College Introduces New Certificate for Teacher Leaders

07/06/2018 

SUNY Cortland has introduced a new certificate program for high-achieving teachers looking to make leadership skills stand out on their résumés.

The College’s Advanced Certificate in Teacher Leadership can benefit educators who are interested in becoming department chairs, grade-level coordinators, lead teachers or academic coaches. The credential entails four introductory courses that also count towards a Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.) if students wish to continue in SUNY Cortland’s Educational Leadership Program.

“There are so many new opportunities for teachers to work on special assignment within their school districts,” said Chris Manaseri, assistant professor and coordinator of the College’s Educational Leadership Program. “These opportunities don’t necessarily require a full administrative degree, but teachers may want some additional training.

“This certificate is the perfect model for that.” 

Prospective students must hold a master’s degree and have at least three years of teaching experience. The 12-credit certificate will be available starting in Fall 2018 and current students may apply coursework retroactively.

Topics to be covered include curricular leadership, supervision, organizational change and special programs. All four courses are taught in a hybrid format that involves online learning and five campus visits per semester.

“These are skills that teacher leaders need even if they don’t want to become licensed superintendents or building principals or business officials,” Manaseri said.

The certificate also serves as a formalized introduction to SUNY Cortland’s three C.A.S. programs: School Building Leader (SBL), School District Leader (SDL) and School District Business Leader (SDBL). The program allows teachers to make their leadership skills stand out among their peers and test the waters of an administrative degree.

“We see this as a stackable credential,” said Manaseri, a former school principal and district superintendent. “Start the program with building effective classrooms, then move into topics such as school law and finance, then take principalship and district leadership courses where you’re looking at things from a managerial level.” 

For more information on SUNY Cortland’s Educational Leadership Program, visit its webpage or contact Manaseri through the College’s Foundations and Social Advocacy Department at 607-753-2447.