Sadly, Philadelphia lost two amazing African- American women who were heavily involved in education this week. First, on Sunday, September 18, we lost Dr. Constance Clayton, the first African- American woman to lead the Philadelphia Public School District as its Superintendent. Then, on Tuesday, September 19, we learned of the passing of the Interim President of Temple University, Joann Epps, who had worked at the college for 40 years. She started there four decades ago, working in the bookstore on campus.
Ironically, Joann Epps suddenly fell ill during a memorial service for a dear friend of hers, the late Dr. Charles Blockson. She was rushed to Temple University Hospital, but unfortunately, due to a medical episode, she passed away.
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Dr. Clayton was born in 1933. She was best known as an educator and civic leader. From 1982 to 1993, she was the Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. She was the first woman and the first African American to hold the position in Philadelphia. In 1992, the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education established the Constance E. Clayton Professorship, the first Professorship to be established in the name of an African American woman at an Ivy League institution and the second such professorship in the United States.
Dr. Clayton certainly made a mark on my life because, as a young up-and-coming broadcaster in 1980, one of the regular beats I was assigned to cover was the School District of Philadelphia. If I had to describe Dr. Constance Clayton, I would say she had a deep, sincere love for children and always desired to see Philadelphia Public School children achieve and do well. She also had a stern persona about her. She was definitely no-nonsense and could not suffer fools. She was strong and determined, and in my opinion, she led the Philadelphia School District through some challenging times, and during her tenure she never gave up fighting for our children.
Dr. Clayton was a product herself of Philadelphia public schools. That was one of the reasons it was so amazing to see her rise to become Superintendent of Philadelphia Public Schools. She attended Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary School and the Philadelphia High School for Girls. She credits lawyer Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, the wife of civil rights attorney Raymond Pace Alexander, as one of her mentors.
Clayton received her B.A. and M.A. at Temple University in 1955, where she specialized in elementary school administration. She earned her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in 1974 and a Doctor of Education degree (EdD) in educational administration from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School ,…
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