SOE To Equip Superintendents through EdD in K-12 Educational Leadership

“The School of Education is pleased to once again engage in the preparation of educational leaders at the highest levels of K-12 schooling,” said Dr. Michael McLendon, dean of the School of Education and EdD program faculty member. “There is no question that the leadership of a school or system is highly significant in determining student success, and it is imperative that Baylor University be in this arena, preparing leaders within a data-driven, character-based framework.”

The Baylor EdD is a cohort-based, practitioner-oriented doctoral program for leaders of schools, educational systems and agencies. Designed for working education professionals, the program prepares highly qualified practitioners to lead K-12 education institutions, while refining skills for executive positions in public and private educational systems or agencies.

The first cohort began classes on June 8, and held classes and orientation activities throughout that weekend. To accommodate the schedules of working education professionals, Baylor EdD courses are taught in intense, concentrated segments over weekends and during the summer. All of the current students will continue their careers in educational leadership while they complete the program. This first cohort of 12 students is scheduled to graduate in August 2020 and includes educators from a variety of disciplines. A new cohort will be admitted in June each year and all admitted students must already hold a master’s degree and have experience in educational leadership.

Dr. John E. Wilson, program director and clinical professor of K-12 educational leadership, said the School of Education should be proud of the diversity of backgrounds and the educational and leadership achievements represented by the first cohort of students.

“The application process included personal interviews with each candidate and an on-site writing requirement,” Wilson said. “While that level of scrutiny is a challenge for everyone involved, it has yielded a cohort of forward thinking, high-quality professionals with a passion for improving their abilities to impact student success. We are extremely pleased with the quality of the inaugural class for the EdD.”

Wilson, having served in a superintendent of schools role for two decades before coming to the School of Education, brings practical expertise to the program. With more than three decades of experience as a professional educator, he has served seven different public school districts in a 34-year career. Wilson said the EdD curriculum is designed to provide rigorous challenges for the students, creating a blend of theory and practice that will serve them well for their entire careers. In addition to coursework, the program includes a mentored clinical experience and a dissertation-in-practice, for which students will be trained in qualitative judgments and also will focus on scientific inquiry through organizing, analyzing and interpreting large data sets to address complex problems of practice. Also added to the program faculty this summer was Karen Rue, EdD, who joined the School of Education faculty as clinical professor of K-12 educational leadership after 37 years in education, including 11 years as superintendent of Northwest ISD in Justin, Texas. Rue has served as president of Urban Superintendents of America Association, the Texas Association of School Administrators, Fast Growth Schools Coalition and Texas Association of Suburban/MidUrban Schools. She was the 2014 Region XI Superintendent of the Year and a 2016 Women in School Leadership Award Finalist for the American Association of School Administrators.

The inaugural cohort launched with three courses this summer, and students will take two courses during the fall semester. Doctor of education courses are taught by program faculty, including Wilson and Rue, and also by award-winning superintendents throughout Texas. Additionally, the School of Education has begun a national search for tenured faculty who will teach in the program and conduct scholarship on important aspects of K-12 educational leadership and policy.

For more information, visit baylor.edu/soe/edl.