\n\u201cIn naming the district\u2019s central office the Dr. Constance E. Clayton Education Center, we submit her \u2018children first\u2019 philosophy as our standard of excellence, ensuring it remains the guiding principle of our leadership and a promise to every student,\u201d \u00a0Board of Education President Reginald Streater said at the event.\n<\/p>\n
\nSuperintendent Tony Watlington said Clayton acted as a mentor for him when he arrived in Philadelphia in 2022 and recalled receiving a phone call from the educator three days before her death to discuss the district\u2019s new math curriculum.\n<\/p>\n
\n\u201cShe embodied a true educator and humanitarian through her dedication to improving the lives of children in education,\u201d he said after her death in 2023. \u201cHer legacy of service to Philadelphia\u2019s children and the school district will be memorialized.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nA mural inside the 440 North Broad St. building from artist Kelley Prevard was also displayed, showing portraits of Clayton in prominent moments of her life and career over the backdrop of the Philly skyline. One installation also includes the phrase, \u201cthe children come first,\u201d as a nod to her leadership style.\n<\/p>\n
\nClayton was the first Black and female superintendent in the district\u2019s history and held the position from 1982 to 1993.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was raised by her mother and grandmother in North Philadelphia and attended Dunbar Elementary School, Philadelphia High School for Girls and Temple University before receiving her doctorate in education from Penn, which bestowed an endowed professorship in her honor in 1992.<\/p>\n
\nPrior to her nomination as superintendent, Clayton worked as a fourth grade teacher and held several roles related to curriculum development. She spearheaded the restructuring of the district\u2019s social studies curriculum, establishing the African American studies program. In 2005, Philadelphia became the first school district in the country to require African American courses for graduation.\n<\/p>\n
![\"Constance](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Constance_Clayton_SDP.width-704.jpg\")
Colleen Claggett\/For PhillyVoice<\/p>\n
The School District of Philadelphia’s headquarters at 440 N. Broad St. was formally renamed the Dr. Constance E. Clayton Education Center during a ceremony Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\nAs superintendent, Clayton was lauded for addressing the district\u2019s budget deficit without removing student services and collaborating with local businesses and organizations to support the city\u2019s schools. She also tackled patterns of segregation by implementing voluntary transfer initiatives<\/a> and adding lessons on race relations and cultural diversity.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cI did not accept the job of superintendent to preside over a segregated school system,\u201d she wrote in a 1983 letter<\/a> to the school board. \u201cAnd I will not do so.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nThroughout her tenure, she standardized curriculum criteria and saw test scores rise citywide. The district did not run into any labor strikes or budget deficits during the 11-year span, the Inquirer<\/a> reported in her obituary.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cDr. Clayton was a friend and mentor, but more importantly, she was the best superintendent who has ever served Philadelphia,\u201d Jerry Jordan, former president of Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, said after her death at age 89 in 2023. \u201cShe was also committed to empowering everyone in the field of education, including school-based staff, teachers, administrators and central office staff, ensuring we all had the opportunity to succeed.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Just three days after her death, the Philadelphia Board of Education motioned to rename its headquarters in her honor.<\/p>\n