient, kind, and helpful. Every time they walked into the library prepared to help my students, I really wanted to cry. I needed their help, and they were willing to help. Most people will remember Villanova University for their nationally ranked basketball team, but my students and staff will remember them as the school that cared enough to make sure children they barely knew had a chance at life.
I taught in the library until it was time for state testing. I missed a lot of deadlines and I was late for many meetings. When I had to attend a meeting, I taught others how to run the process for me. The show had to go on, whether I was there or not.
The day before we took the state exam in 2009, the leadership team held an assembly program. We call it the “PUSH” assembly. We wanted to tell the students how special they were. We told them we were proud of their efforts. We reminded them that they were smart, intelligent, and prepared for the assessment, and we told them what we expected from them. I then decided to give them a history lesson. Since my students were 100 percent African American, I had one of my history teachers put together a PowerPoint of African American history highlighting the many sacrifices made by African Americans in order for them to be able to dream. I showed them examples of times in history when others were asked to push through their circumstances to excel in difficult times, and they did. I told them that it was now their time to show that they were indeed educated and on the path to make a difference in the next era of American history. At the end of that assembly, we told them how much we loved them—very much.
In 2009, we made Adequate Yearly Progress again. Everyone was overjoyed! We had worked together as a team to accomplish our goal. But our students deserve the recognition. They pushed through all of their fears and feelings about being tested, and focused on making themselves and their school proud. This was the work we were most proud of, because we did it together unselfishly.
This book excerpt from Principal Linda Cliatt-Wayman’s Book, Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard, has been shared with permission from Wiley.
Principal Linda Cliatt Wayman will be speaking at The Global Leadership Summit: Special Edition on February 24, 2022, and will be joined by an incredible lineup including Craig Groeschel, Dan Pink, Margaret Heffernan, and Hubert Joly.
Don’t miss your opportunity to gain new ideas and perspectives at this timely event. Get Tickets >>
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About the Author
Global Leadership Network
GLN Staff Writer
The Global Leadership Network is a community committed to learning from each other and using our influence to accomplish God’s purposes on earth. No matter where your influence is, when you commit to grow your leadership, everyone around you wins—businesses work for good, communities are transformed and churches thrive! Both global and diverse, our network includes partners in 1,400+ cities and 135+ countries. We are committed to deliver fresh, actionable and inspiring leadership content both at The Global Leadership Summit, and year-round through our digital platforms.
Principal Linda Cliatt-Wayman
CEO, Principal Wayman Consulting; Founder of CurrentlyTrending; Author
Principal Wayman’s career demonstrates how leadership with love can make lasting change, even in the toughest turnaround situations. A passionate education advocate with an unwavering belief in the potential of all children, Principal Wayman is CEO of Principal Wayman Consulting and founder and leader of CurrentlyTrending, a nonprofit that helps students escape poverty by providing them with direct coaching, resources and support to graduate high school and lead a life of purpose. Her highly acclaimed accomplishments as “the turnaround principal” of Strawberry Mansion High School in North Philadelphia drew Diane Sawyer and her team to spend an entire school year documenting Principal Wayman’s efforts, which were featured on both ABC World News Tonight and Nightline. Her 2015 TED Talk has been viewed over two million times and been transcribed in 31 different languages. Highlighting the intersection of strong visionary and strategic thinking with on-the-ground, day-to-day implementation, Linda tells the stories of real students and educators to show how clear principles and strong guidance can turn around your organization and the teams you serve. Principal Wayman’s book, Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard: Finding Your Purpose and Putting it To Work, shares steadfast leadership lessons that can overcome almost anything.