Linda Cliatt-Wayman: How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard

Summary

The speaker, a former special education teacher turned principal, recounts her journey to transform a 'low-performing' school into a true educational environment. She shares her experiences and strategies, including assembling a strong leadership team, creating a school-wide discipline program, and fostering a culture of love and high expectations. The narrative emphasizes the importance of leadership, eliminating excuses, and believing in students' potential, ultimately leading to significant improvements in academic performance and school culture.

Takeaways

• 🏫 The speaker emphasizes the importance of leadership in transforming a school, especially one that has been labeled as 'low-performing and persistently dangerous'.
• 🔒 The initial state of the school described is one of disrepair and lack of resources, symbolized by the chained doors and piles of broken furniture.
• 👥 The students at the school are depicted as scared and insecure, with a lack of a safe and nurturing environment for learning.
• 👩‍🏫 The teachers are portrayed as fearful for their safety, which affects their expectations and contributions to the school's culture.
• 📈 The school's transformation involved a comprehensive approach, including resetting lockers, improving lighting, and cleaning classrooms, as well as tackling bigger issues like the school budget and schedule.
• 🚫 The 'Non-negotiables' discipline program was introduced to promote positive behavior among students at all times.
• 🎓 The results of these changes were significant, with the school being removed from the Persistently Dangerous List and improvements in academic performance.
• 🤔 The slogan 'So what? Now what?' is used to challenge excuses and focus on actionable solutions to improve the school's situation.
• 💯 Professional development and a lesson delivery model were implemented to address the teaching gap and meet the diverse needs of students.
• ❤️ The speaker's love and belief in her students' potential are highlighted as a driving force behind the school's progress and her commitment to their success.
• 🗣️ Open communication with students, through town hall meetings and daily interactions, is seen as crucial for building trust and understanding their needs.

Q & A

What was the speaker's first day as a principal like?

The speaker's first day as a principal was challenging, as it started with a huge fight among the girls in the school. This incident prompted the speaker to call a meeting to introduce herself and set expectations for behavior and learning.

What did the girl named Ashley express about the school?

Ashley expressed that the school was not a real school, reflecting the speaker's own unspoken feelings about her experience in a low-performing school in the same neighborhood many years earlier.

What was the condition of Strawberry Mansion High School when the speaker became its principal?

Strawberry Mansion High School was in a poor state when the speaker became its principal. It was labeled 'low-performing and persistently dangerous' with low test scores, high crime rates, and a lack of resources and proper facilities.

What was the speaker's approach to leading Strawberry Mansion High School?

The speaker took a hands-on approach, leading by example, assembling a leadership team, and tackling both small and big issues such as resetting locker combinations, decorating bulletin boards, improving lighting, and overhauling the school budget and schedule.

What is the 'Non-negotiables' discipline program?

The 'Non-negotiables' is a school-wide discipline program devised by the speaker to promote positive behavior at all times, which contributed to the removal of Strawberry Mansion from the Persistently Dangerous List.

What slogan did the speaker use to address excuses and challenges?

The speaker used the slogan 'So what? Now what?' to eliminate excuses and focus on finding solutions to the challenges faced by the school.

How did the speaker address the issue of low teacher effectiveness?

The speaker addressed teacher ineffectiveness by implementing mandatory professional development and developing a lesson delivery model that focused on small group instruction to meet individual student needs.

What was the impact of the changes implemented at Strawberry Mansion High School?

The changes led to significant improvements, with state data showing a 171 percent increase in Algebra scores and a 107 percent increase in literature scores after one year.

Why is it important for the speaker to show love and belief in their students?

It is important because the speaker believes that love and belief in students' potential can help them overcome social, emotional, and economic problems, and it fosters an environment where students feel valued and motivated to succeed.

What is the speaker's secret to keeping Strawberry Mansion moving forward?

The speaker's secret is their unconditional love and belief in their students' possibilities, as well as their personal connection to the students' backgrounds and challenges.

How does the speaker ensure that every school day is a learning opportunity?

The speaker ensures this by being present in the lunchroom daily, holding monthly town hall meetings, and consistently communicating expectations and core values through the P.A. system.