Building school leadership capacity through Master of Education courses in Haiti

This week, I am returning to the Port au Prince area of Haiti to teach a Master of Education (M.Ed.) course in school leadership. I have taught a number of M.Ed. courses in school leadership in Haiti before, however, it has been three years since I last did so. There are 45 school leaders registered for this week's course.

I continue to teach Master of Education courses in Haiti because it provides a focused  opportunity to engage those in strategic positions of educational leadership in the country. Haiti will change through the leadership of those who know it best, not external people such as myself. I continue to see my role as a catalyst for change, fostering the capacity of those who already have a vision for change but perhaps who need some support.

The course I am teaching provides an overview of school leadership in countries around the world. It includes some significant opportunity to consider the "lessons learned" in other contexts and how these might (or might not) intersect with the Haitian context. I model the course after similar graduate courses I teach at Laurier. It is important for my Haitian colleagues to recognize that the same standards and expectations apply; they are not getting a "second class" graduate education. More updates to follow!