Registration is now open for the ACSA Leadership Institute, the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program serving areas of southern California. The credential is earned over the course of a year via the Southern California Leadership Institute, with the option of earning a Master’s degree. The Leadership Institute is made possible by strategic partnerships with the Sacramento County Office of Education. “The Sacramento County Office of Education Leadership Institute provided an excellent opportunity for me to earn my Preliminary Administrative Services Credential,” said Laura Nelson, assistant principal at Riverside Poly High School in the Riverside Unified School District. “The one-year program was designed with busy educators in mind and is thoughtfully structured to meet the their needs.” Current and former students assert that this credentialing experience exceeds others they have participated in due to the Program Consultant: Dr. Michael Roe - whose unconventionally direct and inspiring leadership style challenges students to explore, question and discover learning in relation to their leadership journey and impact in the profession. Through Roe’s leadership, as well as an outstanding faculty with a wealth of experience, this program is designed to cultivate a leadership experience that takes learning from the theoretical and directs it towards the real challenges we face in our profession. Courses are taught by experienced school leaders such as Superintendents Terrence Davis and Dr. Martinrex Kedziora; Assistant Superintendent Darren Daniel; and consultants and former district leaders such as Dr. Suzette Lovely and Dr. LaFaye Platter. ACSA is pleased to announce that superintendent of Walnut Unified, Bob Taylor, signed on with the program for 2019-2020 with Mary Pierce, director of Employee Development from SBCUSD, joining the team in 2020-2021. The main faculty are joined by established mini session experts, which comprise elementary and secondary principals, directors and assistant superintendents from all over the state who share their exceptional knowledge in a specific area related to the course. Online chats take place weekly in small groups, which are rotated between each course and are mediated by online principal-coaches. “The instructors were knowledgeable, helpful and true experts in their field and the classes were engaging and purposeful,” Nelson said. “The blend of face-to-face learning, online discussions, group collaborations and real-time applications provided me with not only a positive experience but a practical one as well.” To be eligible for the Leadership Institute, applicants must have: 

• Earned a teaching credential or service credential.
  
• Five years of full-time teaching experience. 
  
• Passing score on either the California Basic Educational Skills Test or the California Subject Examination for Teachers.
  

The program curriculum is based on the California Professional Standards for Education Leaders and is comprised of 154 hours of in-class instruction and 77 hours of online “Chats,” which take place over the course of the year. This time is organized into six courses which are directly aligned to the new CALAPA. In-person meetings of the entire cohort are held every other Saturday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. in San Bernardino County. Additionally, each student creates an end-of-program project based on a “Focus School,” intended to put concepts and standards from the coursework into action. The project centers around a need of the participant’s school or district, which assists with continued development and implementation, and each project proposal is developed collaboratively with the Program Director and faculty as well as with the participant’s District Coach and peers. Participants present their projects at the end-of-program Symposium. Participants have a support system and a wealth of resources available to them throughout the program. Key concepts, requirements, and program expectations are provided throughout so that participants are inspired and set up to succeed from the beginning. Live support includes the Leadership Institute team, a faculty mentor, district coach, and online principal-coaches . Upon successful completion of the coursework for the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential, participants’ names will be submitted to the program office at CTC for either the Certificate of Eligibility or the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential.  The 2020-21 Leadership Institute application period is now open through May 30. The online application, as well as additional information, are available at .  To reserve a spot or for more information, contact Roe at mroe@acsa.org.