Administrator at a Later Date
by Tawni Deike
As a working mother of my first child, I knew that an online learning environment was necessary in order to pursue a master’s degree. After looking far and wide, I settled on Michigan State University’s Master’s of Arts in Education online program. It was a perfect fit for those and many other reasons. The two concentration areas I decided as the foci of my master’s program were mathematics and leadership. As a part of the application process to enter the program I wrote a professional goals statement. Now, almost five years later, I reflect on these goals for the first time since having written them.
What was my professional goal back then? It was to hold an administrative position. Is that still the case? While I still have an interest and desire to become a school administrator, there is one key barrier to obtaining this, the goal of my past professional goals statement. This particular graduate program does not meet the requirements for Administrative Certification in the State of Michigan.
The realization that this program was not going to provide me with the necessary credentials to obtain an Administrative Certificate came sixty percent into the program, after taking a three semester break, and having invested tens of thousands of dollars. I interviewed a local Superintendent with similar undergraduate credentials for direction on whether to continue with this program or to look for a program that would allow me to reach my professional goal upon completing my master’s. After much thought, I decided to continue with this program as it will serve me well in my current position and to pursue a program specifically for administrative certification at a later date.
So, almost five years after writing my Professional Goals Statement as a part of my application to enter Michigan State University’s Master’s of Arts in Education online program, my goal to obtain an administrative position remains unchanged. However, the ability to do so is with this degree has and therefore, in order to achieve this goal I will pursue a program specifically for administrative certification at a later date.
As a working mother of my first child, I knew that an online learning environment was necessary in order to pursue a master’s degree. After looking far and wide, I settled on Michigan State University’s Master’s of Arts in Education online program. It was a perfect fit for those and many other reasons. The two concentration areas I decided as the foci of my master’s program were mathematics and leadership. As a part of the application process to enter the program I wrote a professional goals statement. Now, almost five years later, I reflect on these goals for the first time since having written them.
What was my professional goal back then? It was to hold an administrative position. Is that still the case? While I still have an interest and desire to become a school administrator, there is one key barrier to obtaining this, the goal of my past professional goals statement. This particular graduate program does not meet the requirements for Administrative Certification in the State of Michigan.
The realization that this program was not going to provide me with the necessary credentials to obtain an Administrative Certificate came sixty percent into the program, after taking a three semester break, and having invested tens of thousands of dollars. I interviewed a local Superintendent with similar undergraduate credentials for direction on whether to continue with this program or to look for a program that would allow me to reach my professional goal upon completing my master’s. After much thought, I decided to continue with this program as it will serve me well in my current position and to pursue a program specifically for administrative certification at a later date.
So, almost five years after writing my Professional Goals Statement as a part of my application to enter Michigan State University’s Master’s of Arts in Education online program, my goal to obtain an administrative position remains unchanged. However, the ability to do so is with this degree has and therefore, in order to achieve this goal I will pursue a program specifically for administrative certification at a later date.
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