Dr. Crystal Edwards
Dr. Crystal Edwards has served as principal of W.D. Kelley School since 2017, bringing 27 years of experience across the educational landscape. At W.D. Kelley, Dr. Edwards has led consistent and measurable gains in student achievement and school culture. During the 2024–2025 school year, the school met or exceeded School Board Goals 1, 2, and 3, with 23.5% of students in grades 3–8 scoring proficient or advanced in English Language Arts, a 6.4 percentage point increase, and 15.9% in mathematics, a 2.0 percentage point increase, on the PSSA. Early literacy outcomes saw dramatic growth, with 57.7% of kindergarten students meeting or exceeding benchmark on the STAR Early Literacy assessment, an increase of 43.4 percentage points from fall to spring. These gains build on a sustained trajectory of success, including historic highs in ELA and math performance, a 95% attendance rate — the highest since 2018–2019 — and a strong school climate where 98% of students incurred zero out-of-school suspensions.
Dr. Edwards has been recognized with numerous honors throughout her career, including the 2023 Lindback Award for Distinguished Principals, the 2020 Philadelphia 76ers Outstanding Leadership Award, and the 2016 Outstanding Community Service Award from the University of Pennsylvania. A published author and sought-after speaker, she has presented at national conferences including ASCD, ISTE, and the National Alliance of Black School Educators.
Dr. Edwards has facilitated more than 30 organizational partnerships, directly negotiating over 20 to secure critical resources and funding for her school community. Most notably, she led the establishment of a first-of-its-kind school-based dental clinic in partnership with Temple University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry — the only full-service dental clinic of its kind in a United States school — expanding access to care for students and families. She is also the founder of Empowering Single Moms, Inc., a nationally recognized organization.
Dr. Edwards extends her leadership through board service and civic engagement, including roles with Philadelphia Outward Bound Schools, the Temple University Black Alumni Alliance, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Committee, and the School District of Philadelphia’s Principal Advisory Committee and Black Women in Leadership Think Tank.
Dr. Edwards has served in a variety of educational roles, including high school English teacher, curriculum developer, instructional leadership coach, assistant principal, adjunct professor, and correctional educator. Prior to her career in education, Dr. Edwards worked in television broadcasting, earning Temple University’s Jessica Savitch Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Journalism.
Dr. Edwards grew up in Atlanta, GA & Prince George’s County, MD. She graduated from Parkdale Senior High School in Riverdale, MD.