Family members, friends, and co-workers cheered inside the Mather Room at the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) headquarters on June 25, 2011, as the 28 members of the first graduating class of the SCOE Leadership Institute proudly accepted their credentials.
Each participant received a Preliminary Administrative Services Credential, which allows them to apply for and be competitive for site administrator, vice-principal, and district positions that require an administrative credential. The Preliminary Administrative Services Credential is authorized by the State of California, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
The Sacramento region faces a serious shortage of trained and talented school leaders. A study by WestEd found that by 2017, because of retirements and other factors, Sacramento County will need nearly 300 new school site administrators while the Sacramento region will need close to 500. For that reason, SCOE established the Leadership Institute in order to prepare and support education leaders in the Sacramento County region.
"I cannot emphasize enough how valuable the training is that you have received through the SCOE Leadership Institute," Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon told the graduates. "As educational leaders, you must shape, cultivate and demonstrate a culture that motivates greatness."
Along with Superintendent Gordon, Deputy Superintendent Sue Stickel and Sacramento County Board of Education Trustees Jackie Levy, Elinor Brown, and Greg Geeting took part in the ceremony, helping to honor the graduates.
SCOE's Leadership Institute is a ten-month program that focuses on aspiring administrators to fill the expected need for highly qualified and trained administrators. In addition to aspiring administrators, the Institute is designed to help train newly appointed administrators with one or two years of experience, continuing administrators with three or more years of experience, as well as established district administrators. The Institute supports the development of the skills administrators need to provide leadership at school sites and in district administration.
The Leadership Institute is coordinated by L. Steven Winlock, Ed.D., former Associate Superintendent of Elementary Education for the Elk Grove Unified School District.
"With the skills and knowledge the Institute graduates have gained through our program, they will also be able to work and lead school teams and their communities to provide what is needed for students," Dr. Winlock said. "These up and coming school administrators now have the necessary tools to provide high-quality education for the students in the local schools and districts they serve."
The following received credentials through the SCOE Leadership Institute:
- Vern Ahnin, Robla School District
- Lisa Alcalá, SCOE
- Cara Alfonso, Twin Rivers Unified School District
- Bobbi Jo Bowland, Sacramento City Unified School District
- Jennifer Buzolich, Washington Unified School District (Yolo)
- Jaime Calderon, SCOE
- David Campbell, Twin Rivers Unified School District
- Graciela Garcia-Torres, Twin Rivers Unified School District
- Elzora Gray, Sacramento City Unified School District
- Paul Guyer, Natomas Unified School District
- Doug Hanson, Center Joint Unified School District
- Kristen Hayashi. Elk Grove Unified School District
- Jamie Hughes, Galt Joint Union School District
- Lilia Ibarra-Pellegri, Sacramento City Unified School District
- Bryan Irwin, Folsom Cordova Unified School District
- Gerardo Martinez, Galt Joint Union School District
- Kathleen McCarthy, Twin Rivers Unified School District
- Scott Meyer, Folsom Cordova Unified School District
- Christine Moran, Twin Rivers Unified School District
- Kori Olson, Twin Rivers Unified School District
- Jennifer Palmer, Washington Unified School District (Yolo)
- Susan Petersen, Galt Joint Union School District
- Robert Pope, Twin Rivers Unified School District
- Linda Powell, Twin Rivers Unified School District
- Christina Smith, Action Learning Systems
- Mary Theisen, Twin Rivers Unified School District
- Ben Torrecampo, Robla School District
- Jacqueline White, Twin Rivers Unified School District
SCOE will offer two Leadership Institute cohorts for the 2011–12 school year, with one group meeting at the county office and the other being operated at the Elk Grove Unified School District headquarters. Information about the Leadership Institute is available online or by calling (916) 228-2538.