Graduate School of Education: 0601pli.html

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) a multi-year grant of $750,000 to develop leadership in urban districts. Designed in partnership with the Oakland, San Francisco and West Contra Costa school districts with PLI as the anchor program, the Strategic Leadership Collaborative will support a complement of four programs.

“Often new urban principals are put in untenable situations where they have to respond to mandates and sanctions,” says PLI Coordinator Lynda Tredway. “This grant allows us to continue to identify and support principals through their development as urban leaders and help districts build their own capacity.”

Twenty five potential teacher leaders from each of the partner districts will participate in a new Aspiring Administrators program that includes a series of seminars and workshops to assess their readiness for entering a credential program. The seminars are co-facilitated by Tredway and a district designee.

Another 80 PLI graduates will participate in the Leadership Support Program (LSP), coordinated by its Principal in Residence Janette Hernandez. LSP includes a three-year induction program to new administrators that leads to a Professional Administrative Services Credential. It includes site-based coaching for two years and monthly seminars for three years.

More than 40 retired Oakland, Hayward and San Francisco principals have been recruited to coach 82 first- and second-year principals from Bay Area urban districts in the Coaching Initiative, which is designed and coordinated by GSE’s Linda Leader-Picone. The coaches participate in monthly professional development, engage in twice monthly site visits, have regular contact with new principals and regularly attend professional development in districts. Many of the coaches have participated in the UC Santa Cruz Coaching Preparation for School Leaders.

Finally, the grant supports a new yearly conference of Bay Area leadership programs, projects and organizations such as New Leaders for New Schools and Partners in School Innovation to share best practices in leadership development with district partners.

Dr. Lisa Petrides, president of the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education will serve as the outside evaluator for the grant.

For more information, visit the PLI website or contact Lynda Tredway.

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