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An important tenet of education is to meet your students where they are. With its new flex weekend option, Saint Rose’s school building leadership certificate program does just that: It allows program participants to study on their own schedule, without sacrificing time away from work or family.

New candidates have enthusiastically greeted the flex weekend option, first offered in the spring of 2020.

“Students can choose the sequence of courses and go at their own pace,” says Olivia Conroy, assistant director of graduate admissions. Many courses are offered on the weekends, which is particularly convenient for working teachers, and the flex option allow students to choose whether to attend class in person or remotely.

The flex weekend option has significantly increased enrollment. Since Spring 2018, the school building leadership certificate program enrollment remained relatively flat until the flex weekend option was added, resulting in a 70% increase in enrollment year over year.

“I was initially attracted to the Educational Leadership program at Saint Rose because of the flexibility that the weekend format provided me and my family,” says Katie Sill, who teaches fourth grade at Radez Elementary in Cobleskill-Richmondville. “I appreciated being able to attend classes on the weekends, and the longer length of the classes provided me with uninterrupted time to work and learn.”

“The flex weekend format was absolutely perfect,” says Carey Raymond, a special education teacher at Berne Knox Westerlo Elementary School and a working mother with three very active and engaged children. “Schedules were tight, but I felt I had absolutely no problem making it all work. The program’s schedule fell right in line to work around jobs and extracurricular activities.”

Raymond appreciates the program’s responsiveness to participants’ requests. “The program is open to making things work better for their students and has continued to implement schedule improvements that make sense.”

The personal touch

The expert faculty, led by program director Dr. Deb Shea, provide one-on-one guidance that supports candidates’ academic success and personal career goals. That personal attention begins before students even attend their first class.

“After my first informational session with Shea and some of the students in the program, I knew that I had chosen the right place to earn my SBL/SDL certifications; the sense of community and support was immediately evident,” says Sill.

Raymond, who completed her master’s in school counseling at Saint Rose, decided to return to Saint Rose as she continued her journey into educational administration.

“Shortly after, I met with Deb Shea. We immediately connected. Her clear passion and ideals for the program attracted me immediately,” she says. “I knew the integrity and values embedded in the program aligned with my own. Those of which our world, country, and schools desperately need to see more of.”

As they continue through the program, students experience a strong sense of camaraderie among their classmates.

“I have particularly enjoyed moving through the program with the same cohort of students,” says Sill. “I feel like I have a team of professionals to reach out to and the professors are always accommodating, making time to answer questions or just check in whenever needed.”

Thanks to Shea’s direction, the curriculum stays on the cutting edge. “All courses and content have been updated per the newly adopted leadership standards,” she says. “Students engage in very current readings that represent the vanguard of school leadership practices.”

One recent development is a focus on equity, inclusiveness, and cultural responsiveness.

“I have repurposed a course that was formerly Critical Issues to be focused on culturally responsive leadership,” says Shea. “This focus is now also infused into every course with required texts and readings, and is addressed in classes.”

In addition, the SBL faculty ensure that students have internship opportunities directly aligned with their career goals.

“The internship remains a highly individualized and flexible experience based on the student’s role aspiration in leadership,” says Shea.

Learning to lead

“The program has exceeded my expectations in every way. Each project has been purposeful and relevant, providing me with practical strategies for approaching any challenges that come my way,” says Sill, adding that the program affords her many opportunities to reflect on her own experiences, allowing her to solidify her own educational philosophy and consider her values as an education leader.

In addition, she appreciates the exposure to all elements of a building leader’s responsibilities – from budget and performance reviews to school law and curriculum.

“The program has given me a fresh and realistic perspective that will be invaluable in my future leadership endeavors,” says Sill.

Raymond says that the program has helped her gain confidence in herself.

“The program is set up to present different leadership styles and help individuals find what is theirs,” she says. “This leads to being true to yourself and finding what you are set out to do. It truly takes all types in this field and I learned what my strengths are in order to contribute to it.”

Raymond also enjoys the exposure to countless ideas on how to make the structures of school work better and create change for overall student success.

“I learned the intricacies and challenges of school budget along with critical knowledge of school law, both of which heavily impact the daily running of schools,” she adds. “These skills are all part of the confidence I walked away with from this program and knowing I am well prepared to be a school building leader.”