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

翻译人员: Wei Wu 校对人员: Huazhe Xie

It was November 1, 2002,

2002年11月1日，

my first day as a principal,

是我当校长的第一天。

but hardly my first day in the school district of Philadelphia.

而我在费城的学区已经呆了很多年了。

I graduated from Philadelphia public schools,

我毕业于费城的公立学校，

and I went on to teach special education for 20 years

然后花了20年在特殊教育上，

in a low-income, low-performing school

在一所低收入、低绩效的学校任教，

in North Philadelphia,

学校在费城北部地区，

where crime is rampant

那里的犯罪率很高，

and deep poverty is among the highest in the nation.

那里也是全国最贫困的地区之一。

Shortly after I walked into my new school,

我走进这校园不久后

a huge fight broke out among the girls.

女生们之间就出现了一次冲突。

After things were quickly under control,

事情很快就得到控制，

I immediately called a meeting

我立马在学校的礼堂里

in the school's auditorium

召开一场会议

to introduce myself as the school's new principal.

自我介绍我这位新的校长。

(Applause)

（掌声）

I walked in angry,

我走进礼堂，怒气很足，

a little nervous --

也有点紧张——

(Laughter) --

（笑声）——

but I was determined

但我下定决心

to set the tone for my new students.

给我的新学生定下规矩。

I started listing as forcefully as I could

我底气十足地开始列举

my expectations for their behavior

我期望他们有怎样的行为表现，

and my expectations for what they would learn in school.

以及我期望他们能在学校里学到什么。

When, all of a sudden,

然后突然，

a girl way in the back of the auditorium,

礼堂最后面的一个女生

she stood up

她站了起来

and she said, "Miss!

然后说：“老师！”

Miss!"

“老师！”

When our eyes locked, she said,

当我们四目相触时，她说：

"Why do you keep calling this a school?

“为什么你一直管这叫学校？”

This is not a school."

“这不是一所学校。”

In one outburst,

霎那间，

Ashley had expressed what I felt

Ashley就表达了很多很多年前

and never quite was able to articulate

在同一个生活区内

about my own experience when I attended a low-performing school

我上一所低绩效的学校时

in the same neighborhood, many, many, many years earlier.

我一直都感受到 但从未能用言语表达的感受。

That school was definitely not a school.

那所学校绝不是学校。

Fast forwarding a decade later to 2012,

快进到10年后的2012年，

I was entering my third low-performing school as principal.

我进入了我第三所低绩效的学校 做校长。

I was to be Strawberry Mansion's fourth principal in four years.

我要在草莓大厦高中做四年校长。

It was labeled "low-performing and persistently dangerous"

那学校一直被标为 “低绩效且持续危险”

due to its low test scores

原因是学生考试成绩低，

and high number of weapons,

并且武器数量多，

drugs, assaults and arrests.

毒品、袭击和被拘捕次数多。

Shortly as I approached the door of my new school

我走近这所校园的校门，

and attempted to enter,

尝试进入，

and found the door locked with chains,

却发现门被链条锁住了，

I could hear Ashley's voice in my ears

我马上就想起Ashley的话：

going, "Miss! Miss!

“老师！老师！”

This is not a school."

“这不是一所学校。”

The halls were dim and dark from poor lighting.

走廊里又黑又暗， 照明相当不济。

There were tons of piles of broken old furniture

教室里到处都堆满了

坏了的旧摆设和旧桌椅，

and desks in the classrooms,

and there were thousands of unused materials and resources.

未用过的材料资源数不胜数。

This was not a school.

这不是一所学校。

As the year progressed,

任教的这一年里，

I noticed that the classrooms were nearly empty.

我注意到学校的教室几乎是空的。

The students were just scared:

学生就是恐惧：

scared to sit in rows in fear that something would happen;

恐惧排坐在教室里， 生怕有事情会发生；

scared because they were often teased in the cafeteria for eating free food.

恐惧，因为他们经常被嘲笑 在饭堂里吃免费的食物。

They were scared from all the fighting and all the bullying.

他们被所有的打闹、欺凌吓怕了。

This was not a school.

这不是一所学校。

And then, there were the teachers,

然后还有老师，

who were incredibly afraid for their own safety,

他们都相当担心他们自身的安全，

so they had low expectations for the students and themselves,

结果他们对学生和自己的期望都很低，

and they were totally unaware of their role

他们完全没意识到

在学校文化的败坏中 他们所起的作用。

in the destruction of the school's culture.

