Hutchinson Center offers Educational Leadership graduate course beginning May 16

Belfast, Maine — The University of Maine Hutchinson Center will offer an educational leadership graduate course, Leadership and Decision-making in Schools, beginning May 16.

Leadership and Decision-Making in Schools ( EAD 562 ) provides an introduction to and the application of group dynamics, group leadership and group decision making  in the many contexts encountered by school leaders. The class will meet Wednesdays, May 16–June 2, 4:30–7:30 p.m.   and on Saturdays, May 19 and June 2, 8:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Course instructor Ian Mette graduated from the University of Missouri with a Ph.D. in PK- 12 Educational Administration in 2012. His research interests include school reform policy, teacher supervision and evaluation, and bridging the gap between research and practice to inform and support school improvement efforts. Specifically, his work targets how educators, researchers, and policy makers can better inform one other to drive school improvement and reform policy. Currently Mette serves as assistant professor in educational leadership at the University of Maine.

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) and Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.) programs in educational leadership at the University of Maine are designed for educators interested in building skills for effective school leadership and administration. The master’s degree is for those just beginning graduate study, while the C.A.S. offers opportunities beyond the master’s level, and can help develop research skills. Whether students undertake the programs as part of a cohort or design their own course of study with a faculty advisor, the students are part of a learning community in which both professors and students construct the experience together. Coursework includes simulation, reflective journals, observation and feedback in practice, and examination of group dynamics, as well as conventional university learning activities, all sequenced to build leadership skills. All coursework is aligned with Maine Department of Education competency areas for leadership certification.