In the University of Washington Bothell’s School of Educational Studies, faculty seek not only to prepare future educators to guide and influence students who will be the community leaders of tomorrow but also to prepare those educators who will go on to become leaders in education itself.
The school launched the Leadership Development for Educators program in 2011 for educators looking to advance in their career and to pursue administrative and leadership positions. The LEDE concentration is offered as both a Principal and Program Administrator certificate and an optional Master of Education degree.
Although the program was put on pause during the pandemic in 2020, it is now accepting applications for the winter 2025 quarter. And with the relaunch came an opportunity for the faculty to reimagine the curriculum, said Dr. Tyson Marsh, associate professor in SES and the program lead.
“The pandemic really elevated for us the importance of making sure that we are doing all we can to dismantle the educational injustices that persist today,” Marsh said. “There was a strong need to revise our curriculum to still have the same instructional leadership focus but with a stronger emphasis on the voices and educational experiences of historically marginalized communities.”
Centering justice
The new curriculum is designed to enhance the themes of educational justice that have been a part of the LEDE program since its inception. For Dr. Chelsea Craig, an alumna of the program who received her Master of Education in 2020, the justice-centered classes are what first drew her to it.
A proud Tulalip tribal member, she now serves her community as an assistant principal at Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary in Marysville, Washington, although she didn’t always picture herself in the role.
“At the time of signing up for this program, I was really looking for a place where I could grow my own learning and my own confidence as a leader,” Craig said. “I was planning on leading from my position as a cultural specialist, but when the assistant principal position came available, it opened the door for me to bring some of my dreams into reality. These dreams began with several of the assignments in the program, and the focus on a clear understanding of our ‘why.’”
This year, Craig completed her doctorate in education through the UW College of Education’s Leadership for Learning program. LEDE, she noted, was an ideal precursor that set up a smooth transition to the doctoral program.
“I would highly recommend the LEDE program as it is leading toward justice work that is needed for our school systems today,” she said. “Many of the assignments I completed during the program acted as a vision for the future that I am currently enacting.”
Taking on new roles
While open to a variety of educators, the LEDE program appeals strongly to those in existing roles as public-school administrators. As public employees, they can take advantage of the Washington State Employee Tuition Exemption Program and leverage their post-graduate education to increase their pay.
The program also draws a significant number of mid-career educators looking to take the next step, said Monica Pham, SES student recruitment manager.
“Many of our students are ready to advance their career forward. A lot of them have been working as teachers for many years, and they’re ready to take on those leadership roles and make a difference at the larger school level,” Pham said.
And for some, such as Craig, while they may not picture themselves in upper-level administrative positions and principalships at first, they may find themselves open to new possibilities after they have their credentials in hand.
For Kelly Balzer, an alumna of the program who graduated with her master’s in 2012, a desire to move from teaching into an administrative role led her to attend the program for a second time to complete her administrative certificate in 2021.
Balzer is currently an assistant principal at Tyee Middle School in Bellevue, Washington. “A lot of our work was around equity, coaching and leadership,” Balzer said. “I feel that I am the leader I am because of the learning we did and the time we took to look at these issues in depth.”
“I would highly recommend the LEDE program as it is leading toward justice work that is needed for our school systems today. Many of the assignments I completed during the program acted as a vision for the future that I am currently enacting.”
Dr. Chelsea Craig, assistant principal, Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary
Knowing your why
Melissa Riley, an alumna who graduated with her master’s in 2013, began the program while teaching elementary school in the Northshore School District, in the northeast of the greater Seattle area.
As a young working mother at the time, Riley said the flexibility of the program and the evening and weekend course schedules were a huge draw.
“I wanted to learn how to be a strong and effective principal,” she said. “Coming right out of the classroom, I knew I had a lot to learn. I really appreciated being able to complete assignments to grow my leadership that were situated in the context I was working. I felt I was contributing to the school and supporting my principal and assistant principal in achieving the shared mission and goals of the school.”
During the program’s required community-based internship, Riley worked even more closely with her school’s principal. Getting to work in classrooms outside of her own and experiencing an array of teachers’ practices while working with students across the school was really meaningful, she said.
Riley currently serves as the executive director of schools for Northshore — a new title that is the equivalent to an assistant superintendent. In this role, she is able to put the skills and knowledge of the program to practice.
For future students of the LEDE program, Riley offers this advice: “Knowing your why is essential, and remaining open to self-evolution throughout this program is imperative. Being a learning leader and a practitioner who is student-centered and justice-driven will keep you close to the classroom floor and focused on the right work.”
Sustaining mentorships and networks
“Melissa is a prime example of someone who has really leveraged their work from this program to do powerful educational justice work in the context of a local district,” Marsh said. “And that’s really what we’re asking for — folks who will stand up and speak out when things come down from the state level that will not produce equitable outcomes.”
With the LEDE program’s comeback this upcoming winter quarter, Marsh says the new curriculum will equip students to take up educational justice issues within the context of their communities, particularly for students who don’t necessarily see themselves as educational leaders from a traditional perspective.
Accessibility, he said, is also a key focus in this latest iteration of the program, as it will now be offered in a hybrid model to better accommodate students from underserved communities.
One of the pillars of this program, Marsh added, is the long-term commitment and network building the faculty aims to cultivate.
“We really view this program as ‘You’re with us for life, and we’re always here for you,’” he said. “We want to keep a tight-knit community of folks together as a sort of brain trust of educational leaders who are committed to educational justice and create opportunities for folks to have sustained mentorship and support in dismantling structures of injustice.”
The LEDE program is currently accepting applications for the 2025 cohort. The final deadline to apply is Oct. 15. For more information, visit the program website.
