The College of Teacher Education and Leadership at ASU West campus is welcoming a new professor and a new program this semester.
Marsha Speck, a nationally acclaimed professor with a lifetime career in education, has coordinated the Master of Education program. The program emphasizes teachers taking on administrative roles at high schools.
Speck came to the campus's school at the beginning of the spring semester from San Jose State University, where she first started the High School Leadership degree program.
The two-year program is the first of its kind in Arizona and consists of 36 credits. The dozen students enrolled in the program walk away with a master's degree in high school leadership and an Arizona Principal Certification, Speck said.
"I am really passionate about creating a pool of leaders that will meet the demand for high school leaders either at the teacher level or the administration level," Speck said.
Current master's program students can receive the Arizona Principal Certification by taking a 30 credit-hour course.
This program will offer ASU graduates and other Arizona teachers the chance to become more involved in the administrative side of education, Speck said.
Current high school teachers must apply to the program in teams of at least two from a school, Speck said. They first must receive a letters of recommendation from their districts' superintendents and from their principals. Once accepted, students will attend classes once a week and one Saturday a semester.
Speck added that, in her experience, there is a lack of leaders at the high school level. However, with this program, there will be a large group of people who have experience with the issues high school administrators deal with on a day-to-day basis.
"The position of high school principal is such a diverse and demanding job in today's high schools," Speck said. "The issue is that teachers are not prepared to be school leaders, whether it is within their department or the administration."
Rachael Parry, an education junior, said she is glad to have access to such a program.
"The more opportunities and experience one can get, the better they will become at their profession," Parry said. "And if there is a master's program that is so close that can help me move forward professionally, I'm happy to take that opportunity."
Reach the reporter at: ktomlins@asu.edu.
