Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) Virtual Student Chat

Everyone thank you so much for joining us for our Doctor of Education leadership virtual student chat. If you can hear me. If you can just type into the chat box so let us know that were coming through OK. An also, if you don't mind sharing where you're joining us from this evening. We'll get started in just a minute.

Alright, thank you. Everybody it's great to see people, joining us from all over the place tonight. We really appreciate you taking the time out of your schedules to join us here again. Welcome to the Doctor of Education leadership virtual QA with current students here.

We have a busy agenda plan tonight. We're going to start with some introductions, so you know who's in the room here. We are going to talk a little bit about the program and do a quick program overview as well as some information about the curriculum of the program.

And then finally at the very, very end, will talk a little bit about the application admissions process, but we're going to save the bulk of our time.

And to take questions and answers from you and some of the questions that you've already shared with us so with that, said, I want to jump to introductions and let you know who's in the room. So I can start my name is Christine Lombardi. I am the assistant director of admissions here at the at school who liaises with the DOD program. and I am joined by some of my wonderful colleagues. This evening high program. Thank you for joining us.

Hi everyone, my name is Erica Lynne and I'm a first year EDLD student here Good afternoon. Everyone my name is Leslie Menace and I'm a second year student in the Eagle D program and we're going to have Jerrod Fox join us in just a few minutes, but for now, let's jump right into our content.

So again will start here with a quick program overview, so as you may know our Doctor of Education Leadership Program is a 3 year practice based doctoral degree so this makes it quite different than our PhD in education. If you've been kind of looking at multiple of our programs because this is really practice based and focus solely on the US Pre K through 12 education system.

In terms of the structure of the program. You do your first two years here at the Ed School. Taking courses here, and that's on the other schools an in the final year you're doing your residency program with one of our partner organizations where you're working on a capstone project.

In this particular program. It has a strong coherent identity and experience. There are about 25 students every year and they come from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences so there is a range of prior work environments different school systems charters nonprofits in policy groups represented by our students here.

And there is a financial support component to the program as well.

So there for the 3 years in your in the program, the tuition is covered and then there is a combination of stipend support and or campus based work opportunities as well for years. One and 2, so that might mean that in the second year your TF ING a class or or getting involved in some other way, and for the 3rd year when you're working with one of our partner organizations. You are being paid a salary for that year as well.

To talk a little bit more about the aspirational goal of this program, which I kind of alluded to in our previous slide. It is really focused on the transformation of the American Pre K through 12 educational sector.

So the goal of the program is that the achievement and well being of all students rise to equal or surpass the international benchmarks. That's really the focus of our students in the faculty of the program and that's what we're really digging into for those 3 years right here.

And we want to make sure that achievement in well being are not predictable by race by social class or other demographic variables, so again. The program is very focused on this an we really are looking for people that are passionate and excited about this goal.

So with that I'm going to turn it over to my colleague, Tisei to talk a little bit more about the curriculum of the program. Thanks Chrissy now, so just want to talk just a little bit more about the program and we are really looking to prepare graduates to do work for the public good in the education sector. And so specifically we are training graduates to really have influential roles and 5 different categories. The 1st is the pre K12 district.

The second is education nonprofits, the 3rd state or federal education policy. Then there's also a social entrepreneurship strand and then the last is foundations and philanthropy so essentially we are preparing our graduates to really understand and to really be able to articulate an practice? What powerful learning and teaching looks like we are also preparing them to lead and manage large organizations that support.

Outstanding bleeding and learning for kids.

We are also preparing graduates to lead transformation will change the political environment and that also shapes the policy framework in which you will work.

And then finally this program prepares graduates by really identifying their personal strengths. They're growing edges. An vulnerabilities because in order to change the sector and you have to first change yourself. So I wanted to make sure that you understand the five strands in which we are preparing graduates.

With That being said, I will transition to the curriculum the year 1 curriculum is prescribed and So what is meant by that it is completely determined for a predetermined for you and this is really the opportunity to build with your cohorts and I feel like the cohort experience is a class in itself, so I do want to mention that but there is a prescribed curriculum. We work really hard to schedule the classes from 9 to 5.

Because we realized that some of you are coming with families and also we ask that you treat your first year or even the whole program really like a full time job because it does require that type of dedication. The second year, you have a lot more flexibility in your schedule to take classes at our partner schools, meaning HPS or sorry Harvard Business School for that we use a lot of acronyms Here Harvard Kennedy School as electives.

And then as Christine stated during the 3rd year, you are going into our residency and your role within the organization is to lead a strategic project and then that strategic project really serves as your framework to your capstone.

I also wanted to share just a little bit more about the curriculum, particularly in your one just to kind of give you a sense of some of the classes at the students are taking there is a leaders leaders of learning class, which I'm grateful that I am a Co teaching with the director of the program where students take a deep dive into really understanding what good teaching looks like there's also practicing leadership inside and out and that acronym. You may hear is called Plyo and that is an opportunity really for the graduates.

