Special Education Leadership Timeline
PROGRAM RATIONALE
When I was eighteen years old, I was laying in the sand under the stars far away from home in the Middle East. I was praying for my safety and that of my other platoon members, when I made a promise to the universe. If you let me go home unharmed, I will enroll in college, teach children in a positive nurturing environment, one I was not always afforded, and I will eventually get my Ph.D.
I chose to seek a Ph.D. in Special Education Leadership with a secondary emphasis in educational leadership to gain new skills in order to make a greater impact on children’s lives. This program will give me several opportunities to purse after graduation that I didn't have previously. For example, it will allow me to teach at the university level working with special education teachers, aspiring administrators, and as a researcher in the world of academia, including authoring scholarly journals and books. With my professional background in public education and the military, this program can give me the opportunity to pursue a career in the Department of Education at the state or federal level. The courses in Special Education Leadership will allow me to develop a deeper knowledge of the field while learning valuable leadership skills that will allow me to share my research with practitioners and researchers around the world.
I am transferring 12 credit hours from a Post-Master’s certificate in Special Education Leadership received at George Mason University prior to acceptance in the Ph.D. program. I believe that this action will not have an impact on my experience in the Ph.D. program. My previous experience, 12 years in a public education setting including as a special education teacher and an administrator has allowed me develop the practical application strategies. I believe that the remaining courses I enroll in within the Ph.D. program will provide the research behind the practice that I have implemented in public education. I will also be given the opportunity to develop a strong theoretical background around the current issues, research, interventions, and practices in the field of special education and leadership. This will allow me to connect my practical experiences with my newly developed theoretical knowledge.
Ph.D. in Education Program of Study
Portfolio 3_POS
PROGRAM RATIONALE
When I was eighteen years old, I was laying in the sand under the stars far away from home in the Middle East. I was praying for my safety and that of my other platoon members, when I made a promise to the universe. If you let me go home unharmed, I will enroll in college, teach children in a positive nurturing environment, one I was not always afforded, and I will eventually get my Ph.D.
I chose to seek a Ph.D. in Special Education Leadership with a secondary emphasis in educational leadership to gain new skills in order to make a greater impact on children’s lives. This program will give me several opportunities to purse after graduation that I didn't have previously. For example, it will allow me to teach at the university level working with special education teachers, aspiring administrators, and as a researcher in the world of academia, including authoring scholarly journals and books. With my professional background in public education and the military, this program can give me the opportunity to pursue a career in the Department of Education at the state or federal level. The courses in Special Education Leadership will allow me to develop a deeper knowledge of the field while learning valuable leadership skills that will allow me to share my research with practitioners and researchers around the world.
I am transferring 12 credit hours from a Post-Master’s certificate in Special Education Leadership received at George Mason University prior to acceptance in the Ph.D. program. I believe that this action will not have an impact on my experience in the Ph.D. program. My previous experience, 12 years in a public education setting including as a special education teacher and an administrator has allowed me develop the practical application strategies. I believe that the remaining courses I enroll in within the Ph.D. program will provide the research behind the practice that I have implemented in public education. I will also be given the opportunity to develop a strong theoretical background around the current issues, research, interventions, and practices in the field of special education and leadership. This will allow me to connect my practical experiences with my newly developed theoretical knowledge.
Ph.D. in Education Program of Study
Portfolio 3_POS
