The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) has created a new leadership academy specifically to help new female superintendents learn advocacy skills and develop their understanding of navigating and implementing education policies. The Women Superintendents Policy Leadership Academy is accepting applications through July 31, 2021 for its 2021-2022 cohort, which begins in September, 2021 and runs through May, 2022. To learn more or to apply, visit www.alasedu.org/wspla-women-superintendents-policy-leadership-academy/. Please note the due date has been extended to July 31, 2021.
This women-led, women empowerment superintendent preparation academy is for diverse female leaders who believe every child should have equitable access to quality public education. It focuses on developing participants’ competitiveness to lead in diverse student communities that are seeking change leaders to advance innovation, student voice and equity. This unique program is aimed at increasing the number of women in the CEO seat of public school systems across this nation. Presenters will include district and state women superintendents, elected officials and business leaders.
The Academy is being led by Dr. Christina Kishimoto, newly retired state superintendent of the Hawaii State Department of Education, and includes both virtual and in-person sessions, including a meeting at ALAS’ annual education summit in October 2021 in Washington D.C. Applicants must be members (or must become members) of ALAS to participate. The program is for those who have been in a superintendent or assistant superintendent role for two years or less.
“To be an effective district leader, you have to understand the ins and outs of policymaking at the national, state and local level. You must also be able to take a critical eye to the policies in your own district to make sure they align with the district’s goals and are helping to meet the needs of the students you serve,” said ALAS Executive Director Maria Armstrong. “Our Women Superintendents Policy Leadership Academy is unique in that it focuses strictly on policy and advocacy and helps women leaders find their voices in policy discussions. By 2023 Latino/a/x students will make up 30% of all PreK-12 students. The goal of our leadership academies is to develop strong, dynamic leaders who know how to help these students succeed. Understanding and being a leader on policy issues is a key component of this.”
The Women Superintendents Policy Leadership Academy allows participants to learn organizational leadership proficiency from a veteran superintendent. Its focus on policy understanding and adaptations to support equity will help participants navigate and understand how policies are written, whom they are written for, and when to navigate or advocate. The program has a fee of $3,000, plus travel, for 80 hours of instruction over the course of eight weekends from September through May. Six of the weekend sessions are virtual, the other two are in-person and include mock interviews.
The Women Superintendents Policy Leadership Academy is one of three ALAS Leadership Academies. It also holds an annual Superintendent Leadership Academy (SLA) and a Principal Leadership Academy (PLA). For information about participating in the SLA and PLA, contact [email protected]. For more information about ALAS, visit https://www.alasedu.org/.