Or the students excuse me to do a lot of self reflection and self work and I'm sure the students when they have the opportunity will go into a little bit more detail about their experience in that class, another class that I want to highlight is workplace lab and workplace lab is a practice based course, meaning you are working with districts and they have identified problems of practice and what you all are really serving as consultants to the districts in order to solve these problems. So those are just some examples of the classes that students take during the first year.

To give you a brief profile of our graduates. Let me first say we are super excited that this is the temp cohort of the program. We have a 7 cohorts that are graduated cohorts 89 and 10 are here and so they come with a range of work experience that ranges from 2 years to 27 years. However, the average range is 11 years and So what we're really looking for is a definitive trajectory of leadership.

Um for each student or potential student as are coming into the program.

Our students spend the 35 States and the USS and that is why we asked earlier where you all are from so we have students that can identify with many of your locations and we are also a diverse program and we have 53% students of color and we're also diverse in other ways, including demographically and including educationally in terms of where students are coming from.

So with That being said, I just want to take this time to share with my amazing students or the DLD program and give them the opportunity to share their experiences so if we can first start with Jerrod Fox, who was joined us who is a first year student and if you could just share with the group your professional background. An why you decided to pursue this amazing degree thinking type, C Hi Everybody, Jerry Fox. I lived and worked in New York City. So I see in the chat that there are many New York City folks welcome.

For the New York City Department of Ed I was working as the associate director of LGBTQ Equity and for me. This was an opportunity to take what I had been experiencing and learning in New York City and to really embrace the cohort model an learn from the other people. It has been really fantastic to be able to learn and lead with other folks that have experience in rural communities charter communities. You name it and to really lean into that learning in the cohort model. We have become I say like a family.

And and with that family, we are learning it leading together so that was really the draw for me was How do I take this experience that I know and Love and to intersect that with other folks experiences?

Thank you Jerry Erica, who is also a first year student in the same cohort with Jerrod. Can you share with us your professional background and why you decided to pursue the DLT program. Hi everyone again? So like Jerrod and most recently coming from New York City, where I was both the high school research writing teacher and also Dean of curriculum and instruction at large. Charter High School in Brooklyn, NY. So teaching and learning is where I solidly been for the past 9 years in the classroom.

So as I thought about what I wanted to do next to further my impact in my leadership. I really came to EDL D2 first kind of just accelerate my impact, sometimes pathways out of the classroom seems somewhat limited and EDLD just seems like an incredible way to just expand my perspective on the larger K12 landscape and I say 2nd. I also want to come. The EOD for the same reason as Jerrod. I really wanted that diversity of ideas and approaches to education knowing that.

The types of schools. I had been in We're not the only ways now watch is kind of step back reflect reevaluate and really consider where I wanted my impact in the future to be.

Thank you Erica, an now we have Leslie, who is in the 2nd in her second year. She is cohort 9. She's preparing for a residency and so, if you can just share with us. Your professional background. And why he decided to pursue the DLT program so initially start off my Korean education in the charter school sector. So I was a high school science teacher but then I actually work. My way down. So I began. As a high school science teacher and then I was also a middle school teacher I was.

Instructional and founding lead teacher of the transformation model in Los Angeles and there after I had the opportunity to actually work as an administrator at the at elementary school sites had an opportunity to work throughout the K through 12 spectrum and then Fortunately inopportune to also now work at the district specifically in the Oakland Unified School District, where Elsa director providing oversight to 35 charter schools there and because of that. I had an opportunity to not only work with parents students teachers, but also the different boards. Both at the charter level and also at the district level and also with other department's across the district.

And so one of the reasons why I decided to pursue it. Eagle D degree was specifically because throughout my career. I was really focused on how to advance equity specifically by providing students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds with the appropriate services resources and support that they need to receive a high quality education and so, although I had found myself in both the charter and district sector and across the K through 12 spectrum and working with diversity of cultures. I really didn't feel like I was making as great as an impact. As I wanted too. And so one of the reasons why the Eagles. The program, we stood out to me was.

Because of the design of the program, not only would I have an opportunity to take advanced coursework on how to do that. But I was also going to receive the mentor ship that many of the school leaders excuse me. Many of former school leaders and district leaders and who are current practicing professors, but then also the cohort model so not only that have an opportunity to dig deeper into myself an opportunity to also learn from Michael. Her members and so it was really sort of a combination of all 13. Thank you for that lovely so hopefully, you'll hear a little bit about.

I have heard a little bit about each of these students and you can see the diverse backgrounds from which they come and hopefully you can envision this cohort. IC learning experience and what it's like and so I just wanted to take a couple of minutes. If I can to continue asking questions. Some of you in this space have sent us questions in advance. So we thank you for that. And so we're going to go ahead and and use some of those questions to transition with additional questions with their students here.

But if you have questions that you also want us to answer. Please include this in the chat box at this time.

So I want to shift to the cold hard model right each one of you talked about the cohort experience and so can. We just unpack that a little bit and talk about what it's like and like how close really are the 25 of you.

