Becoming an educational leader

I didn’t get into education expecting to be an administrator. But I reached a point in my career when I realized I need a principal certificate to make the impact I wanted to make.

Penn GSE’s program gave me a foundation for understanding education leadership. It helped me see the role I would need to play in managing change, supporting teacher growth, creating new systems, and building a responsive community if I wanted to make a difference for children and families. I graduated with a vison and a mission, and the confidence to carry them out.

I managed to do the program with a stressful job, with a one-year-old and a three-year-old. I can’t imagine being able to do that without the structured support and use of technology the program offered. Even though some of my cohort members were in other cities, we still collaborated on projects and pushed one another’s thinking.

I had always worked in public education settings. Learning with a mix of public, independent, and charter school peers gave me an eye-opening lesson in how other school systems work. With so many different perspectives, we constantly traded ideas.

My school and university mentors were great sounding boards. It was amazing to have an outsider’s view on my performance who could offer practical, real-time feedback on my work.

The program’s influence didn’t end with graduation. When I have a tough problem to solve, members of my cohort and Penn GSE’s school leadership network are still some of the first people I call. I attend three or four program events every year, and they continue to support my professional growth.