How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard
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0:01 - 0:05It was November 1, 2002,
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0:06 - 0:09my first day as a principal,
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0:10 - 0:14but hardly my first day
in the school district of Philadelphia. -
0:15 - 0:18I graduated from
Philadelphia public schools, -
0:19 - 0:22and I went on to teach
special education for 20 years -
0:23 - 0:26in a low-income, low-performing school
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0:26 - 0:28in North Philadelphia,
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0:28 - 0:30where crime is rampant
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0:30 - 0:34and deep poverty is
among the highest in the nation. -
0:35 - 0:39Shortly after I walked into my new school,
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0:39 - 0:42a huge fight broke out among the girls.
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0:44 - 0:47After things were quickly under control,
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0:48 - 0:51I immediately called a meeting
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0:51 - 0:53in the school's auditorium
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0:53 - 0:57to introduce myself
as the school's new principal. -
0:57 - 1:00(Applause)
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1:00 - 1:02I walked in angry,
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1:03 - 1:05a little nervous --
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1:05 - 1:06(Laughter) --
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1:06 - 1:07but I was determined
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1:08 - 1:10to set the tone for my new students.
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1:11 - 1:15I started listing as forcefully as I could
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1:15 - 1:18my expectations for their behavior
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1:18 - 1:22and my expectations
for what they would learn in school. -
1:23 - 1:24When, all of a sudden,
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1:25 - 1:28a girl way in the back of the auditorium,
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1:29 - 1:30she stood up
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1:31 - 1:33and she said, "Miss!
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1:34 - 1:35Miss!"
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1:36 - 1:40When our eyes locked, she said,
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1:40 - 1:44"Why do you keep calling this a school?
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1:45 - 1:47This is not a school."
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1:49 - 1:50In one outburst,
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1:51 - 1:55Ashley had expressed what I felt
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1:55 - 1:58and never quite was able to articulate
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1:58 - 2:03about my own experience
when I attended a low-performing school -
2:03 - 2:07in the same neighborhood,
many, many, many years earlier. -
2:08 - 2:12That school was definitely not a school.
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2:13 - 2:18Fast forwarding a decade later to 2012,
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2:19 - 2:24I was entering my third
low-performing school as principal. -
2:25 - 2:30I was to be Strawberry Mansion's
fourth principal in four years. -
2:31 - 2:35It was labeled "low-performing
and persistently dangerous" -
2:36 - 2:39due to its low test scores
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2:39 - 2:41and high number of weapons,
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2:41 - 2:44drugs, assaults and arrests.
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2:46 - 2:50Shortly as I approached the door
of my new school -
2:50 - 2:52and attempted to enter,
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2:52 - 2:55and found the door locked with chains,
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2:55 - 2:59I could hear Ashley's voice in my ears
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2:59 - 3:02going, "Miss! Miss!
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3:03 - 3:05This is not a school."
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3:06 - 3:09The halls were dim and dark
from poor lighting. -
3:10 - 3:13There were tons of piles
of broken old furniture -
3:13 - 3:15and desks in the classrooms,
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3:15 - 3:20and there were thousands
of unused materials and resources. -
3:21 - 3:23This was not a school.
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3:24 - 3:26As the year progressed,
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3:27 - 3:31I noticed that the classrooms
were nearly empty. -
3:32 - 3:34The students were just scared:
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3:35 - 3:39scared to sit in rows in fear
that something would happen; -
3:40 - 3:44scared because they were often teased
in the cafeteria for eating free food. -
3:45 - 3:49They were scared from all the fighting
and all the bullying. -
3:50 - 3:53This was not a school.
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3:55 - 3:58And then, there were the teachers,
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3:58 - 4:02who were incredibly afraid
for their own safety, -
4:03 - 4:08so they had low expectations
for the students and themselves, -
4:08 - 4:12and they were totally
unaware of their role -
4:12 - 4:14in the destruction
of the school's culture. -
4:14 - 4:18This was the most troubling of all.
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4:19 - 4:22You see, Ashley was right,
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4:23 - 4:25and not just about her school.