Go ahead Eric sure so uh we Gerard and I are both in 2 Week 11 or so of our cohort development and it is a pretty incredible to think back that we were just 25 strangers in the middle of August and Jerrod. I just got out of like an 8 hour social Justice Workshop, where we were just really digging into our identities. Others identities the intersectionality of our identities. So it is really just been about getting real with the other 25 people and there's no way to not become closer when you're not just constantly confronting.

Kind of where you are in your own learning with others so truly like you had said it's becoming like family here in our first year and kind of just can't imagine where it will be in 3 years and it's been like this in just 11 weeks and I would say that the class work the way it's structured as really helps, but I see, said Playa which is practicing leadership inside and out and many of our classes artwork based lab. We take together so in most of our classes throughout the week during your one. There is one class that we take with other master students.

But largely we are 25 together in one classroom learning together and so that has really helped us to deep in the learning grounded in the cohort experience. Those are 2 very intertwined parts and the only thing I would add to that is also in this work. It can be very difficult to become like a very lonely leader and so I feel what the cohort model really does is kind of create that mentorship and support that you need together. 'cause this is difficult work and there are going to be very difficult times, but if we can support.

And hold it whenever they're doing those difficult times. We can definitely make it and so I fall as a result, I'm in year 2 and so we don't necessarily have as many classes together, because the second year. Actually, we have an opportunity to choose our own courses, and so we don't often share the same classes as during the first year were all classes are together and so I feel that because I had that intense first year, Colbert experience. Now I have future allies future partners and of a family that I can actually.

Ann.

Be held by and supported by thank you for that. Thank you for explaining the Copart model. I see a couple of questions coming in through the chat. There are no international students in this program so the DLD program specifically is focused on US. Pre K through 12 education. So hopefully that answers some of your questions. I want to pivot a little bit and talk about the program itself and of course, she had some maybe some thoughts coming into the program.

As as a potential student.

But now as a student? What did you find surprising or unexpected about the program outside of the cohort dynamics? Was there anything that you found most surprising or unexpected.

To the IT was difficult for me to pivot from working to being a full time. Student then so I had been working for over a decade in education as a teacher as a central office leader and a pivot to being a student again was I think surprising for me that was surprising and how much.

I didn't know about being a student again and so that would that was challenging but I had 24 other people that were also many going through the same thing. Only a few students came directly from a Masters program into the DLT program. And so learning alongside them about how to become a student again was really helpful. What are those study habits? How am I going to do all this reading and what? How does that? What does that mean for my work that I've done up until this point that was I think that the.

The expectation that I wasn't I was like Oh, I'm just going to be a student again. Not freezing that I think a lot of students have a hard time, making that transition of learning how to be a student again? So thank you for raising that Jerrod.

I think the nature of the work also surprise me a bit to. I am coming from classroom and schools for the past decade and I'm just used to like getting a lot of things done as quickly as I can. I knew there would be readings and papers and projects which there are but a huge part of this component again? Is that relationship building and the self reflection and the self leadership building piece for which there is no checklist. There is no undeliverable. You can have on that it's really like taking a lot of this time is gift of time that we now have to say.

You know like I really need to go have a conversation with this person in my cohort who brought up this concept that really challenged me in class and it's kind of sitting with me and I really need to work through it and that to me is like another type of work that is just as important as any paper I turn in so really thinking about the interpersonal peace and building up we call like your adaptive leadership skills not only just your technical Bank of knowledge but truly like how you are growing as a leader.

And I would just like to at Eric's point I think what really surprised me the most is how much your identity and your past experiences an specifically your why? How much that impacts your leadership and so when things I really appreciate about the program is specifically. Tyson mentioned this early the plow course. That's actually throughout these 2 years because again as Tyson mentioned in order to change the world. You have to change yourself, 1st and I think for me that I feel like I as I was reading about the program was like OK that makes sense. But I don't think until like I actually came here only.

Now this is really deep work and that means that again like, I'm looking at mirrors. I'm looking out at windows, but ultimately I need to look within myself and within my identity and see how that impacts. My leadership and vice versa. The end just building off of that. Thank you Leslie. I want to talk a little bit about like your focus and how or if that has changed as a student so you talked about coming into the program. Leslie how you don't really realize that the power of the self and end and reflective work that was needed.

As a potential student, but is there anything else that you guys can think up in which your focus has changed by being in the program.

I think I was keenly aware I think I mentioned I see that I worked with at the LGBTQ community in New York City. But I didn't realize to what extent like? What is the root cause of the problems I was trying to work on and some of the frameworks. I've learned in class and helped me to go a little bit deeper and think and my really trying to solve the right problem in education and here we are just 11 weeks in and I am basing this sort of personal dilemma of like? What is the problem and actually trying to solve in the world and how is that?

Impacting kids who are the kids at the end of the day who are truly impacted by this and challenging my coordinates. I mean, they are so diverse. I saw a question in the chat box, which is like how diverse is the cohort and it.

Like the people that are in the room are just I couldn't imagine anybody else, being in the room with me and so it's a beautiful opportunity. Thank you.

