MPA COHORT FOR ASPIRING SCHOOL LEADERS


Through an agreement between Rutgers–Camden’s Department of Public Policy & Administration and the Camden City Board of Education, the MPA–Educational Policy and Leadership’s Aspiring School Leaders Cohort is allowing teachers from Camden the opportunity to pursue graduate degrees in public administration at Rutgers.

The MPA–EPLC cohort is an effort to create and prepare a new generation of school administrators for leadership positions in Camden schools. The cohort enrolls eligible Camden City teachers into the Rutgers Graduate Public Administration program where they take classes and complete the MPA degree’s required 42-credit coursework. Once completing the MPA program these teachers fulfill requirements for school supervisory endorsements from the State of New Jersey.

The program was created in 2003 by Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, Professor in the DPPA and Director of the Rutgers Center for Strategic Urban Community Leadership. The original 2003 cohort included 17 Camden City teachers who completed their MPA degrees in 2005; 16 of these teachers have been placed into school administration positions throughout the district. 

Building on the success of this first program, Rutgers and the Camden BOE renewed their commitment in 2008 and a second Aspiring School Leaders Cohort began their MPA degree in Summer 2008 and includes 17 teachers from elementary and high schools across Camden City. 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS

New Jersey school districts that are interested discussing possibilities for creating similar MPA graduate opportunities for aspiring principals in their schools are encouraged to contact the Educational Policy and Leadership Concentration faculty coordinator, Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago for more information.

Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago
Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor, DPPA
321 Cooper St.  •  Camden, NJ08102
(856) 225-6348
gloriab@camden.rutgers.edu