ACSA recently held a workshop at the Solano COE designed to help young educators learn how to become school administrators.
Led by ACSA Educational Services Executive Linda Wisher, the two-hour presentation aims to help participants understand the often-misunderstood credentialing process. The workshop welcomed more than 30 prospective administrators.
Long gone is the one-size-fits-all approach to obtaining and clearing an administrative services credential. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing now has more options, and there is often a lot of confusion in the field about how to go about obtaining one. In fact, rarely does a day go by that ACSA does not receive a phone call on this very topic.
The presentation, in PowerPoint format, focused on the four ways to obtain an Preliminary Administrative Services Credential, formerly known as Tier 1: completion of a college or university-based program accredited by the CTC; completion of a CTC-accredited internship program sponsored by a college or university and an LEA; passage of the School Leadership Licensure Assessment; or completion of an alternative preparation program approved by the CTC.
It also focused on the five ways to a Professional Clear Credential, formerly known as Tier 2: Completion of a college- or university-based program currently accredited by the CTC; completion of a State Board of Education-approved AB 75/AB 430 Principal Training Program; mastery of fieldwork performance standards through a CTC-accredited program; passage of a national administrator performance assessment adopted by the CTC; or completion of a CTC-approved program sponsored by an LEA or university based on new program standards.
The presentations are conducted in a “team teach” method, with the idea that a county office or district representative can then replicate the presentation in the future, thus building capacity.
Cheryl Lynn de Werff, director of professional development at Solano COE, said the presentation was beneficial because it provides aspiring administrators concise and consistent information, thus eliminating the confusion that prevents many educators from taking the next step in their careers.
“A lot of people are interested in becoming an administrator but there’s not a lot of good information out there,” she said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to get good information out to aspiring administrators and teacher leaders and let them know about their options.”
She said with so many baby boomers retiring, it is getting tougher and tougher to fill administrative posts, and this makes the process easier for those with the potential to become great leaders.
“A lot of people think it’s not a do-able job,” de Werff said. “It’s a job you can do, but you need the right support.”
This is especially true of younger educators, who may not have the time to commit to a long-term program the way their predecessors did.
“Many of them want to know how to obtain the skills they need in the least amount of time – how to do it smarter and more efficiently,” de Werff said. “This gives them a choice of what’s going to work for them, their family and their jobs.”
The presentation is also beneficial because it lets LEAs like Solano COE grow their own – one of the many professional learning opportunities Solano provides under Superintendent Dee Alarcón and Assistant Superintendent Rob Phillips.
“We grow our own teachers and now we know we need to grow our own administrators as well,” de Werff said. “There’s a critical need for it.”
For more information on the “How To Become an Administrator” workshop, contact ACSA’s Educational Services Department at (800) 608-ACSA.