I think for me, it was so as you can see from like my trajectory. It seemed very traditional. I was a teacher, then being administrator. Then I worked at the district level and and coming through this program. I realized just how many different facets of the world of Education. There are slight icy earlier mentioned like there's a nonprofit sector right there's like even like the private sector so there's so many foundations an eye.

I didn't realize that before I didn't realize that there were actually so many different ways. They can actually impact education. An I have been so lucky to have such a diverse cohort to gerads. I'm statement have to be able to pull from them and similarly have them push me to think about her order different ways that I could actually include different stakeholders within the education ecosystem to help make a greater impact.

Thank you. I just want to take a couple of questions from the chat box is that OK. Yeah, absolutely there was a question regarding the Masters, if he needed to have a Masters in education to be admitted into the program and then also GRE scores. I think Jerry they specifically for you should prepare for the GRE score haven't been out of school for so long. So I would say, and I think I can't speak for the admissions office that's that's Chrissy.

You know, I prepared what I could prepare I did some study and prep materials online. But that's one aspect of the admissions process. There is your personal statement. There is multiple parts of your application. I would say study for the GRE as best as any on line. Google search can tell you but the main part was really trying to let them get to know who I was as an individual and there are people who might go work who applied and didn't get in their first year and applied again years later.

It's about trying the cohort model is so unique that that's an aspect. I think that is considered when they're putting together the 25 is who are these 25 people going to be and what impact do. They want to have on the world? Yeah. I think that's absolutely right from admissions perspective. Hi this is Christine again. When you're thinking about the jury will go through the requirements here at the end, but a lot of people see it as this.

Over arching thing that we're going to look at your Jerry Score and then based on that alone were like making a decision and and what I would say is in general and this certainly applies for the jury as well. That no one piece of your application is the sole determinant of your admissibility when we're reading your applications and considering who's going to be in the cohort were trying to build this kind of mosaic picture of who you are based on your these different components that you're submitting to us so you know prepare for the jury in the best way that you're able to we know that you're busy and you have a lot going on.

But prepare for the best way you're able to again just for your own stress levels nothing else. Uhm you know take it. Get it out of the way but don't get so hung up on that that you're not thinking about the bigger picture kinda like Jerrod said. And think about how you fit with this program. How your trajectory has gotten you hear an how the program is going to take you to where you're going next so.

Again, it's a long way of saying um do your best. But keep in mind that we're reading. Everything that you submit an are making a decision based on everything that you submit.

Right.

I want to talk a little bit about there's some questions about students with families and how they transition to the space. I know gerrits spoke passionately about transitioning from a full time employee to being full time student so of course, there is that transition of bringing your family with you so the answer is yes. We do have students that have families that they bring with them and then we do have some students that leave some of their families behind we have some students at leave some.

Their families behind for a year until they get settled and so when answering that question I would say it really depends on your family dynamics and how you see yourself transitioning into the space as a as a full time student and the implications that may have on your family and I will say that students have done it successfully those that have families really, really format. We want to say like this additional code.

Works right or support with each other where they try to live within the same community. Their kids know each other. They go to the same schools, they develop pickup dropoff schedules and so again. I really feel as if you know what has been created within the cohort expands outside of that with those that have families so I do want to share that with you then also programmatically. I think I mentioned this earlier, we work really hard.

To schedule classes between 9:00 and 5:00, so that you do have that time in the evening with your families no classes on the weekend.

So let's chat a little bit if we can about the courses right.

And what that work load looks like so how much time outside of the classroom do you use for school work each week and I just want to preface this by saying that the year 1 experience is different than the year 2 experience because the year 1 experience students again have a set curriculum in year 2 students have the opportunity to design their own for the second year so.

Yes. Can you share with us?

How much time are you spending studying and reading outside of the classroom?

It is significant in year, one like Jerry and I also had to do this pivot in my mind to becoming a full time student again. But I've also been reading large volumes of grading student papers for a very long time because I am pretty good at reading high volumes of writing that said it is substantial, but I have found that all of the Texan assignments. We have received have just been really thought provoking an intentional so many of us have reading groups to help support each other with their reading. So we may exploit it up and do some reason discussion groups to make sure we're all cut up to.

Even if you're not able to make it to every single reading, but you just make sure that you're prepared to talk about it. So it's really all the same strategies that I'm sure like many and all of us had used even as undergraduates. Or maybe, as Masters very much still in play. It's just that because of Stacy said. We have things like workplace lab that are practiced based that our class work isn't just reading. Some papers, but a lot of also meetings to complete projects and kind of all that personal development stuff that name before.

And the hardest part of the classes that personal development portion because you're reading, but you're reading as if you are your own experiences and so as you're reading an article about academic disparities and data. You're questioning where am I in the data. Where are my cohort members in that data? What is the experience that I have that shows that this data is true or false papers. It's not paper writing. It's not that's not the biggest portion of the class work.

The biggest portion is developing yourself and doing that introspective work and actually reading the articles and books.

