Professional Goals Essay

My interests in education stem from my commitment to promote educational achievement both domestically and abroad. For more than ten years, I have work to foster a professional philosophy on education that hinges on the belief that a pursuit of a 21th century quality education is one that fosters and promotes independent global thinkers who are able to compete in the rapidly-changing global economy. This is an ideal that I take seriously in my professional and academic pursuits- for to me educational equality is the civil rights issues of our time. It is also the notion that governs my personal philosophy on educational leadership. To promote 21th century learners, we must also work to develop 21th century educators. To me, leadership does this best when it

promotes collaboration and capacity-building, supports staff training and development, engages key stakeholders, increases community and parent partnerships, and promotes a positive environment where everyone feels empowered to foment achievement.
As an educator with more than 10 years of professional experience in the field of international and domestic K-12 education, I can offer cross-functional experiences in curriculum development, instructional strategy, educational policy, educational assessments, and multi-project management.

One example of my leadership experience includes my role as Program Director for Acceleration Academy at Malcolm X Shabazz High School, a school for over-aged and under-accredited students. As director, I managed the overall operations of the academy including student discipline, team building, staff development, scheduling, and curriculum development and assessments. Other examples of my professional experiences in educational leadership include my role as the Innovative Zone Coordinator where I created curriculum modules for traditionally-marginalized students, lead professional development workshops on best practices in such areas as project-based learning, technology integration, and standards-based instruction. In this capacity, I also had the opportunity to pilot innovative approaches to learning in all content areas, mentor and coach teachers, write grants, and develop and maintain data reports on key academic

growth.
To complement my professional accomplishments, I also hold a Masters in Arts in International Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Masters in Science in the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages. I have also been the recipient of the New York City Teaching Fellowship. In these graduate programs, most of my academic research has focused on evaluating non-traditional school models for marginalized populations in the United States and abroad. This had also led to teaching, leadership, and research opportunities in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the United States- all knowledge and experiences that I will bring to the program as a student of Lamar University.
Most importantly, I believe that your university will give me the opportunity to advance my leadership skills and give me the credentials and knowledge I need to be successful as a K-12 administrator. My research of your university has shown your long-standing tradition of promoting leaders who are prepared to exceed the challenges of leading a 21th century school. Such knowledge will further equip me to be successful to lead staff and students in a K-12 learning environment.