MPA COHORT FOR ASPIRING SCHOOL LEADERS

The Rutgers CSUCL’s MPA Cohort for Aspiring School Leaders is creating the next generation of school leaders and policymakers.  Through partnerships between Rutgers–Camden’s Department of Public Policy & Administration and local school districts, the CSUCL’s Cohort program offers aspiring principals and administrators the opportunity to pursue a Master’s in Public Administration at Rutgers. 

The MPA Cohort program was created in 2003 by Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, Distinguished Service Professor and Director of the Rutgers Center for Strategic Urban Community Leadership, in an effort to create and prepare a new cadre of school administrators for leadership positions in urban schools.

By completing the Rutgers–Camden MPA’s two-year (42-credit) coursework, participants fulfill the following requirements for school supervisory endorsements from the State of New Jersey: School Administrator (i.e. superintendent); Principal (i.e. asst. superintendent, principal, vice principal); Supervisor (i.e. supervisor of instruction, athletic director).

Click here for the Rutgers MPA degree requirements and application info.

IMPACT AND OUTCOMES
The CSUCL’s first cohort of Aspiring Principals was a partnership between Rutgers and the Camden City Board of Education; seventeen Camden teachers successfully completed their MPA degrees in 2005 and 16 of them were placed into school administration positions in the district.  Rutgers and the Camden City School District have since renewed their commitment for a second MPA Cohort that began in 2008 plus a third cohort that will begin in Fall 2009.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS
New Jersey school districts that are interested in creating MPA Cohort opportunities for aspiring principals in their schools, or seek to provide professional development for existing school leaders, are encouraged to contact the CSUCL for more information.