And that's the first year experience I think it's been very similar for Erica not myself. We see each other. A lot, but we find ways to get the work done and I would say that for you too. It's a little different. Because this previously mentioned we get a chance to choose their own classes and all That being said, You also have the opportunity to spread your workload throughout so for example, I can choose to have my classes only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and therefore I have Tuesday and Thursday for my own professional development.

So for example, In addition to courses. I'm also part of other fellowships and or other work opportunities and or I could also take the opportunity to meet with professors for office hours with That being said. In addition to like your traditional spring and fall semester classes. You also have the opportunity to take courses during a January term and also during may term and so again. There's a lot of flexibility during your two to really play around with like what your schedule can look like and so for example, I myself have decided to have a?

Have your quote Unquote workload in the fall. So I can have a lighter spring workload and to better prepare for my transition into residency. Can you describe what you mean by happier textually like? How many classes is that? What does it look like in terms of TF ING or other responsibilities just share that with this so this fall semester. I decide to take 4 courses and also a module so I forgot to mention those are kind of like horses that are just.

Half a semester and so during my first few months. I'm actually had 5 courses, but now that that modules over. I only have 4 courses now left and so that's what I mean by like a heavier workload. So I had classes Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. Anel early from like 9:00 AM to almost on certain days till 7:00 PM. And so it will seem like heavy, but as previously mentioned I had my Tuesdays and Thursdays open so that way. I could do some of the work in between those days. Thank you for that I think there was a question.

Around what are some of the classes that students take any year to do much hearing what classes you're taking so so I should also say Mispriced Superintendent and so it was really intentional with respect to classes. I'm taking I'm taking introduction to changing social organizations. I'm also taking an intro to Ed Education budget and finance. I'm also taking a course focused on.

Education policy, I'm also creating so this is something that was really excited about. I created my own independent study course focus specifically on the superintendency track and so those are just some of the courses that I'm taking but.

Are all of these at HDFC so the majority are at HTC? But some of them are actually in combination with other schools. So to other courses. I was taking was actually in coordination or they brought over the professors from the Harvard Business School and then the second one from the Harvard Kennedy School and so that's the other upgrade opportunity have bring your two is to actually take courses from the different schools here, including MIT as well. So there's some questions about residency and what that looks like.

And that is in year 3 and Christine spoke earlier about partner programs and how is that cultivated and so just to give you a little bit of both understanding of the residency piece Leslies now in year 2 and we are in the fall and we are not. We I'm sorry, she is already thinking about residency interviewing with residency sites and so the program has a cult has a standard lists right that we use in it.

Updated an influx every single year with the sites so we do have a standard list of residency sites from which the students can pull from. However, we have also found that students might want to cultivate their own sites. Maybe based off of some relationships that they have built while they are here, maybe while they have traveled during their summer fellowships. So we do give students an opportunity to cultivate their own residency sites so again.

That is in your street it is a 9 month experience and there is a strategic project by which that organization identifies an area in which the year 3 student can really work to lead and push an agenda forward for that for that particular organization.

And so that is residency.

Summer residency, I'm sorry, it's not a summer residency summer fellowship, and so let me just describe what summer fellowship means during year. One and year 2 students have the opportunity to apply for a summer fellowship, and they are responsible for cultivating their own experience and still sometimes they used the fellowship experience to for example of Leslie's interested in being a Superintendent. She would cultivate some relationships with the districts across the USA.

And maybe shadow 5 or 6 superintendents, so you really have the flexibility to create your own learning experience during the summer. So I apologize if I said summer residency, but it's summer fellowship, so thank you for that Marian.

Um let's talk a little bit about student life.

As we continue to get more questions coming in.

Thank you.

So what are you doing outside of the classroom right one of the things that this program?

Really prides itself in as cultivating your joy and so that means that we love having you in the classroom and you should be dedicated while you're in the classroom. But it's also important for you to do those things that make you happy so that you are able to show up as your full self and so can you guys share with us? Maybe some of the things your doing outside of the classroom that cultivate your joy or opportunities such as TF ING or student organizations or clubs that you may be involved in.

More interested in.

So I still feel pretty new to the Harvard community, but one of my favorite parts of being back at school and University is just taking advantage of the incredible number of speakers and events that there are all campus. There's just so many incredible figures and thinkers that are around. I'm a former history teacher, so I got to see Eric Foner talk about reconstruction with Henry Louis Gates. I just got really nerd out at something like that, so they just the access to the number of events and speakers husband like really, really wonderful.

Can I also say year one? Is certainly a full time job in a lot of ways. But I also think nothing is harder than being a teacher. So I've also been really grateful to take advantage of my time just replenish myself in so many other ways. That's like getting to know my cohort maids trying out cheap noodle spots around. I'm trying to make my way through a cookbook and these are things that are really important to me in my growth as well as I found balance as a leader. So I can better serve communities in kids that I want to go back to.

So I'm really cherishing this time to be really all in with all the academics take advantage of that. Harvard has to offer but also really take care of myself and I think that's kind of a neat goes with the program.

