Certificate Teacher Leadership Certificate

Brandon Butler, Program Director

The purpose of this certificate is to prepare educators as teacher leaders in school settings. Graduates of this program will have training in how to mentor and coach teacher candidates, novice, and experienced teachers; operate as curriculum leaders at the school and division level; provide effective professional development and participate/lead professional learning communities; empower stakeholders and advocate for/participate in educational improvement.

Admission

Students must:

1. Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college/university;
2. Hold a valid Virginia professional teaching license or an equivalent from another state;
3. Submit official copies of all transcripts of undergraduate and graduate coursework and degrees to Graduate Admissions;
4. Have successfully completed three years of teaching in private or public school settings;
5. Submit a reference letter from a school or division administrator noting support for enrollment in the certificate program;
6. Submit a written essay (approximately 500 words) describing their interest in teacher leadership and their recent experiences as a teacher leader; and
7. Submit an online non-degree application.

Curriculum Requirements

This graduate certificate is comprised of four required courses that provide a foundational knowledge of teacher leadership and encompass key areas of teacher leadership including coaching, mentoring, advocacy, curriculum leadership, and collaboration. The courses included here were designed based on a state-wide survey of teacher leadership needs as well as alignment with the Teacher Leader Model Standards (ETS, n. d.). The four courses are:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
TLED 701	Teacher as Leader	3
TLED 702	Coaching and Mentoring	3
TLED 703	Curriculum Leadership	3
TLED 704	Collaboration and Advocacy	3
Total Credit Hours		12