Educational Leadership Newsletter

Educational Leadership

news Issue 2 | FALL 2014

As a developer of educational leaders, Minnesota State Mankato uses a different approach in an effort to eliminate the systemic racism that fuels the achievement gap. The Department of Educational Leadership actively recruits students of color, trains all educational leaders using a curriculum developed with racial equity as a primary component, and supports students and alumni as they become leaders with the courage to close the gap.

“Leading change and implementing racial equity policies and practices takes courage,” said Candace Raskin, professor of educational leadership. “We make sure students in our programs develop a clear focus, master necessary leadership strategies, and receive continued support as they implement change in their schools.”

Isabel Rodriguez was encouraged to pursue advanced education and become an educational leader, but she was reluctant for many years. “For me, leadership was something others did. I had the desire, but because of my fears,

I saw too many obstacles and made excuses.” After she moved to Minnesota, she decided the time was right.

“As I move through the Minnesota State Mankato’s educational leadership program at Edina, I have acquired the knowledge to work with other leaders in education,” said Rodriguez. “Our work is rigorous and we are learning best practices from educational leaders who are implementing them daily. Our professors keep me inspired. And, perhaps most importantly, I have acquired the confidence to know I can be part of making the education system better.”

“Many programs talk the talk of racial equity,” said Stephen West, superintendent of Winona Public Schools.

“But Minnesota State Mankato walks the walk. Everyone knows there is an issue, everyone knows what the issues are, but not everyone has the belief structure, commitment and courage to do the hard work. The Department of Educational Leadership puts the responsibility for the education of all children firmly on the shoulders of the education system. Then it arms leaders with the passion, data, focus, skills and support required to make a difference.”

Photo by Dan Moen

Walking the Walk

Taking the Show on the Road Southern Minnesota Aspiring Principals Program As a high school teacher, principal and finally the superintendent for St. Peter Public Schools, Jeff Olson understands the importance of having good educational leaders. “As the baby boomers retire, there will be a lot more positions open,” he said. “We need to make sure we have good people prepared to lead.”

And while there are several principal licensure programs in the state, the Department of Educational Leadership at Minnesota State Mankato offers something unique with the Aspiring Principals Program. In addition to traditional coursework, each principal candidate (licensed teacher pursuing graduate degree) is paired with a district mentor. Together, they identify critical needs in the district. Principal candidates receive release time from their classroom to take on pre-determined duties of a working principal.

Gaining experience as a working principal and having the opportunity to reflect on and share that experience with other members of their cohort is invaluable. Olson said, “A typical response to the first experience as a school principal is, ‘Wow.’ So, it is critical to provide the front-line experience, along with support and mentoring, that isn’t available in the university classroom.”

For more information about the Olson acts as the facilitator for the southern MinAspiring Principal Program, contact nesota cohort. Currently, five districts have principal Barb Wilson at 952-818-8883 or candidates enrolled. The program requires districts barbara.wilson@mnsu.edu to cover the classroom while the principal candidate works on administrative issues. As the retired superintendent from the district that piloted the program out-state, Olson can speak first-hand to the concerns of hesitant district administrators and school boards. “There are expenditures required to hire part-time teachers to cover the classroom, but this program is a very cost-effective way to gain skilled and qualified leaders,” he said. “There is a risk that they may leave your district, but if we all commit to improving the educational leadership landscape, leaders from other districts may come to you.”

Outside the Classroom Change doesn’t guarantee progress. With a commitment to continuous improvement, faculty in the Department of Educational Leadership collects and analyzes data to help uncover evidenced-based best practices. We are proud to share some highlights: Jason Kaufman and Candace Raskin Telepresence: Democratizing the Higher Education Classroom

Scott Wurdinger and Mariam Qureshi Enhancing College Students’ Life Skills through Project-Based Learning

As socioeconomic and demographic conditions change, American higher education seeks alternatives to traditional classroom-based instruction. Kaufman and Raskin are conducting research on the use of telepresence—a combination of technologies that creates an environment simulating face-to-face meetings. “By allowing a class to synchronously work face-to-face across two or more distributed sites, a professor may effectively engage in meaningful dialogue with students who are geographically disadvantaged,” wrote Kaufman. “Our research addresses the potential of telepresence to effectively facilitate face-to-face distributed learning.”