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4:26 - 4:28For far too many schools,
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4:28 - 4:30for kids who live in poverty,
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4:30 - 4:33their schools are really
not schools at all. -
4:34 - 4:35But this can change.
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4:36 - 4:41Let me tell you how it's being done
at Strawberry Mansion High School. -
4:42 - 4:45Anybody who's ever worked
with me will tell you -
4:46 - 4:48I am known for my slogans.
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4:49 - 4:50(Laughter)
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4:50 - 4:54So today, I am going to use three
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4:54 - 4:57that have been paramount
in our quest for change. -
4:58 - 5:00My first slogan is:
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5:00 - 5:03if you're going to lead, lead.
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5:04 - 5:06I always believed
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5:06 - 5:10that what happens in a school
and what does not happen in a school -
5:10 - 5:11is up to the principal.
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5:12 - 5:13I am the principal,
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5:14 - 5:17and having that title required me to lead.
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5:18 - 5:21I was not going to stay in my office,
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5:21 - 5:24I was not going to delegate my work,
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5:24 - 5:27and I was not going to be afraid
to address anything -
5:27 - 5:29that was not good for children,
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5:29 - 5:32whether that made me liked or not.
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5:33 - 5:35I am a leader,
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5:35 - 5:38so I know I cannot do anything alone.
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5:39 - 5:41So, I assembled
a top-notch leadership team -
5:41 - 5:45who believed in the possibility
of all the children, -
5:45 - 5:48and together, we tackled the small things,
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5:48 - 5:53like resetting every single
locker combination by hand -
5:53 - 5:56so that every student
could have a secure locker. -
5:57 - 6:00We decorated every
bulletin board in that building -
6:00 - 6:03with bright, colorful,
and positive messages. -
6:03 - 6:07We took the chains off
the front doors of the school. -
6:07 - 6:09We got the lightbulbs replaced,
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6:09 - 6:12and we cleaned
every classroom to its core, -
6:12 - 6:16recycling every, every textbook
that was not needed, -
6:16 - 6:20and discarded thousands
of old materials and furniture. -
6:21 - 6:24We used two dumpsters per day.
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6:25 - 6:27And, of course, of course,
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6:27 - 6:29we tackled the big stuff,
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6:30 - 6:34like rehauling the entire school budget
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6:34 - 6:39so that we can reallocate funds
to have more teachers and support staff. -
6:40 - 6:45We rebuilt the entire
school day schedule from scratch -
6:45 - 6:49to add a variety of start and end times,
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6:49 - 6:52remediation, honors courses,
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6:53 - 6:56extracurricular activities,
and counseling, -
6:56 - 6:58all during the school day.
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7:00 - 7:02All during the school day.
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7:04 - 7:07We created a deployment plan
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7:08 - 7:14that specified where every single
support person and police officer would be -
7:14 - 7:16every minute of the day,
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7:16 - 7:19and we monitored
at every second of the day, -
7:20 - 7:22and, our best invention ever,
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7:22 - 7:26we devised a schoolwide
discipline program -
7:26 - 7:28titled "Non-negotiables."
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7:28 - 7:30It was a behavior system --
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7:32 - 7:37designed to promote
positive behavior at all times. -
7:37 - 7:38The results?
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7:39 - 7:43Strawberry Mansion was removed
from the Persistently Dangerous List -
7:43 - 7:46our first year after being --
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7:46 - 7:49(Applause) --
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7:52 - 7:56after being on the Persistently
Dangerous List for five consecutive years. -
7:57 - 8:01Leaders make the impossible possible.
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8:02 - 8:04That brings me to my second slogan:
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8:05 - 8:07So what? Now what?
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8:07 - 8:09(Laughter)
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8:09 - 8:13(Applause)
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8:13 - 8:15When we looked at the data,
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8:16 - 8:18and we met with the staff,
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8:18 - 8:20there were many excuses
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8:20 - 8:24for why Strawberry Mansion was
low-performing and persistently dangerous. -
8:24 - 8:29They said that only 68 percent of the kids
come to school on a regular basis, -
8:29 - 8:32100 percent of them live in poverty,
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8:33 - 8:36only one percent
of the parents participate, -
8:36 - 8:38many of the children
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8:38 - 8:41come from incarceration
and single-parent homes, -
8:41 - 8:4639 percent of the students
have special needs, -
8:46 - 8:48and the state data revealed
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8:49 - 8:53that six percent of the students
were proficient in algebra, -
8:53 - 8:56and 10 were proficient in literature.
