 By Shannon Borg Great teachers are vital to the success of our country and our economy, and although seeing students achieve success can be its own reward, many of the four million teachers in the U.S. are looking for ways to grow in their field without losing the satisfaction of influencing young minds. 
Needed: Qualified Professionals School administration is a booming career segment in America today. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about 443,000 education administration jobs in 2006, with 56,000 preschool or childcare administrators, 226,000 elementary or secondary school administrators and 131,000 postsecondary administrators. Whether you are just starting out in your career as a teacher or are a more experience teacher interested in career advancement, it may be difficult to navigate your way to the top in the education field. But with some information and guidance, you can easily land a successful career in school administration.
A Typical Career Path Into School Administration Becoming a School Principal With nearly half a million school administrators in the country, job diversity within the field is vast. For instance, you might start out as a teacher and study for a Master of Arts degree in Education online or at night. This education, along with completion of your state teacher certification process, will allow you to move into a position as a school principal in an elementary, middle or secondary school. As a school principal, you will have a wide variety of responsibilities: - Providing overall leadership in setting goals and objectives for your school
- Developing and maintaining curriculum standards
- Advising staff
- Hiring, evaluating and improving the skills of your teachers
Moving to the District Level School principals often move on to become district-wide school administration specialists. These school administrators work with subject-area programs such as English, music, vocational education, special education or mathematics to set curriculum and evaluate teaching techniques. As a department director, you will work broadly across all of the schools in a district to set common standards and provide departmental support. Instructional Leadership: The Sky is the Limit From district level positions, you can move into instructional leadership opportunities that include jobs in education law, finance and budgeting, curriculum development and evaluation, research design, data analysis, community relations and politics in education. These district and state level jobs are often available at colleges, universities, private firms or research entities and often require more advanced education, such as a doctorate of education. Chief academic officers, school deans or provosts work with faculty and school presidents to make faculty appointments, provide instructional leadership, develop budgets and establish academic programs. If the sky is your limit and you are after some of the most prestigious roles in school administration, try becoming a school dean and working your way up to the top of the heap as a university president.
Typical Education Levels in School Administration Many students starting out in the area of school administration already have a bachelor's or master's degree in an area such as teaching, community development or social work, but want to expand their opportunities in education administration, leadership and policy. If you are interested in influencing the direction of public schools, private institutions, or institutes of higher learning, additional training is usually required. Advanced education, such as education specialist and doctoral degrees, are becoming more common for practitioners in these roles. However, there are also training programs and certificates in specific areas of school administration that can help you gain the qualifications you need to advance. The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) is a shorter program (one or two years, depending on the institution) for teachers who want to continue a career in school administration in a chosen field—administration, policy, leadership, etc.—but don't want to complete a doctoral degree. Search our comprehensive directory of graduate education programs to find the right fit for you.
Networking Works One thing to keep in mind when pursuing advanced positions in school administration is that, as in any field, experience and education give you the skills, but networking gets you the job. Professional organizations can be instrumental in helping you hear about positions, meet colleagues and find the right professional fit. Large organizations, such as the American Association for Adult & Continuing Education (AAACE) or the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) have events and forums that will help you find more information about your field. Smaller organizations, such as alumni clubs, or other specific groups such as the American Association of University Women (AAUW), are often active in their communities with meetings and events where you can connect with colleagues and share information.
Growth Opportunities in School Administration With greater than average growth projected in this field over the next decade and new methods of education coming into vogue beyond the traditional four year university experience, new jobs are constantly being created in both lower and higher education. The following jobs are predicted to be highly available over the next decade: - elementary and secondary school principals
- directors of university student affairs
- directors of technical and trade schools
- junior college admissions directors
- preschool and childcare administrators
- distance learning researchers and administrators
- professional school policy directors
These exciting opportunities can not only provide a vibrant career, but also put you on the pathway toward influencing the educational direction of your community.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
