Four PASL Neubauer Fellows Honored with 2026 Lindback Awards for Distinguished Principals

LeAndrea Baltimore-Hagan | John M. Patterson School (2020 Neubauer Fellow, Cohort 6)

“Winning the Lindback Award means three things for me: it affirms the vision and mission for our school, reinforces the importance of principals as Chief Talent Officers, and the importance of liberation. Being mission- and vision-focused is more than words on a paper–these are words that I walk in. The mission statement is the essence of the school. We recite it and it is posted on the walls of our school and the hearts of our school community. Because they know the mission/vision, goals and the direction we exceeded all of our school-wide academic goals. Second, the most important task in my leadership is to recruit and retain the best teachers and to get the right people on the bus in the right seats. I have a group of amazing educators who love our scholars and are dedicated to their learning. Lastly, winning the award is liberation. It affirms the importance of liberation which creates the conditions for our school to Thrive, Innovate and Experience belonging. This award affirms and shines a light and pushes me to keep going and shoot for excellence for our scholars.  I’m truly grateful that my school community nominated for this extraordinary award. 

The Neubauer Fellowship has been a driving factor in my life.  I am truly grateful to my Cohort 6 Fellows, the Neubauer Family Foundation, the dynamic speakers and professional learning facilitators.  The Fellowship showed me how educators should be treated. When I said the award affirms and shines a light on my calling, it is in essence the unpacking of the Story of Self. The Neubauer Fellowship gave me the space to unpack my leadership and my ‘why’ and has really helped me reshape the vision and mission for the school.  It is my life’s work to disrupt the systems, push excellence, and give scholars joyful learning experiences.  Ultimately, he Fellowship taught me that transformative leadership creates sustainability and extraordinary outcomes for students.”

Dr. Darryl Johnson, Jr. | Carver High School for Engineering and Science (2024 Neubauer Fellow, Cohort 8)

“Winning the Lindback Award is deeply meaningful to me—not just as an individual honor, but as a reflection of the journey, the mentorship, and the community that shaped it. I come from a lineage of Lindback Award winners: leaders who have transformed schools and communities and I’ve been blessed to learn directly from their example, their discipline, and their commitment to excellence. While my name may be on the award, this honor belongs to our entire Carver community—our students, families, teachers, staff, and partners.

My journey in the Neubauer Fellowship through the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders has been one of the most transformative professional decisions I’ve made as a leader. Being part of a network of driven, reflective leaders—while learning from some of the top educators and professionals across the country—has pushed me to think bigger, lead more strategically, and ground my work in evidence-based practices.”

Dr. Lauren Overton | Penn Alexander School (2018 Neubauer Fellow, Cohort 4)

“Being selected for the Lindback Award is a humbling validation of our ‘why,’ showing that our student-centered approach, long hours, and the difficult decisions behind the scenes create tangible, measurable successes across our community. This honor reinforces my commitment to a servant-leadership model, where my primary role is to remove barriers so that our educators can teach and our children can truly thrive. This recognition belongs to the entire Penn Alexander community—the dedicated educators and staff, supportive parents, and vital partners who work together—and it signals that our collective future is bright. Most importantly, it is a tribute to our students; they are the heart of why we strive to make Penn Alexander not just a center of learning, collaboration, equity, and responsibility, but above all, a place of profound joy.

The true power of the Neubauer Fellowship lies in its ability to shatter the inherent loneliness of leadership by providing a cohort of practitioners from across district, charter, and faith-based sectors. This cohort brings together diverse perspectives, and the strategic sessions move the focus from management to executive leadership, identity work, emotional intelligence, and organizational health. The Fellowship empowers leaders to cultivate a data-driven culture, transition from a mindset of fixing problems to one of building solutions, distribute leadership effectively, and embrace bold, calculated risks—all with the backing of a world-class network of school leaders.

The Lindback Award honors the work, while the Neubauer Fellowship strengthens the foundation, ensuring that a commitment to excellence is celebrated by the community and sustained through collaborative leadership practices.”

Dana Singletary | Feltonville Intermediate School (2024 Neubauer Fellow, Cohort 8)

“Winning the Lindback Award isn’t a personal trophy; it’s a mirror reflecting the power of our entire community. Being a distinguished leader isn’t about being the person at the front. It’s about being a leader people are willing to follow because they know you’re walking the path with them. For the Feltonville community, this award is a validation of our collective resilience. It tells our teachers that their late nights and unwavering dedication are seen. It tells our parents that their trust in us is well-placed, and most importantly, it tells our students that excellence lives right here in North Philadelphia. I have sat in every seat in this district. I’ve been the student in these classrooms, the support staff, the sub, the teacher, the coach, and the administrator. But there is one seat I am perhaps most proud of: I am the parent of a Philadelphia public school graduate. I have seen this system from the dinner table as well as the principal’s desk, and I am honored to receive confirmation that I am doing it well. 

The Neubauer Fellowship empowered me to build a school environment where teachers stay, students thrive, and excellence becomes the standard. The Lindback Award is a testament to the systems and leadership mindset I developed through this Fellowship. The Neubauer Fellowship was a primary engine behind this recognition, empowering me to move beyond the day-to-day management of a building and into the realm of transformational leadership. The sessions and cohort interactions provided the reflective environment necessary to tackle complex school-wide challenges. Having a high-level brain trust of colleagues allowed for a level of vulnerability and problem-solving that is rarely found in traditional professional development.”