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8:59 - 9:03After they got through
telling us all the stories -
9:03 - 9:07of how awful the conditions
and the children were, -
9:07 - 9:08I looked at them,
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9:09 - 9:13and I said, "So what. Now what?
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9:13 - 9:15What are we gonna do about it?"
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9:15 - 9:18(Applause)
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9:21 - 9:26Eliminating excuses at every turn
became my primary responsibility. -
9:27 - 9:30We addressed every one of those excuses
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9:30 - 9:32through a mandatory
professional development, -
9:32 - 9:37paving the way for intense focus
on teaching and learning. -
9:38 - 9:40After many observations,
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9:40 - 9:45what we determined was
that teachers knew what to teach -
9:45 - 9:48but they did not know how to teach
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9:48 - 9:51so many children
with so many vast abilities. -
9:52 - 9:57So, we developed a lesson
delivery model for instruction -
9:57 - 10:01that focused on small group instruction,
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10:01 - 10:05making it possible for all the students
to get their individual needs met -
10:05 - 10:07in the classroom.
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10:07 - 10:08The results?
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10:09 - 10:14After one year, state data revealed
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10:14 - 10:18that our scores have grown
by 171 percent in Algebra -
10:18 - 10:21and 107 percent in literature.
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10:21 - 10:24(Applause)
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10:25 - 10:28We have a very long way to go,
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10:28 - 10:30a very long way to go,
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10:31 - 10:37but we now approach every obstacle
with a "So What. Now What?" attitude. -
10:38 - 10:42And that brings me
to my third and final slogan. -
10:42 - 10:44(Laughter)
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10:44 - 10:48If nobody told you they loved you today,
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10:49 - 10:52you remember I do, and I always will.
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10:53 - 10:55My students have problems:
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10:56 - 11:00social, emotional and economic problems
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11:00 - 11:02you could never imagine.
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11:03 - 11:05Some of them are parents themselves,
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11:05 - 11:08and some are completely alone.
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11:09 - 11:13If someone asked me my real secret
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11:13 - 11:17for how I truly keep
Strawberry Mansion moving forward, -
11:17 - 11:21I would have to say
that I love my students -
11:21 - 11:23and I believe in their possibilities
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11:23 - 11:25unconditionally.
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11:26 - 11:28When I look at them,
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11:28 - 11:31I can only see what they can become,
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11:32 - 11:36and that is because I am one of them.
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11:37 - 11:39I grew up poor in North Philadelphia too.
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11:40 - 11:45I know what it feels like
to go to a school that's not a school. -
11:46 - 11:49I know what it feels like to wonder
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11:49 - 11:53if there's ever going to be
any way out of poverty. -
11:54 - 11:57But because of my amazing mother,
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11:58 - 12:02I got the ability to dream
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12:02 - 12:04despite the poverty that surrounded me.
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12:05 - 12:06So --
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12:06 - 12:09(Applause) --
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12:09 - 12:14if I'm going to push my students
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12:14 - 12:17toward their dream
and their purpose in life, -
12:17 - 12:19I've got to get to know who they are.
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12:20 - 12:23So I have to spend time with them,
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12:23 - 12:25so I manage the lunchroom every day.
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12:25 - 12:27(Laughter)
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12:27 - 12:28And while I'm there,
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12:29 - 12:33I talk to them
about deeply personal things, -
12:34 - 12:36and when it's their birthday,
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12:36 - 12:38I sing "Happy Birthday"
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12:38 - 12:40even though I cannot sing at all.
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12:40 - 12:42(Laughter)
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12:42 - 12:44I often ask them,
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12:44 - 12:48"Why do you want me to sing
when I cannot sing at all?" -
12:48 - 12:50(Laughter)
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12:50 - 12:52And they respond by saying,
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12:52 - 12:55"Because we like feeling special."
