Linda Cliatt-Wayman

Linda Cliatt-Wayman is an American educator and school leader known for turning around some of Philadelphia’s most challenged public high schools and for her advocacy for students living in poverty. Raised in poverty in North Philadelphia, she spent roughly 20 years as a special education teacher before becoming principal of FitzSimons High School, later leading The Young Women’s Leadership School at Rhodes High School and Strawberry Mansion High School, where her leadership helped remove the school from the federal Persistently Dangerous Schools list and improve academic outcomes. She has also served as assistant superintendent for Philadelphia’s public high schools and was recognized as a Top 50 Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize in 2016. Cliatt-Wayman holds a B.A. from Kutztown University and an M.A. from Saint Joseph’s University.

Her work has been widely profiled in national media, including coverage by ABC’s “World News Tonight” and “Nightline”, and her TED Talk, “How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard,” has been viewed millions of times. She is the author of Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard: Finding Your Purpose and Putting It to Work, which draws on her experience leading high-poverty, low-performing schools and outlines her philosophy of courageous, student-centered leadership.[8