This was the most troubling of all.

这是最让人不安的困扰。

You see, Ashley was right,

大家看，Ashley是对的，

and not just about her school.

而且不仅是她的学校。

For far too many schools,

有太多太多的学校，

for kids who live in poverty,

生活贫穷的孩子们，

their schools are really not schools at all.

他们的学校不是真正的学校。

But this can change.

但这可以改变。

Let me tell you how it's being done at Strawberry Mansion High School.

让我来说说，草莓大厦高中 是如何进行蜕变的。

Anybody who's ever worked with me will tell you

与我共事过的人都会说

I am known for my slogans.

我的口号就是招牌。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So today, I am going to use three

所以今天我要分享

that have been paramount in our quest for change.

我们蜕变路程上 最为重要的三条口号。

My first slogan is:

第一条口号是：

if you're going to lead, lead.

如果你要去领导，就切实领导。

I always believed

我一直相信

that what happens in a school and what does not happen in a school

学校里发生什么、不发生什么

is up to the principal.

是由校长决定的。

I am the principal,

我是校长，

and having that title required me to lead.

顶着这头衔我必须要领导。

I was not going to stay in my office,

我不要坐在办公室，

I was not going to delegate my work,

我不会把自己的工作委任给别人，

and I was not going to be afraid to address anything

我也不会害怕

指出对孩子不利的东西，

that was not good for children,

whether that made me liked or not.

无论那会不会让我讨人喜欢。

I am a leader,

我是领导，

so I know I cannot do anything alone.

因此我知道我无法独自成事。

So, I assembled a top-notch leadership team

因此在相信孩子潜能的人当中，

who believed in the possibility of all the children,

我召集了一支顶尖的领导队伍，

and together, we tackled the small things,

联手解决细微的问题，

like resetting every single locker combination by hand

譬如手动重设每个储物柜的密码

so that every student could have a secure locker.

让每个学生都可以 有一个安全的储物柜。

We decorated every bulletin board in that building

我们重新设计校园里的每个公告栏

with bright, colorful, and positive messages.

添加了鲜明多彩的正面信息。

We took the chains off the front doors of the school.

我们把校门的链条拿走了。

We got the lightbulbs replaced,

我们也把灯泡换了，

and we cleaned every classroom to its core,

我们把每个教室都清理妥当，

recycling every, every textbook that was not needed,

回收了所有没有用过的教科书，

and discarded thousands of old materials and furniture.

扔掉了一堆堆的旧材料和摆设。

We used two dumpsters per day.

每天我们都得用两个垃圾箱。

And, of course, of course,

当然，当然，

we tackled the big stuff,

我们也处理大问题，

like rehauling the entire school budget

譬如重新调整整个学校的预算，

so that we can reallocate funds to have more teachers and support staff.

让我们可以重新分配资金 雇佣更多的老师和协助员工。

We rebuilt the entire school day schedule from scratch

我们重建了 整个学校的日程安排，

to add a variety of start and end times,

添加了不同的上下课时间、

remediation, honors courses,

整治安排、荣誉课程、

extracurricular activities, and counseling,

课外活动和咨询服务，

all during the school day.

所有都安排在课程时间内。

All during the school day.

所有都安排在课程时间内。

We created a deployment plan

我们制定了一个部署计划，

that specified where every single support person and police officer would be

详细写明 每个协助人员和警务人员

every minute of the day,

每天每刻的位置安排，

and we monitored at every second of the day,

我们监控每天每秒的情况，

and, our best invention ever,

我们有一个发明最棒：

we devised a schoolwide discipline program

我们设计了一个校园纪律项目，

titled "Non-negotiables."

名为“没商量计划”。

It was a behavior system --

这是一个行为系统——

designed to promote positive behavior at all times.

专门设计来鼓励持续正面行为。

The results?

结果呢？

Strawberry Mansion was removed from the Persistently Dangerous List

一年后，草莓大厦高中

就在“持续危险”名单中除名了，

our first year after being --

(Applause) --

（掌声）

after being on the Persistently Dangerous List for five consecutive years.

在“持续危险”名单上 待了连续五年后，除名了。

Leaders make the impossible possible.

领导者让不可能变成可能。

That brings me to my second slogan:

那将我带到第二条口号：

So what? Now what?

那又怎样？现在怎办？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

When we looked at the data,

我们看着数据，

and we met with the staff,

跟员工谈话，

there were many excuses

会听到很多借口，

for why Strawberry Mansion was low-performing and persistently dangerous.

