What are the hallmarks of a leader whose legacy is one of innovation, transformation and inclusion? How do influential leaders collaborate with others to create a just society? Principals play a critical role in leading activities that change lives. Principals cultivate school cultures that have a vision of purpose and possibility, by inspiring and motivating stakeholders. Your work as a school leader is key to making a difference in the lives of your students.

The Principal’s Qualification Program, Part 1, is designed for experienced teachers interested in the next step of their leadership journey. Through a lens of collaboration, inquiry and research, you’ll be immersed in the core leadership capacities that develop the foundational knowledge and skills needed for innovative and systemic thinking. In this engaging and supportive course, you will advance your administrative leadership capacity by:

• discerning your values that guide you as a leader and build a shared vision
• developing strong relationships with stakeholders to foster a climate of equity, diversity and excellence
• investigating the legislation and evaluating frameworks to promote informed professional judgement
• integrating research insights and practical strategies to nurture collective efficacy and action
• aligning resources with priorities to maximize operational efficiency
• creating professional learning networks through collaboration and roundtable discussions

At the end of this course, you’ll design a leadership practicum proposal based on your pedagogical inquiry, integrate your learning with the Ontario Leadership Framework's domains, and demonstrate your capacity as a critically reflective leader.

The Asynchronous Learning 

• 100 hours of self-directed learning (with an additional 1 hour for progress updates), including the independent work on assignments and culminating tasks, independent study, research, journal entries and ePortfolio submissions 

The Collaboration 

• 6 hours of synchronous learning (live webinars)
• 8 hours in collaborative tasks with peers
• 10 hours responding to discussion posts

The Mentor 

At the start of the course, candidates will select a mentor who will agree to work with them throughout the duration of the Leadership Practicum. The mentor is an OCT certified, fully qualified, experienced, and practicing principal or vice-principal.