Curry School of Education

Did you know?

In the 2014 U.S. News and World Report rankings, Curry's Administration and Supervision program was ranked #10 in the nation.

We understand that it takes extraordinary knowledge, commitment and skill to become effective leaders in education. Partnering together, our students and faculty work diligently to discover and examine the current challenges facing educational leaders at the elementary and  secondary levels.

Schools serve a pluralistic America and future leaders must understand and meet the needs of students in diverse school communities. Our classes are places where educators can reflect on educational institutions as they are and envision what they could become. We believe that issues of diversity and equity must be woven into coursework so that leaders can learn to lead schools with enriched learning environments for all children. Students enrolled in School and Community Relations are encouraged to better understand how to engage families of all students served by a school. Leadership preparation students attend a workshop on multiculturalism which fosters understanding and sensitivity to issues of diversity and the ethical responsibility to ensure equity for all.

It is our collective goal to pursue the creation of solutions to educational challenges through our research, teaching and service to the field.

Elizabeth's Story

I entered Curry with one goal: to become a school administrator that excelled in instructional leadership in order to better serve our schools’ English language learner population. At Curry, I was continually pushed and supported to align research, projects, and my dissertation towards my knowledge and understanding of English language learners. Today, as an assistant principal of an elementary school with a high ELL population, I know I am well prepared. Moreover, the strong relationships I developed with the faculty will allow me to develop a strong connection between research and the field. -- Elizabeth Korab, Ed.D. 2010, Assistant Principal

Program Overview

This area of study is an integral part of the Curry School’s mission to prepare a wide array of professionals for America’s schools and is ranked by U.S. News & World Report 2014 as the 10th best Administration and Supervision program in the nation. Established in 1932, it is an instructional, research, and service unit of the Curry School of Education. The major purpose of the program is the preparation of educational leaders for the public schools of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation, but graduates of the program provide leadership in a variety of settings: both private and public schools, school divisions, state departments of education, and professional organizations. The program additionally seeks to contribute to human understanding and knowledge through continuing inquiry into the nature of educational leadership and leader effectiveness at all levels.

Many alumni now serve in the roles of assistant principals, principals, curriculum specialists, assistant superintendents, and superintendents. Their success is reflected, to some degree, in the number of Curry-trained educators who lead Virginia’s public schools: 56 of the Commonwealth’s 134 school superintendents are Curry graduates.

As our students graduate and become educational leaders performing at the highest level, and as our research results in new thinking about leadership, the work of the faculty and students in the Administration & Supervision program area at the Curry School is, indeed, creating positive change in school districts and educational organizations around the country.

University Council for Educational Administration
The University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) is a consortium of higher education institutions committed to advancing the preparation and practice of educational leaders for the benefit of schools and children. In 2010, the Curry School of Education was selected to serve as headquarters to UCEA.