来解释为什么草莓大厦高中 一直低绩效又持续危险。

They said that only 68 percent of the kids come to school on a regular basis,

他们说只有68%的孩子 会定期来上课，

100 percent of them live in poverty,

100%的孩子生活贫困，

only one percent of the parents participate,

只有1%的父母参与教育，

many of the children

许多孩子

come from incarceration and single-parent homes,

都来自有监禁背景的和单亲家庭，

39 percent of the students have special needs,

39%的学生是特殊儿童，

and the state data revealed

而且州政府的数据显示

that six percent of the students were proficient in algebra,

只有6%的学生熟练掌握代数，

and 10 were proficient in literature.

10%的学生擅长文学。

After they got through telling us all the stories

当他们终于说完状况有多糟，

of how awful the conditions and the children were,

孩子们有多坏之后，

I looked at them,

我看着他们，

and I said, "So what. Now what?

然后我说：“那又怎样。现在怎办？”

What are we gonna do about it?"

“我们接下来要做什么？”

(Applause)

（掌声）

Eliminating excuses at every turn became my primary responsibility.

每时每刻地消除借口 成了我的首要任务。

We addressed every one of those excuses

我们不放过任何一个借口，

through a mandatory professional development,

通过强制性的专业发展计划，

paving the way for intense focus on teaching and learning.

我们致力让重点转向教学。

After many observations,

经过多次观察后，

what we determined was that teachers knew what to teach

我们发现 教师知道教学的内容，

but they did not know how to teach

但却不知道如何去教

so many children with so many vast abilities.

有那么多不同才能的那么多学生。

So, we developed a lesson delivery model for instruction

所以我们为教师们设计了 一个课堂教学模式，

that focused on small group instruction,

专门侧重于小组教学，

making it possible for all the students to get their individual needs met

让所有学生在课堂内

都可以满足他们自身的需要。

in the classroom.

The results?

结果呢？

After one year, state data revealed

一年后，州政府数据显示

that our scores have grown by 171 percent in Algebra

我们学生的代数成绩上升了171%，

and 107 percent in literature.

文学成绩上升了107%。

(Applause)

（掌声）

We have a very long way to go,

我们还有很长的路要走，

a very long way to go,

非常非常长的路要走，

but we now approach every obstacle with a "So What. Now What?" attitude.

但我们现在处理每个问题，都抱着 “那又怎样。现在怎办？”的态度。

And that brings me to my third and final slogan.

这就带出了我的第三个， 也是最后一个口号。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

If nobody told you they loved you today,

如果今天尚未有人跟你说他们爱你，

you remember I do, and I always will.

你记住我爱你，而且会一直爱你。

My students have problems:

我的学生有各种状况：

social, emotional and economic problems

社会上、情绪上、经济上的状况，

you could never imagine.

各种你不可想象的状况。

Some of them are parents themselves,

他们有些已经为人父母，

and some are completely alone.

有些却完全孤独。

If someone asked me my real secret

如果有人问我

我让草莓大厦高中进步的真正秘密，

for how I truly keep Strawberry Mansion moving forward,

I would have to say that I love my students

我会说：我爱我的学生，

and I believe in their possibilities

而且我相信他们的潜能，

unconditionally.

无条件的信任。

When I look at them,

当我看着他们，

I can only see what they can become,

我只看得见 他们可以创造的未来，

and that is because I am one of them.

因为我是他们其中一员。

I grew up poor in North Philadelphia too.

我也是在费城北部的贫穷家庭长大。

I know what it feels like to go to a school that's not a school.

我知道在一所不是学校的学校上课 是什么样的滋味。

I know what it feels like to wonder

我知道当你在想 贫穷究竟有没有出路时

if there's ever going to be any way out of poverty.

到底是什么滋味。

But because of my amazing mother,

但是感谢我了不起的母亲，

I got the ability to dream

让我能够梦想，

despite the poverty that surrounded me.

尽管贫穷总在我左右。

So --

所以——

(Applause) --

（掌声）

if I'm going to push my students

如果我要将我的学生

toward their dream and their purpose in life,

推向生活的梦想和目标，

I've got to get to know who they are.

我就得去认识他们。

So I have to spend time with them,

所以我花时间跟他们相处。

so I manage the lunchroom every day.