Good harbor does this strange place where you're just walking around an by Cornell W is walking around and like Oh yeah, he's going to be speaking on Wednesday and so you have this opportunity to see and engage with people that you've only read about or seen on TV and I think just if I blink. I could miss half the opportunities that are available to me, so I try to go to as many speakers as I can. I also in terms of my financial? I live a little bit further out so I rented a place not in Harvard Square.

So I I ride my bike to and from so I enjoy cycling around the city. It's definitely a bike city and I came from a city like New York, where I was taking public transit everywhere. So I've just been enjoying like not having to sit on a bus all day without having to them a train and really getting to cycle and breathe and like take my dog for a walk an read in the park with her so I think that's the great opportunity, I agree with Erica is just like leaning into your own being so that you can then go and.

Live your best life and change the system change the world. One of the things I also appreciate about harvest just that there are so many community groups out here, so for example, particle me that Latin exo identify as a Mexican American and so that was definitely there's maybe group that I feel tight too. And that I am currently a member of also felt the need to cultivate a joy where I live so I feel that when I go home. That should be kind of like where I could go home every treat and so actually became a community advisor at one of the.

The Peabody Test, which is one of the graduate housing residencies here at Harvard and so I became a community visor specifically to create different events to bring the community together and so that was another way to cultivate my joy. I'm also teacher and adviser for the teacher education program here, Harvard and that was to kind of cultivate my joy back into the classroom as I ascended to leadership with these I miss the most is being in the classroom. And so this is a way that I found to be back in the classroom, hoping support M teachers.

And the last but not least Saturday is actually my day so I actually make sure I don't do any specific work, but is my day to go out and like visit Boston visit different neighboring States and so that is another thing that I do to cultivate my joy as previously mentioned not only is it important to of course, like you know get all as much learning as you can go to the different advance to different speakers, but then also that you have time for yourself and to cultivate that part of you. Thank you for that. Just want to answer a couple of questions that I saw in the chat.

Around residency, so much of it actually residency across the country, but across the country or the US and so the residency experience is in the United States. So it is here. However, we do have a J term experience and it is part of the curriculum by which students actually are visiting other systems an analyzing their systems and comparing it to the apparent systems here in USA typically typically is not required. But what we found in the past, is that students.

Use the J term travel to travel internationally. So hopefully, I answered that question another question was what are some of the career goals of the program?

And so I can just share with you where some of our alums sit. But in terms of career goals were looking for people who want to lead as superintendents chief state school officers chief academic officer serves assistant suits.

However, we realized that that might not be the the exact plan of many that are entered into this program so I want you to kind of go back to those 5 strands. I've talked about earlier, which we are preparing graduates. But just to be a little bit more concrete. We have a student that is a Co executive director at big picture learning. We have a secretary of Education and New Mexico. We also have a senior associate commissioner.

Here in Massachusetts, we have a senior director of strategy and rule engagement at the College Board and then we also have a founder and CEO of moon shoot adventures and so that kind of gives you hopefully a couple of examples of where our alums are in the field.

When do people complete J term J Charm, J stands for January. Another uh angle. So it's completed in January. It's completed at a time in which students have left campus over the winter break, and so the students determined specifically when in January, they want to travel.

I see it just question kind of detail. I just want to get to somebody asking about prior educational experiences and I think Jerrod. You alluded to this in your kind of answer about coming back as a student, which is one for one, you do not need a prior HTC Masters degree to apply to or be admitted to the program. I'm not sure if any of you did your Masters work here, but that is certainly is not something that we would expect nor want all of our students to have again in building this quarter, 25 an and there isn't.

Any requirements around master study so if you have prior graduate level work. Great is in the field of Education Great if it's not or you don't have it that is fine as well as taxis talked about were looking for individuals who have this kind of trajectory of leadership so that can mean many different things. But it doesn't necessarily mean a Masters degree in education.

Yeah, I actually only have a bachelors in politics that didn't worked in education spirits for over a decade, taking a picture plumber out wonderful, yeah, you're not required.

Um can, we turn a little bit about. I think Jerry you were talking about how lovely it is to bike in New York. So if you just share a little bit about like not specifically but in proximity to campus how close you are, and you know why you decided to live in that particular space there's a question about our students actually able to live in Harvard graduate housing and so I wanted to address that question about living so I coming into the program didn't have any savings I was coming.

From working I actually worked right in up until I started the program, which I would never recommend to anybody to do it would have been better for me to take at least a couple weeks to just have that brain break before I started the program. But I live in a neighborhood called Somerville, which is about taking me only about 10 to 15 minutes to bike to campus. But if I have to take the bus because of all the bridges in construction. It can take upwards of 45 minutes, but it's actually only a 30 minute walk so if it's raining that's why I've invested in some rain boots and umbrella I can walk.

From home to campus in 30 minutes, but it saved me almost almost $700.00 a month and I live with somebody who is not in the program so I have that sort of brain break of not being with somebody and I knew that I needed to do that because my partner and I are in a long distance relationship. So he stayed back in New York and so about once a weekend one weekend a month I will leave on Friday after class and go and visit him until Sunday come back to my work and go back to class on Monday.