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12:56 - 12:59We hold monthly town hall meetings
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13:00 - 13:03to listen to their concerns,
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13:03 - 13:06to find out what is on their minds.
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13:07 - 13:12They ask us questions like,
"Why do we have to follow rules?" -
13:12 - 13:15"Why are there so many consequences?"
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13:15 - 13:18"Why can't we just do what we want to do?"
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13:18 - 13:20(Laughter)
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13:20 - 13:24They ask, and I answer
each question honestly, -
13:25 - 13:31and this exchange in listening
helps to clear up any misconceptions. -
13:32 - 13:35Every moment is a teachable moment.
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13:37 - 13:38My reward,
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13:39 - 13:41my reward
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13:43 - 13:47for being non-negotiable
in my rules and consequences -
13:48 - 13:50is their earned respect.
-
13:51 - 13:52I insist on it,
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13:53 - 13:57and because of this,
we can accomplish things together. -
13:58 - 14:02They are clear about
my expectations for them, -
14:02 - 14:07and I repeat those expectations
every day over the P.A. system. -
14:08 - 14:09I remind them --
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14:09 - 14:12(Laughter)
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14:12 - 14:15I remind them of those core values
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14:15 - 14:20of focus, tradition, excellence,
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14:20 - 14:23integrity and perseverance,
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14:23 - 14:26and I remind them every day
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14:26 - 14:29how education can truly
change their lives. -
14:30 - 14:33And I end every announcement the same:
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14:33 - 14:37"If nobody told you they loved you today,
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14:37 - 14:39you remember I do,
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14:39 - 14:41and I always will."
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14:42 - 14:44Ashley's words
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14:45 - 14:48of "Miss, Miss,
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14:48 - 14:51this is not a school,"
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14:51 - 14:54is forever etched in my mind.
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14:54 - 15:00If we are truly going
to make real progress -
15:00 - 15:02in addressing poverty,
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15:02 - 15:04then we have to make sure
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15:04 - 15:09that every school
that serves children in poverty -
15:09 - 15:11is a real school,
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15:11 - 15:14a school, a school --
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15:14 - 15:17(Applause) --
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15:17 - 15:21a school that provides them with knowledge
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15:21 - 15:25and mental training
to navigate the world around them. -
15:26 - 15:29I do not know all the answers,
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15:29 - 15:35but what I do know is for those
of us who are privileged -
15:36 - 15:41and have the responsibility of leading
a school that serves children in poverty, -
15:41 - 15:43we must truly lead,
-
15:43 - 15:47and when we are faced
with unbelievable challenges, -
15:47 - 15:53we must stop and ask ourselves,
"So what. Now what? -
15:53 - 15:55What are we going to do about it?"
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15:56 - 15:58And as we lead,
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15:58 - 16:00we must never forget
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16:01 - 16:04that every single one of our students
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16:04 - 16:06is just a child,
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16:06 - 16:11often scared by what the world
tells them they should be, -
16:12 - 16:18and no matter what the rest
of the world tells them they should be, -
16:18 - 16:21we should always provide them with hope,
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16:21 - 16:24our undivided attention,
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16:25 - 16:28unwavering belief in their potential,
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16:28 - 16:30consistent expectations,
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16:30 - 16:33and we must tell them often,
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16:33 - 16:37if nobody told them they loved them today,
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16:37 - 16:40remember we do, and we always will.
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16:40 - 16:41Thank you.
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16:41 - 16:44(Applause)
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16:52 - 16:53Thank you, Jesus.
- Title:
- How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard
- Speaker:
- Linda Cliatt-Wayman
- Description:
-
On Linda Cliatt-Wayman’s first day as principal at a failing high school in North Philadelphia, she was determined to lay down the law. But she soon realized the job was more complex than she thought. With palpable passion, she shares the three principles that helped her turn around three schools labeled “low-performing and persistently dangerous.” Her fearless determination to lead — and to love the students, no matter what — is a model for leaders in all fields.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 17:07
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard | ||
Morton Bast approved English subtitles for How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard |