Up to eight new scholarships will be awarded annually, starting in June 2024, to educators who aspire to be principals in rural school districts.
The scholarships of up to $8,000 each will support educators pursuing a master’s degree through the highly ranked UW–Madison School of Education that, upon completion, makes one eligible to apply for a Wisconsin principal license.
Offerings in this realm include the in-person MS in educational leadership and policy analysis with a focus on K-12 Leadership, and the fully online Wisconsin Idea Principal Preparation program. Both of these programs are designed to accommodate current teachers who are working full-time, with classes meeting on weekends, in the evenings, and during the summer months.
Prospective students will receive information on how to apply for scholarship funding when they are admitted to one of these programs. Those who are employed by rural school districts will receive priority consideration. Individuals who graduated from high school in a rural school district may also be considered.
The deadline to apply for either program is Monday, April 15.
According to the Rural Schools Alliance, in Wisconsin nearly 70 percent of school districts are considered “rural,” serving 44 percent of the state’s 860,000 public school students.
“There are 421 public school districts in Wisconsin, and most are in rural areas,” says Barbara Sramek, a clinical professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, and the director of the K-12 Leadership MS program. “With these scholarships, we will be able to support the growth and development of scholar practitioners who are committed to serving as leaders in rural schools.”
K-12 Leadership, a named option within the School of Education’s MS degree program in educational leadership and policy analysis, is a 14-month program designed for current educators who are committed to becoming effective leaders of schools that eliminate inequities in learning for all students.
The Wisconsin Idea Principal Preparation Program is another option for aspiring principals. This 14-month, fully online master’s degree program is aimed at working educators who are dedicated to equity and justice for all children.
Tina Salzman, a clinical professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) and director of the Wisconsin Idea Principal Preparation program, says she is “thrilled to extend financial support to aspiring educational leaders deeply committed to their rural communities.”
She adds: “With so many members of Wisconsin’s next generation learning in rural schools, it’s vital that we prioritize the unique needs of these educators and students.”
U.S. News and World Report in February put out its annual ratings of Best Online Programs, and UW–Madison’s School of Education is ranked fifth in the category of Best Online Master’s in Educational Administration and Supervision.
“This invaluable scholarship opportunity enriches our program with diverse perspectives and nurtures the fabric of the community and its schools,” Salzman says. “Together, we are investing in the growth of Wisconsin’s rural communities, ensuring their schools have highly qualified, passionate, homegrown advocates who will champion their unique strengths and needs.”
Whether they choose to enroll in the K-12 Leadership MS program or the Wisconsin Idea Principal Preparation program, students learn with a cohort of peers from leading scholars in the field.
“The K-12 Leadership MS program and the Wisconsin Idea Principal Preparation program are focused, in part, on gaining an understanding of not only the school context but also that of the community. The programs also support the realization of the Wisconsin Idea by promoting the notion that education influences the lives of people beyond the boundaries of the classroom and campus,” says Sramek.