Kutztown University Awards Honorary Doctorate to Linda Cliatt-Wayman '83

Cliatt-Wayman is a noted educator who transformed Philadelphia's Strawberry Mansion High School

Kutztown, PA (05/15/2018) — Kutztown University awarded Linda Cliatt-Wayman '83 an honorary doctorate at the institution's 2018 Spring Commencement Ceremony last Saturday.

Cliatt-Wayman received the Doctor of Public Service, doctor beneficiorum publicorum, honoris causa). The degree was presented by university president Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson, and Dr. Anne Zayaitz, KU's provost and vice president for academic affairs, during the morning exercises on May 12 for the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts and Science at KU's O'Pake Fieldhouse.

Cliatt-Wayman spent 20 years as a special education teacher before becoming principal of FitzSimons High School in 2003. In 2005, she took over The Young Women's Leadership School at Rhodes High School.

Cliatt-Wayman spent two years as assistant superintendent of high schools for the School District of Philadelphia, directly overseeing 52 high schools. When her two former schools, FitzSimons and Rhodes, merged with Strawberry Mansion high school, Cliatt-Wayman knew she had to step in to lead and became principal in 2012.

Her leadership and passion for transforming these dangerous, low performing schools did not go unnoticed. Her success as well as the resulting achievements of her students were featured by Diane Sawyer/ABC World News Tonight and Nightline in May 2013.

A few of Cliatt-Wayman's many awards and honors include: A top 50 finalist for the 2016 Global Teacher Prize, the Philadelphia Magazine Trailblazer Award, and the U.S. Department of Justice Award. Her May 2015 TED Talk has been viewed over a million times and subtitled in 21 languages.

In August 2017, she released a book, "Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard: Finding Your Purpose and Putting it to Work," which chronicles her experiences and captures the leadership lessons she's learned along the way.

Because Cliatt-Wayman shares a similar background with the students she loves, she has dedicated her career and life to ending the injustices of poverty and education, and helping students succeed in school and beyond.

Cliatt earned a B.S.Ed degree in special education from Kutztown University in 1983, an M.A. from St. Joseph's University, and honorary doctorates from Alvernia and St. Joseph's universities.

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