Salem State University will remain closed for day classes on Tuesday, January 27. Only designated essential personnel should report to work as scheduled. A decision on evening classes will be announced by 12 noon.

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Educational Leadership

Explore two leadership pathways designed to build the next cadre of teacher leaders and formal leaders for Massachusetts schools.

Our one-year option is a teacher leadership graduate certificate designed to support current and future teacher leaders (e.g., team leaders, specialists, department heads, instructional coaches, curriculum leaders, teacher mentors, and those aspiring to such roles). Participants engage in a one-year, four-course sequence with additional electives available depending on participants' specific career interests.

Our two-year option is a full 36-credit degree program leading toward licensure as an assistant principal/principal in the state of Massachusetts. The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) is for licensed educators who already hold a master's degree, and participants in this two-year program earn the teacher leadership certificate (described above) after the first year of the CAGS program.

For more information about both of these educational leadership pathways, click the links below and hear from recent program alumni.

Megin Charner-Laird and Jacy Ippolito

Preparing the Next Generation of Educational Leaders

Professors Jacy Ippolito and Megin Charner-Laird
Read their story

Degree Programs

Certificates and Licensure Programs

  • Teacher Leadership

    Certificate
    Graduate

    Today’s collaborative educational environment yields frequent opportunities for teachers to take on informal and formal leadership roles. To be effective, these positions of responsibility require a unique skill set. The Salem State University Graduate Certificate in Teacher Leadership is an engaging and efficient way of acquiring the framework of theoretical and practical knowledge necessary for success.

    Learn more about the Certificate in Teacher Leadership.

    Apply now
    Program Requirements

  • Educational Leadership

    CAGS
    Graduate

    This two-year, 36-credit Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) program is designed for educators holding master’s degrees who are ready to pursue informal and formal leadership work, with the end goal of licensure as a principal/assistant principal in the State of Massachusetts.

    The CAGS program supports candidates through coursework (ten core courses) and guided fieldwork (practicum and seminar experiences), all aligned with the Massachusetts PAL Tasks required for principal/assistant principal licensure. The program’s first year is comprised of the graduate certificate in teacher leadership, which can also be completed as a stand-alone, one-year program.

    Given the related work of teacher leaders and formal school leaders, this unique program design gives candidates flexibility in pursuing teacher leadership and formal leadership pathways in related one-year and two-year options.

    Learn more about the CAGS in Educational Leadership.

    Apply now
    Program Requirements
Alumni Profiles
  • Young woman with brown hair and glasses, smiling

    Sara Almeida

    Class of 2022

    CAGS in Educational Leadership

     

    • Current Position: Interim Principal, Center School, Peabody, MA
    • Coursework Highlight: Learning to Lead was a course Sara said really solidifies each cohort and establishes strong relationships.
    • Advice to Incoming Students: “Create and develop strong relationships with your professors. Everyone is here to help you and support you in achieving your goals.”
    • Biggest Takeaway: “This program truly helped to shape the ways in which I do my work, and increased my confidence as a leader and educator.”
  • Young man in shirt and tie with brown hair and light beard

    Peter DiMauro

    Class of 2019

    CAGS in Educational Leadership

    • Current Position: Curriculum Director Danvers High School, Danvers, MA
    • Coursework Highlight: Facilitation and Evaluation were two courses that Peter said were highlights that lay the foundation for the program.
    • Advice to Incoming Students: “If there is any hesitation, the program will teach you what you need to know. [The work is] so relevant regardless of your position in a school building.”
    • Biggest Takeaway: “Hands down, in the program I had the best professors who were truly invested in each of our success. The Ed. Leadership program really set up all of us to pursue whatever path we were headed towards.”
  • Young woman with brown hair and glasses, smiling

    Jessica Patti

    Class of 2020

    CAGS in Educational Leadership

     

    • Current Position: Social Emotional Learning Director, Melrose Public Schools, Melrose, MA
    • Coursework Highlight: Coursework that involved teacher observation and collaboration was a highlight for Jess because it involved real time application and practice.
    • Advice to Incoming Students: “No one else offered the teacher leadership certificate and CAGS which is why Salem State is the right fit, it's always best to try if you have doubt because the support systems are unmatched.”
    • Biggest Takeaway: “I was able to go through the program with eight of my colleagues from Melrose, using the satellite [cohort] model. It helped me to ground my work and experiences and ultimately made me a better educator.”
  • Young woman with brown hair and a blue shirt

    Amy Waterman

    Class of 2022

    CAGS in Educational Leadership

     

    • Current Position: Interim Assistant Principal Rockport Elementary School Rockport, MA
    • Coursework Highlight: Data-Informed Leadership helped Amy dive deep into data in a new way and to appreciate its value to the work.
    • Advice to Current Students: “The professors have been there 24/7 as a source of support throughout the entirety of the program. The feedback has been amazing and always insightful, use them to your advantage.”
    • Biggest Takeaway: “Be authentic and true to yourself as a teacher and leader. There is so much support within this program and you can truly accomplish anything you set out to do.”
  • Young woman with blonde hair and glasses, smiling

    Sue Faria-Smith

    Class of 2021

    CAGS in Educational Leadership

     

    • Current Position: Assistant Principal, Bates Elementary School, Salem, MA
    • Coursework Highlight: “Data-Informed Leadership was the most defining course because it made me look at data in both the qualitative and quantitative sense.” 
    • Advice to Incoming Students: “I wish I had joined sooner. This program will help you at all levels of being a leader within a school, and if there is any hesitation, join. It convinced me to take the next steps on my journey.”
    • Biggest Takeaway: “The program really shaped who I am as a principal because the skills I learned convinced me that I was ready to take the next step in my career."
  • Young man in suit and glasses with brown hair

    Andre Fonseca

    Class of 2020

    CAGS in Educational Leadership

     

    • Current Position: Director of Multilingual Learner Education, Salem, MA
    • Coursework Highlight: The program showed how much leadership is people-driven and also how to support teachers in dealing with adaptive challenges every day.
    • Advice to Current Students: “Stay calm. Your colleagues are really your greatest cheerleaders because ultimately you are stronger together as a cohort because it's a microcosm of what this work is like in the day-to-day. Lean on them to help you along the way.”
    • Biggest Takeaway: “The CAGS program has helped me immensely in being able to dive deep into systematic changes that made me the stronger leader that I am today.”
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