One of our readers asked about adding to an MA in Educational Leadership and finding the mentorship opportunities in order to move up to a superintendent’s position.
Dawn Jones of Northern Illinois University answered, “The American Association for School Administrators (AASA) would be a good place to start your search for mentorship programs. The website is www.aasa.org. Local affiliates might be excellent contacts, too. I know that there is a strong affiliate in Massachusetts and in many other states as well. If you start a PhD program, the program itself is very likely to provide not only information on mentorship, but also mentorship opportunities. Programs for licensure as a superintendent have built-in internship/mentorship requirements. Moreover, that PhD can give you the professional edge that you’ll need down the road to be competitive in the superintendency market."And Doug Peden of Falcon School District in Colorado answered, “There are several possible areas for an aspiring administrator to seek support in the journey to the superintendency. Locally, each state has an organization of administrators, and working within that group normally advice and support can be found. In many states, they have active programs to help promote interested candidates seeking to develop in to superintendents. There also are national organizations like AASA, American Association for School Administration, which will support individuals but may not have as much direct mentoring as you are looking to have. Finally, the idea of getting your PhD. is a good one because many school districts throughout the country require it. It also will allow you to gain more knowledge and broaden your experiences in preparation for your quest to secure a superintendents position.”