Amen so just being a couple months and I knew I needed to be able to plan my finances in that way.

I tend to spend a lot of time, though, in Harvard Square after class hanging out with my coordinates but I definitely don't think that I've lost out on the experience by living a little further out. In fact, I think it's helped me to make sure that when I'm with my coordinates the relationship is the primary focus because I'm not living in the same community great. Thank you for that.

Yeah, so I live in Harvard housing in Harvard Graduate School student housing, so I live very much close to campus and like an 8 minute walk from the education school but to Gerads .2. I think we all talk a lot about the financial transition to becoming a student again and how important it was for many of us to plan in our many different ways, so I did take the full summer off and I actually traveled for the first time in a very long time, which was a gift they keep to myself.

But that also meant that I spent this spring in preparation for my transition first before I got a TLD hoping I would and then afterwards very much just trying to pick up extra consulting jobs or whatever. I could to make sure that I had a little bit of savings coming into the program So what I really appreciated about all of the things from the admission side and the transition as well is we were all very aware of how to responsibly make this transition. Whether it was you know for me just coming by myself others with partners you know, others with kids that we were.

Oh really clear on how we were going to make this work for us.

Another thing I would add is that like that transitions go look different for different people so actually had a partner back in California for the entire first semester because he needed to closeout. Like his commitments, there and he actually moved in with me dream second semester and so again that was like not necessarily something that the majority of the other eagle team members experience, but again some of them also brought their families like from Day One and then others again chose to kind of have like summer to Woodyard said. Just sort of like this back and forth so again the experience will look different.

I picked up on.

Your context, I sought to a lot of questions about families coming up again a lot of our cohort members have young children that are enrolled in local schools and actually think that a lot of their perspective is super valuable because they're still around kids in a way, and we make time an include them in our activities. However, we can so we are really knowledgeable that like Hey, your evening time is your time with your kids. And if we're working on a project. We need to make sure that we get it done so that you can spend that time with your family.

Your first job is your family and you're no good to the cohort if you're not in the right mind or heart space so I just I think that's really important for many of us is who do we consider family? Who is our family and who supporting us to be here is really Top of mind.

Thank you.

There is a question about and I hear this all the time do I have to have experience in the classroom in order to be in this program and the specific question was is a background in academic academic instruction needed. And so again. I want to stress that the cohort come from various backgrounds an not everyone has been in the classroom and so.

You know we're really looking for your individualized leadership path and what you bring to the cohort experience. So it's very difficult to it's not apples apples, apples oranges. It's who you are as an individual. In the sector and what you are doing and what you have done in order to change lives for kids and then how do you see this program accelerating your professional pathway?

To serve kids at a greater scale, so I just wanted to make sure that I stated that.

So there was also a question around we were talking a lot about the cohort right so great and we're learning from each other and beating off of all of these diverse ideas and I'm able to see things through a different lens. So the question was how beneficial then is it to step outside of HTC and take courses at other schools and I think only you can speak to this left, right and you also mentioned like you don't get to spend as much time with your cohort members. You spend all this time you're one who practically.

You know living together on campus an now there's this stark difference in your to experience and so is there is there a benefit to that I would actually say yes and I'm sure some people could relate to when you're in when you work in education weather like as a teacher a nonprofit you sort of get stuck in this may be stuck is not the right word. But you tend to live in this education bubble or at least in this bubble wherever you are, and so one of these. I appreciate about taking classes with students from other schools is because they get a chance to hear.

Like what that perspective so for example, when I was taking a course with the students at the Kennedy School was really interesting to kind of see like Oh so from that policy perspective. These are the things that I should take into consideration. Similarly, when I was taking a course with some of the students at the Business School was like Oh, so this is what like perspective business partners or like local community. Businesses are thinking about and so it for me. It really helped widen my perspective in terms of how to look at things thank you.

I'm going to ask the tough question what makes.

Someone competitive in this program right and so.

The people wanted to know what makes them competitive. What would give them a competitive edge to be a part of this program.

I'm going to say something that may initially seem a little contradictory, but I think will hopefully will make sense. They talk through it on the one hand. I think it's really important that you come in with a clear perspective about what your theory of change has been in education? What have you done? Why do you believe it is heavy impact that it's had and your ability to really reflect on the impact you've had. But maybe also some of the missteps. You had to be really honest about that on the one hand like really knowing your theory of.

Action around education and the impact you want to play but on the other hand, also demonstrating a real open NIS to investigating that and to really interrogate it and to be open to the so many other perspectives that you are going to run into so it's like this balance of having your own convictions. An your own beliefs, but then also knowing that part of leadership is constantly reflecting on them and working with your cohort mates and even outside of.

The cohort to really kind of refine that as you go.

I would say.

