Contact Us
For more information about the Strategic Leadership in Education certificate program, contact us at ProfessionalLearning@gse.upenn.edu
Earn a certificate in educational leadership and develop your capacity to lead with purpose, confidence, and skill.
The Strategic Leadership in Education certificate program is designed for leaders looking to strengthen their effectiveness and deepen the impact they have on their schools, systems, or organizations. Led by experts from the Penn GSE, The Wharton School, and beyond, this cohort-based program allows leaders to learn and develop together as they form relationships, provide support, and broaden their professional networks.
What Sets Us Apart
Expert teaching faculty from Penn GSE, Wharton, and more
Cohort model allows you to learn in community and expand your networks
Deep, rich, and personal learning experiences made possible through live synchronous sessions
About the Program
Educational leaders must navigate complex demands with a sophisticated understanding of people, organizations, and their context. The Strategic Leadership in Education certificate program provides a sustained, rigorous, and cohort-based leadership development experience that empowers you to embrace your leadership role with purpose, confidence, and skill.
Program I: Leadership for Teaching, Learning, and Professional Growth
- Application Deadline - January 29, 2024
- Start Date - January 31, 2024
- Program Fee - $3,200
Program II: Leadership in the Spotlight
- Application Deadline Extended - March 29, 2024
- Start Date - April 3, 2024
- Program Fee - $3,800
Discounts AvailablePenn GSE alumni, previous participants in CPL, and UPenn employees are eligible for a 20% discount off of the program fee.
For information about group payment options or payment plans, please contact ProfessionalLearning@gse.upenn.edu
Ideal candidatesLeaders in K-12 schools, higher education, government, and other education-related organizations. Past participants held positions such as: Assistant Head of School, Dean of Math & Science, Executive Director, Founder & CEO, Faculty, Principal, Teacher, and Vice Principal.
Overview
The Strategic Leadership in Education certificate is advanced, executive education for educational leaders. The certificate consists of two complementary programs that support leaders to explore critical ideas in 21st-century teaching and learning, developing people and supporting well-being, leading schools, systems, and organizations, and leading change in a broader context.
The certificate consists of 13 live virtual sessions, divided into two programs, each focused on a critical and urgent aspect of educational leadership. Participants can enroll in one program or both, depending on their unique professional learning goals, as well as the time and commitment they are able to make. Participants who complete one program will earn a Penn GSE certificate of participation. Participants who complete both programs earn their Penn GSE Certificate in Strategic Leadership in Education.
Program I: Leadership for Teaching, Learning, and Professional Growth - Schedule
Before and after each session, you will complete a set of readings, activities, and reflections to help you prepare and apply what you have learned.
Dates: January 31 - March 20
Program fee: $3,200
| Date | Topic | Faculty Presenter |
| January 31, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Becoming the Leader of Learning | Dr. Zachary Herrmann |
| February 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Student-Centered Teaching and Learning | Dr. Zachary Herrmann |
| February 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning | Dr. Ed Brockenbrough |
| February 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Developing Professional Learning Systems | Dr. Sarah S. Kavanagh |
| March 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Personal Leadership Development | Dr. Zachary Herrmann |
| March 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Strategic Goal Setting | Dr. Taylor Hausburg |
Program II: Leadership in the Spotlight - Schedule
Before and after each session, you will complete a set of readings, activities, and reflections to help you prepare and apply what you have learned.
Dates: April 3 - May 29
Program fee: $3,800
| Date | Topic | Faculty Presenter |
| April 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Creating Space for Productive Disagreement | Dr. Sigal Ben-Porath |
| April 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Educational Leadership and Organizational Sensemaking | Dr. Rand Quinn |
| April 24, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Leading in Politically Charged Contexts | Dr. Andrea Kane |
| May 1, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Leading Organizational Change | Dr. Julie Wollman |
| May 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Leading in Times of Crisis | Dr. Cheryl Logan |
| May 22, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Leadership Communication: Driving Change in Challenging Times | Ms. Antionnette Mcdermott |
| May 29, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (ET) | Leadership and Negotiation | Dr. Zachary Herrmann |
Learning Objectives
Before and after each virtual session, you will complete readings and assignments asynchronously on Penn GSE’s learning platform. All assignments will relate directly to your current work, allowing you to make meaningful and immediate connections and impact in your current role.
Learning Objectives:
- Explore core concepts in teaching and learning
- Identify ways to establish and pursue an ambitious and meaningful instructional vision
- Discuss strategies to support students to develop non-cognitive and social-emotional skills
- Identify ways to support educators to design and enact culturally responsive learning environments for students from racially, ethnically, and linguistically minoritized backgrounds
- Explore how leaders can support the development of strategic and robust professional learning systems
- Discuss how leaders must manage their own work-related stress and well-being, as well as that of the people within their organizations, and why development and individual change efforts often fail, and what leaders can do about it
- Explore concepts such as organizational sensemaking, the sociopolitical context of leadership, organizational learning, psychological safety, decision-making, and will introduce leaders to the 4P Framework for Strategic Leadership, which focuses leaders on perception, process, people, and projection
- Explore foundational concepts centered on crisis leadership, as well as theories and best practices related to a leader’s role in effectively communicating vision and change
Our Faculty
Teacher Program Lead, Penn GSE Center for Professional Learning
Ed.D., University of Pennsylvania