所以我每天都管理饭堂。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And while I'm there,

我待在饭堂时，

I talk to them about deeply personal things,

我跟学生聊一些非常私人的事情，

and when it's their birthday,

到了他们的生日，

I sing "Happy Birthday"

我会给他们唱生日歌，

even though I cannot sing at all.

虽然我一点都不会唱歌。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I often ask them,

我常问他们，

"Why do you want me to sing when I cannot sing at all?"

“我一点都不会唱， 为什么你还想听我唱歌？”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And they respond by saying,

然后他们回答说：

"Because we like feeling special."

“因为我们喜欢被特别关注感觉。”

We hold monthly town hall meetings

我们每个月都举行学生全员大会，

to listen to their concerns,

去聆听他们的担忧，

to find out what is on their minds.

去找出他们的想法。

They ask us questions like, "Why do we have to follow rules?"

他们问我们各种问题： “为什么我们得守规矩？”

"Why are there so many consequences?"

“为什么会有那么多惩罚？”

"Why can't we just do what we want to do?"

“为什么我们不能想做什么就做什么？”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

They ask, and I answer each question honestly,

他们问着，然后 我诚实回答每个问题，

and this exchange in listening helps to clear up any misconceptions.

这样的聆听交流 帮助我扫清所有的误区想法。

Every moment is a teachable moment.

每个时刻都是有教育意义的时刻。

My reward,

我的回报，

my reward

我的回报

for being non-negotiable in my rules and consequences

得益于对规矩和相应后果的不让步，

is their earned respect.

回报就是我赢得了他们的尊重。

I insist on it,

我坚持这一点，

and because of this, we can accomplish things together.

而正因如此， 我们可以共同取得一些成果。

They are clear about my expectations for them,

他们清楚知道我对他们的期望，

and I repeat those expectations every day over the P.A. system.

我每天都在学校广播里重复那些期望。

I remind them --

我提醒他们——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I remind them of those core values

我提醒他们这些核心价值：

of focus, tradition, excellence,

专注、传统、优秀、

integrity and perseverance,

正直、毅力，

and I remind them every day

我每天都提醒他们

how education can truly change their lives.

教育可以如何 真正改变他们的生活。

And I end every announcement the same:

每次广播结束时我都会告诉他们：

"If nobody told you they loved you today,

“如果今天尚未有人跟你说他们爱你，

you remember I do,

要记住我爱你，

and I always will."

而且我会一直爱你。”

Ashley's words

Ashley的话——

of "Miss, Miss,

“老师！老师！

this is not a school,"

这不是一所学校。”——

is forever etched in my mind.

永远地刻在我的心头。

If we are truly going to make real progress

如果我们要真正地

在解决贫穷问题上取得实质性的进展，

in addressing poverty,

then we have to make sure

那么我们必须确保

that every school that serves children in poverty

每所有贫困孩子的学校

is a real school,

都是一所真正的学校，

a school, a school --

是一所学校，一所学校——

(Applause) --

（掌声）——

a school that provides them with knowledge

一所为他们提供知识的学校，

and mental training to navigate the world around them.

给他们提供心理训练， 让他们来探索周围的世界。

I do not know all the answers,

我不能解决所有问题，

but what I do know is for those of us who are privileged

但我知道，我们当中

有机会而且有责任领导 有贫困学生的学校的每个人，

and have the responsibility of leading a school that serves children in poverty,

we must truly lead,

都必须真正地领导，

and when we are faced with unbelievable challenges,

当我们面对难以置信的挑战时，

we must stop and ask ourselves, "So what. Now what?

我们必须停下来问问自己， “那又怎样。现在怎办？”

What are we going to do about it?"

“我们接下来要做什么？”

And as we lead,

当我们领导时，

we must never forget

我们决不能忘记

that every single one of our students

我们的每一个学生

is just a child,

都不过是个孩子，

often scared by what the world tells them they should be,

世界要他们成为这样那样的人 但他们往往被吓怕，

and no matter what the rest of the world tells them they should be,

无论这个世界告诉他们要做什么，

we should always provide them with hope,

我们要永远给他们希望，

our undivided attention,

给他们给予一心一意的关注，

unwavering belief in their potential,

始终坚信他们的潜能，

consistent expectations,

一直给予他们期望，

and we must tell them often,

并且必须时常告诉他们：

if nobody told them they loved them today,

如果今日尚未有人跟你们说爱你，

remember we do, and we always will.

记住我们爱你，而且会一直爱你。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you, Jesus.

谢谢，耶稣。