Can life skills be developed in a project-based learning (PBL) course? To find out, Wurdinger and Qureshi surveyed students at the beginning and at the end of a graduate PBL course. Students were asked to rank their life skills using a Likert scale. A paired sample t–test revealed that there was no significant difference from survey one to survey two in time management, collaboration, and work ethic; but there was a significant difference from survey one to survey two in responsibility, problem solving, self-direction, communication, and creativity. On average, all life skills showed an increase.

Jeff Olson Experienced-Based Principal Pilot Program A unique school administrative licensure program is being piloted in Southern Minnesota. “The program is designed to determine if hands-on administrative experience, combined with regular support and academic reflection, is an effective alternative administrative licensure track compared to traditional in-class programs,” said Olson.

While facilitating the program, Olson is collecting a variety of data. “In addition to determining the effectiveness of combined learning experiences, we are working to determine if a small cohort group provides the support needed for aspiring and newly licensed principals to effectively transition from teacher to administrator,” he said.

Alumni Spotlight:

Karen Warren

As an experiential education graduate student at Mankato State University, Karen Warren ’83 was interested in an education that balanced theory and practice. She was able to customize her program within the Department of Experiential Education and the Department of Biology.

“I wanted to understand the methodology of experiential education and also have a discipline to teach using that method,” she said. “In my case, it was natural history.”

While pursuing her masters’ degree, Warren also worked as a graduate assistant at the Women’s Center.

“That GA position inspired me to think about women’s issues, especially as they pertained to outdoor adventure education,” she said. “Social justice in experiential education became the core of my professional scholarly work in experiential education.”

Warren has been serving as an instructor in Outdoors Program and Recreational Athletics and a faculty associate at Hampshire College in Massachusetts since 1983. As such, she has been able to inform the program’s theoretical experiential education and has been instrumental in strengthening the colleges’ offerings for women and others who are unrepresented in outdoor programming.

In addition, Warren earned her Ph.D. and has actively contributed to the profession of experiential education by serving on committees, publishing scholarly works as well as co-authoring The Theory of Experiential Education with Mitchell Sakofs and our own Jasper Hunt. Warren has been selected to present the prestigious Kurt Hahn Address at the 2014 International Association for Experiential Education Conference in Tennessee.

However, personal accomplishments are not the things that stand out for Warren. “My proudest career achievements are when my students achieve amazing things in the field of experiential education through teaching, publishing, presenting or using what they have learned in any facet of their lives and work,” she said.

“And Mankato was a key building block in my long career in experiential education.”

Interactive Theater of ‘Isms We have all attended them; many of us have led them: professional development presentations using PowerPoint and handouts. And we have learned a lot. But this fall, Tim Berry, assistant professor of educational leadership, and his team are raising the bar at Minnesota State Mankato’s Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence with their “Interactive Theater of ‘Isms.”

The “Interactive Theater of ‘Isms” uses a talk show format, “The Dontel Williams Show,” and raises issues related to racial equity and cultural diversity. “We call them informances,” said Berry. “It’s an interactive way to connect with faculty on serious subjects. It is an engaging way to inform.”

Berry worked as a K-12 music educator for more than 20 years. With an interest in critical race theory and a desire to effect systemic change, he earned his Ed.D. in educational leadership from Minnesota State Mankato. “It was one of the best decisions I have ever made,” said Berry. “Now I am invited to share my research with individual schools and entire districts on what they can do to address achievement gaps.”

To register for the “Interactive Theater of ‘Isms” contact the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at cetl@mnsu.edu.

For more information about Berry’s research in addressing the achievement gaps, contact Tim Berry at timothy.berry@mnsu.edu

View “The Dontel Williams Show” Promo

A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System and an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University. This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling the College of Education at 507-389-5445 (V), 800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY).