“What immediately struck me about MIL was the effort its creators put into pulling together so many pieces of the educational puzzle. I found I didn't have to choose between social justice, multicultural education, policy studies, and literacy. This degree covers it all!”

“Courses were the most motivating, engaging and immediately practical courses I have taken in my college career. Not only did I learn how to recognize students with reading difficulties, for example, I learned how to identify the roots of those difficulties and to plan diagnostic teaching methods that might mitigate those concerns.”

“Every class I took contributed to my ability to support teachers in developing their craft. I am much more capable of seeing and understanding the system that has created our current state.“

CURRICULUM

You can choose to specialize in any of the following subjects based on the 2011 National Standards for Teacher Leadership :

• Special education
• Early childhood learning
• Literacy
• Social studies
• Science
• Math
• English language learners

The MIL program is organized around four strands of instructionally-focused teacher leadership based on:

1. Equity-driven educational leadership
2. Content-focused instructional leadership
3. Teacher leadership and professional learning
4. Inquiry-focused teacher leadership

In addition to academic coursework (36 credits), you will complete 9 credits leading to a job-embedded, inquiry-based culminating project that will be carefully guided through the advice and support of program faculty, as well as an action research course (EDC&I 495 – Action Research for Teacher Leaders). The project will be grounded in a problem of practice in your own school or district setting. You will present your project in a public setting scheduled in the last quarter of your program. Core faculty and advisors will attend the public presentations, review students' completed project reports, request revisions, and provide final evaluation and approval.

Core Competencies Developed Through the MIL Curriculum

1. Equity Driven Leadership. Connecting educational policy, organizational and leadership theories with teachers, teaching and school renewal, understanding moral and ethical leadership, and building cultural competencies and practices.
2. Content Focused Instructional Leadership. Demonstrating deep knowledge of selected focus content area; strong knowledge of common core standards, instructional frameworks and content-specific instructional practices; differentiated instruction; and assessments of student learning.
3. Teacher Leadership and Professional Learning. Practicing teacher leadership in the context of school renewal; facilitating inquiry-based learning in professional communities and teacher study groups; coaching and mentoring adult learners; and leading data-based instructional conversations.
4. Inquiry Focused Teacher Leadership. Conducting and leading inquiry in classroom, school, and district settings. Prepare to identify job-embedded problems of teaching and leadership practice, pose appropriate inquiry questions, collect and analyze related data, reflect on and interpret findings, share inquiry outcomes with local and non-local audiences, and take action steps to improve professional work.