Education Administrator

Become An Education Administrator

Do you believe that every new day offers exciting learning opportunities for all of us? Do you believe that individuals can have a positive effect on how schools teach their students? If you are a natural leader and motivator who would love to foster healthy and supportive environments in which students learn, you might consider a career as an education administrator.

Education Administration in a Nutshell

Education administrators are found at all levels of public and private education, from pre-schools to post-secondary programs. The main duty of education administrators is to coordinate the activities and educational programs of schools, while providing students and staff with strong role models. School administrators direct school policies and guidelines, hire and supervise staff and forge relationships with students, parents and communities.

Education administrators often begin their careers in a related occupation, such as teaching, and are gradually promoted within their schools over time. Nevertheless, educational administrators must fulfill certain educational requirements:

• Most public school principals, vice principals and school district administrators are required to have a master's degree in education administration or education leadership.
• Some administrators continue to the doctorate level in education administration or a related field.
• In addition, candidates need to be licensed as education administrators within their state. While requirements vary by state, licensing generally involves having a master's degree as well as passing a state-proctored exam. Some states also require continuing education for license renewal.
• Preschools and childcare administrators are also required to have a bachelor's degree in primary education or a related field.

Day in the Life of an Education Administrator

The majority of an education administrator's time is spent interacting with students, faculty, parents and the greater community. As a result, careers in education administration are considered to be equal parts stimulating and challenging.

As pillars of their communities, school administrators have the pleasure of inspiring students to succeed in life. However, recent federal mandates are putting greater pressure on them to ensure that their students meet new state and federal performance guidelines.

Education administrators often work over 40 hours per week. Individuals who crave a job with summer vacations will be disappointed with this career—most administrators work 11 or 12 months out of the year. However, education administrators who are committed to their work can have a profound and lasting effect on their school, their students and their communities.

Job Growth for Education Administrators

Employment opportunities for education administrators are projected to grow as fast as the national average through 2014. However, many administrators in this field are expected to reach retirement age within the next 10 years, which greatly improves job prospects.

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