School of Education’s New Specialist Degree Prepares Teachers for Leadership Roles Outside of Administration

According to Jennifer Stafford, left, professor and chair of Teaching Education and Leadership, and Sydney Margaret Holbert, an associate professor in TEL and Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership coordinator, the new program encourages Mississippi’s teachers to take active leadership roles.

The changing nature of education requires teachers who have the ability to lead, whether inside the classroom or outside the boundaries of administration.

The School of Education at Mississippi College is launching a new postgraduate specialist degree this fall to help teachers not interested in administrative service to succeed as leaders in their respective schools and districts.

According to Jennifer Stafford, professor and chair of Teaching Education and Leadership at MC, the new program is designed to encourage Mississippi’s teachers to take active leadership roles.

“In our state, we have many educators who are interested in leading from where they are on their academic and grade levels,” said Stafford, who received her Ed.D. from the University of Memphis. “Many teachers don’t have the desire to become an administrator on any district office level, a principal from the front office, or the superintendent’s office.

“They want to lead in their classrooms, on their subject-area levels, and grade levels.”

The Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership is aimed at teaching professionals seeking to become lead teachers, department chairs, Professional Learning Community (PLC) leaders, curriculum coordinators, professional development leaders, and data coordinators.

Those who enroll in the five-term or 15-month program endorsed by the Mississippi Department of Education must have a master’s-level teaching license in an area of professional education and at least three years of teaching experience on the permanent license.

Sydney Margaret Holbert, an associate professor in Teacher Education and Leadership, serves as program coordinator. She said it should appeal to instructors in the majority of school districts throughout the state.

“Most districts have curriculum coordinators for each subject – especially math and language arts,” said Holbert, who received her Ed.D. from the University of Mississippi. “Or they have a lot of positions that are not necessarily in administration.

“This degree is for teachers who find themselves sought after by other teachers for advice, for those who serve as mentors to new teachers, or for those who would like more training on how to become a leader.”

Stafford said Holbert is accustomed to working with this population of teachers.

“She works tirelessly and with excellence with our candidates and program development in Teacher Education and Leadership,” Stafford said. “She has served as the coordinator of our Curriculum Instruction Program, which serves those teachers who have their undergraduate degrees in education and want to focus on developing the curriculum and directing instructional change.”

While two other universities in the Magnolia State - Mississippi State University and William Carey University – also offer the degree, Stafford said Mississippi College is the first institution in Central Mississippi to do so.

“It’s been very successful throughout the state,” she said. “This specialist degree offers teachers the opportunity for a higher degree, a raise in pay, and marketable skills. If they leave their current school, they can be hired at another school and have the same level of responsibilities.”

Although MC’s Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership program is hybrid, the majority of courses are taught online – making it attractive to education professionals throughout the state.

“This program gives students an opportunity to receive the same level of expert attention that our instructors offer in person while giving candidates the opportunity to graduate very swiftly,” Stafford said.

Holbert said she has fielded several inquiries from current students about the new Ed.S. offering.

“I’ve had a good many students in that program express interest,” she said. “Some teachers are completely uninterested in the administration career route, but they may want to get a higher degree and take on a leadership role. Or they may find themselves in a leadership role, either in their own classroom or in their own building, and they may want to move to a central office or the district office and take on a leadership role for an entire district.

“We’re hoping to enroll students who may never have been to MC but are interested in obtaining this degree.”

To be eligible, students must have at least a 3.25 graduate GPA, a master’s degree in education, and a master’s-level teaching license.

Holbert said Mississippi College is being proactive by offering this course to educational professionals throughout the state.

“Our Teacher Education and Leadership Department tries to remain current by keeping up with the educational needs in our state,” she said. “We make sure that we are offering the most up-to-date programs – in the most convenient formats – that our teachers need and want.

“We are constantly reflecting on what the department needs to develop in order to best serve our students.”

She said the Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership at MC took several months to coalesce.

“It’s a well-rounded program for teaching professionals,” she said. “We had a great team of full-time faculty who were involved in helping to develop this program over the past several semesters.

“They were all experts in different areas of education. Different faculty members developed different courses in the program.”

By definition, teachers are leaders in the classroom. Holbert said continuing education is critical to staying abreast of the most important educational issues.

“It’s so important to stay current with best practices in education,” she said. “Teachers are natural leaders, and it’s beneficial for them to get more leadership training. There are myriad opportunities for them to lead, and this program MC is offering would help them on their way.”

Applications for the Fall 2024 cohort are now being accepted. For more information, click here.