Course: Education Leadership Academy

The HTH GSE Education Leadership Academy focuses on developing educational teams as change agents. This one-year hybrid program blends face-to-face residencies at High Tech High in San Diego, partnerships with HTH critical friends, and on-line learning. Participants design their own personal learning plan and execute a collaborative Leadership Project that addresses an authentic need or issue at their home schools.

Throughout the program participants engage with theory and implement put it to practice exercises centering on deeper learning, equity and change leadership. These themes serve to help each participant grow as a facilitator, a change agent and a school transformer. Additionally, participants receive extensive feedback from other program participants and become a member of committed cohort of educators who serve to support one another after the program is completed.

The Academy also invites leading educational experts to guide participants in their thinking. During the 2016-2017 school year, guest faculty include: Chris Emdin of Columbia University; Stephanie Rogen, Coach and Strategic Education Advisor to Most Likely to Succeed Documentary, Larry Rosenstock, Chief Executive Officer at HTH, Laura McBain, Education Leadership Academy Director and HTH Critical Friends.

Key program details include: Face to Face:Participants attend customized residencies: During these residencies participants, attend workshops led by key faculty, visit classrooms, meet with their teams, and engage in project planning/tuning activities with their team members. Onsite: After the first onsite visit, a HTH critical friend will visit the school team’s site to engage in professional development, coaching and other events, as needed by the school. This two-day visit will be co-designed the school team and their HTH critical friend to ensure the visit meets the school’s authentic need. Online:In online forums and in consultation with HTH critical friends, participants explore the theory and craft knowledge related to issues that arise in their own practice. During online consultations, HTH Critical friends help school teams design professional development for their school setting. Participants are asked share the impact of these professional development online with other cohort members and respond to other teams’ successes and challenges.

"I have been pushed. That is my first thought when asked to describe my experience at HTH. I have been forced to reflect on my practice, put my ideas into action and then to document what has occurred. Further, I have gained an ever increasing circle of what I call, "professional friends." From my critical friend to working more closely with colleagues here at BSS, I am collaborating, sharing my work and therefore, hopefully, improving my practice."

Tim Sommerville, Bishop Strachan School, Canada

"[The] High Tech High School Leadership Program was crucial in my personal development of confidence, networking and community building. My journey with the school is far from over, and my most important discovery was the realization that I have the power to co-create spaces for inspiration wherever I am."

Karen Harris, Holualoa Elementary, Hawaii