Located in one of Philadelphia’s poorest neighborhoods, Strawberry Mansion High School once was regarded as one of the most dangerous high schools in America. Violence and drug use were rampant, test scores were abysmal and the school was a fixture on Pennsylvania’s “Persistently Dangerous Schools” list. In 2002, Linda Cliatt-Wayman, an educator who had grown up in a similar neighborhood in the same city, took over as the school’s principal. Over the years, through a combination of tough love and a willingness to lead with courage, she and her team have transformed the school. Test scores have improved year after year, and the school is off the most dangerous schools list. Cliatt-Wayman’s 2015 TED talk on how to fix a broken school has been viewed nearly 1.3 million times. During a recent visit to campus, Cliatt-Wayman spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about the role leaders can play in transforming schools in rough neighborhoods and helping students escape from poverty.…