What makes somebody competitive is their ability to make mistakes and reflect on why they made those mistakes so coming into the program. I started I think initially thinking I had to present the best version of everything I've ever done to all of my other 24 other coordinates so I didn't want them to think less of me and I think through these first several weeks, what I've realized is the work is really about reflecting on the mistakes I've made.

And what I would have done differently or better and the mistakes. I'm still making and recognizing that I am still a work in progress. If you come to the program thinking that you got it all figured out and that you know exactly what's going to change the education system. This is not the program for you, but please don't change the education. But I think it is really about realizing that you still have work to do, and by the time you're done with the 3 years.

You you will change and maybe your ideas will change it, you have to be open to that. I'm not sold on any one thing and I think the malleability is what I think will contribute to long-term success.

Well, in the interest of time, we have about 6 more minutes. We could really be here for another hour or 2 but we want to be mindful of everyone's time, so I'm just going to ask one more question and closing to the group and hopefully this will help the people that have gathered here today today to kind of solidify whether or not the EDLD program is for you, but first I do want to say thank you for joining us here and for being vulnerable and sharing your lived experiences to help inform this conversation today.

So the final question is how did you know the EDLD program was the right fit for you? Why did you choose the easy LD program and not a PhD program.

I chose EDLD really intentionally just coming from the classroom being a practitioner. I knew that research was not the path. I wanted to go. It is one that I like certainly admire and I'm excited to benefit from one here at Harvard. But I just knew that the research base of a PhD was not my pass and I very much want to be back into the field soon doing the work doing the work as like Leslie's going to be Superintendent. There's so many ways to do the work, but I just knew I wanted to get back there. Soon and truthfully and looking at the cohort model and the curriculum that yield is based in.

I went to every person in you my network, and asked where can I find another place like EDLD and the answer I generally got every single time? Was there is no other program right now that is like EDLD and that really as I went through the process and that more people just really felt like this is it for me.

It was that people I respected in the field that I had done work with had gone through the program and at transform them and so it was recommended for me, I had a friend who had gone through the program who was an alumni who believed in me enough to suggest it. I would say that from the time they suggested it for about 5 or 6 months. I dreaded taking the GRE and then finally he was like Jerrod. You really need to, like are you applying to not and in 2 week. Period. I was like.

Alright, I'm going to take the GRE in 2 weeks. I'm going to. I'm going to apply and do what I need to do and so I would say if you're on the fence and you're like the GREI see so many questions coming in the Chapter Strategery. Just take it just take the jirari submit your scores be who you are an apply if you think that this is right for you, but don't let it standardized test hold you back from helping to change the world and leading into what your passions are.

And I would say for me, I think it was just like the the different components. But specifically like the ability to actually put some of the work into practice for example, during your one you're continuously learning about different frameworks. Different structures and during during your two you actually get a chance to really take a deep dive into those in whatever courses you decide to take but then doing residency, you actually get to put into practice all your own theory of action that you have now revised right based on your past experience based on the course work that you've had based on the inside.

From your cohort members and so I really appreciate the opportunity again put that in practice before I get back out again into ultimately what will be like, my next step in my career and so I just appreciate the opportunity to practice but with support right so throughout the program. It not only do we have to support from arco from members, but then also from the different advisors that we have through the program and so for me, it was both the ability to practice but coupled with the support.

Have a wonderful so thank you all again for sharing your experiences as has been fantastic. I do this is Christina and I do want to run through really briefly the application requirements and they really have a couple more minutes.

But you see that you're aware of what is required the application is on line now so you can access it anytime between now and December 15th the deadline here. It includes a statement of purpose, which is 1500 words. A short essay question specific to the DOD program, which is 500 words. Current updated resume or CV, the standardized testing requirement, which I know we've talked about quite a bit as the jury or Gmat is required.

And the institution code that you want to send those scores 2 is 3428, which is the Ed School code and do keep in mind that there is an as I think our students have articulated well here there is no minimum square requirement. If you want to see the range of squares for current students. We do publish all of that in our student profiles. That's open for your access, but keep in mind again that that's an average score and is not a minimum. I mentioned we looked at such we do require that you upload transcripts unofficial transcripts from.

Every post secondary institution that you attended there are 3 letters of recommendation required.

And again I saw a bunch of questions about this and you can always reach out to me if you have specific questions but.

You know when thinking about the letters recommendation. I would say quickly think about asking people who know you well who can speak about your journey and your interest specifically in this program.

A man that can be a wide variety of people but you know, people that can talk about your professional journey and skills that might translate into you as a student in the classroom and then there is an 85 dollar application fee again. The deadlines are here, so Sunday. December 15th is the deadline this year. Interviews will take place in late February. The 27th and the 28th this year and then you will receive notification by late March 2020 and that will happen on line again. We kind of spread through these parts of it.

But we did do a virtual recording a couple of weeks ago specific to the application process. So that's on our website now. You can also always reach out to me at anytime if you have questions about the application process or any emissions related questions. My contact information is here again. Thank you so much for joining us tonight. I'm going to turn it over to Tracys real quick again. I just want to say thank you so very excited that you are here, but we are more excited about the work that you're doing.