Linda Cliatt-Wayman

Linda Cliatt-Wayman is a nationally recognized education leader, TED speaker, and author whose fearless approach to transforming struggling schools has inspired millions. Her acclaimed TED Talk on fixing broken schools has been viewed over two million times and translated into more than thirty languages, and she was named a Top 50 Finalist for the 2016 Global Teacher Prize from over eight thousand nominees worldwide.

Transforming Schools Through Love and Leadership

Growing up in poverty in North Philadelphia, Cliatt-Wayman experienced firsthand the injustice facing low-income students. After twenty years as a special education teacher, she became principal of three underperforming North Philadelphia high schools, leading dramatic turnarounds at each. At Rhodes High School, she raised math proficiency from 3 percent to above 50 percent and achieved a 94 percent college acceptance rate. At Strawberry Mansion High School, she removed the school from the federal Persistently Dangerous Schools list for the first time in five years.

A Voice for Educational Justice

Cliatt-Wayman also served as Assistant Superintendent of High Schools for the School District of Philadelphia, overseeing all fifty-two district high schools. Her book Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard has become essential reading for educators. She was featured by Diane Sawyer on ABC World News Tonight and Nightline, and is the founder of CurrentlyTrending, a nonprofit helping students escape poverty through coaching and support.

Cliatt-Wayman’s keynotes ignite audiences with her powerful message that every child deserves a champion who believes in them unconditionally.

• How to Fix a Broken School? Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard