Doctorate?

[fidgiegirl]

Toying with the idea of doing a school administrator license and/or doctorate degree.

As you can tell from recent posts, I'm kind of in a crossroads with my job again.

I just wish the way to school reform were lit with a big spotlight (of course, if it were, we'd have it done). How can I effect the most change? I'm not sure that it's by continuing to play along with the system (i.e. getting further credentials) but I can guarantee that it's not by simply going back to my classroom and carrying on with my business. Would that be making a difference for my own students? Yes. Effecting bigger system changes? No.

Any wisdom?

[Valley]

I think that you have to be very careful at this time. School districts are really paring down their administrative staffs in order to absorb cuts in their budgets. They are working very hard to not make cuts that increase classroom sizes. I have two children in the field of Education Administration, and they see big changes coming! Something to think about before you put your time and money into a doctorate.

[iris lily]

If you have fire in the belly about improving schools, and you live and breath administration and you find it exciting 24 hours a day, perhaps. But you also have to be willing to move in order to get a job, move out of your city and possibly out of your state. And if neither of these thing appeal to you, you really need to look at the finances of it. If you can't do it without debt, absolutely not, don't do it.

[flowerseverywhere]

Valley describes my school district as well as the other districts in my area, and I don't live where there is high unemployment or a huge housing crisis. It is all about money and raising taxes is becoming increasingly unpopular.

What does your heart tell you? Most likely your instincts are right.

Also, how will you fund this education? if you can continue to work and start to take classes that sounds great, especially with reimbursement. However if you need to take time off and take out loans, that will be a very risky proposition.

[lhamo]

I admire your passion, but would caution you not to take on a doctoral program unless you have a solid way to fund it. Start reading the Chronicle of Higher Education and INside Higher Education LONG before you apply to graduate school so that you can get a sense of what the real world of academic employment is.

Are there any private foundations in the Twin Cities areas that have education portfolios? That can sometimes be a way to make a real difference, if you can get a programmatic position at one of those -- you may not directly do the work yourself, but if you are working at a strategic level to support those who are making positive changes, that can be a way to effect more systemic changes as well. You could also look at getting involved in charter school initiatives or things like Teach for America or Teach for All (their international branch, growing rapidly), if you are sympathetic to their mission (I realize not all teachers are, so that's why the caveat).

Hope you can find a way to merge your passion for education with an appropriate professional position -- I am lucky enough to have found such a fit and am having a rip-roaring time with it.

lhamo

[fidgiegirl]

Thank you, everyone!! lhamo, I hadn't thought about foundations . . . will have to look into that.

And I appreciated the TFA caveat . . . ;) Not even sure on which side of the fence I fall, but nice to hear people recognizing that it's not love at first sight for everyone . . .

[Stella]

I have absolutely no concrete advice at all, but I want to tell you that I hope you are successful in whatever path you choose. Education needs more people like you. I really admire your dedication and passion for teaching. I would love to see someone like you as the principal of a school or superintendent of a school district. I don't know if that's really a feasible goal or if it would be the best way to effect change, but if I were Queen you are exactly the kind of educator I'd want in charge of my schools.

[fidgiegirl]

I have absolutely no concrete advice at all, but I want to tell you that I hope you are successful in whatever path you choose. Education needs more people like you. I really admire your dedication and passion for teaching. I would love to see someone like you as the principal of a school or superintendent of a school district. I don't know if that's really a feasible goal or if it would be the best way to effect change, but if I were Queen you are exactly the kind of educator I'd want in charge of my schools.

Stella!!!! I might use that as a letter of recommendation :) Seriously, thank you. That means a lot from you as a critical, well-informed, creative homeschooling parent.

[fidgiegirl]

Stella!!!! I might use that as a letter of recommendation :) Seriously, thank you. That means a lot from you as a critical, well-informed, creative homeschooling parent.

Critical in the most positive sense, of course!

[Stella]

Critical in the most positive sense, of course!

I knew you meant it in the positive way. I mean every word of it. I have the utmost respect for good teachers!

[Rosemary]

Ditto here, on respect for motivated, capable, and energetic teachers. I wish you the best as you determine your future career path.
With a doctorate you could teach future teachers as well - are you interested in that?

[steve s]

One analytical thing to look at for this particular PHD (or any other advanced degree).

(A) Roughly project how many new PHDs expected to be granted local and nationwide in the next 5 and 10 years (the easier bit).
(B) Project new position openings that require this degree (the not easier bit).

(A)/(B) can give you some ideas about how the PHD might change your working life.

Market demand should not, IMHO, be the sole priority, but it gives insite into likely outcomes.

[San Onofre Guy]

I think that a Doctorate in Education is one of the most worthless degrees and should not be offered. Education leaders, ie. Superintendants are managers not educators. A Doctorate teaches one nothing in terms of reading a financial statement or how to manage people.

[lhamo]

FG, if you are still seriously contemplating going for a Ph.D., run, don't walk, to the latest column from Karen Kelsky (aka "The Professor" at www.theprofessorisin.com) and see what she has to say about evaluating graduate programs and what to do once you get into them. Her advice is geared toward people seeking employment in R1 universities in the humanities and social sciences (which is her main client pool), but well worth reading for anyone contemplating this level of study:

http://chronicle.com/article/Graduate-School-Is-a-Means-to/131316/

She has TONS of useful and eyeopening advice on her website as well. I love her -- she is totally demystifying the tenure track hiring process and helping TONS of people get offers. I actually want to be her, but since I left academia right after getting my Ph.D. I don't have the same street cred that she does (she was a tenured professor and department chair before she left academia -- now does this consulting business along with a job at U. Oregon where she helps coach people about getting into grad school).

lhamo

[fidgiegirl]

Thanks, lhamo! I will check it out.

Rosemary, actually, working with pre-service teachers would be one of my primary motivations. I am pretty leery of building or district-level leadership positions because of the very point that San Onofre Guy makes - it's not so much about teaching at that level as it is about communications, management, personnel, etc. But it is also those visionaries that can make big changes possible with their pocketbook powers . . . so . . .

Anyway! Off to read me some Chronicle of Higher Ed!