This series provides multiple perspectives within urban education to cultivate critically conscious practitioners and explore the challenges faced by urban students, educators, community members, and policymakers. The certificate explores the foundational understanding of urban school leadership that examines the qualities of leadership, decision making, change, and values that an urban school leader needs for success. Faculty and students work together to analyze the beliefs, values, and philosophies that form the underpinnings of urban educational leadership and examine leadership qualities and the shift toward research-based best practices.
This course introduces candidates to contemporary and classic theories of leadership. Additionally, this course examines the replacement of trait-based leadership theories by research-based practices in the educational context. The topics explored in this course are drawn from multidisciplinary perspectives, including psychology, anthropology, and sociology. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Master of Urban Education program
Students must master the general principles of American school law with particular emphasis upon Michigan statutes. The course will examine the legal bases of federal, state and local administrative levels. The course will review the salient legal provisions of the Education Code respecting administration of schools, the rights of patrons and employees, torts, contracts, certification, tenure, school planning and the rights and obligations of pupils. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.
Prerequisite(s): Acceptance to the Urban Education Program
This course will give candidates the strategies necessary to develop and sustain inclusive, equity-focused schools and systems. Candidates will gain understanding of how the intersection of race, identity, power, and privilege in our society impacts urban schools. Methods to identify inequitable structures and practices reflecting the legacy of racism and other forms of exclusion will be introduced. Candidates will learn strategies for building school culture, curriculum, and programs that include strengths-based instruction, cultural competency and effective communication with all stakeholders resulting in family and community engagement. Candidates will develop the capabilities to do this critical work within schools and urban educational systems. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Master of Urban Education program
Candidates in this course will examine effective methods of school leadership based on data that impacts instruction, school culture and managing leadership teams. This course also examines the political and cultural context of educational reform and innovation efforts in urban districts and charter management organizations over the past decade. Candidates will compare the perspectives of several school and district leaders who helped lead the reform efforts in large and diverse urban districts and those of critics of the reform movement. Applicable Course Fees can be found at https://my.davenport.edu/financial-aid/how-much-does-du-cost/tuition-and-fees.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Master of Urban Education program