Education leadership development program launched
By The Star Staff
The Financial Oversight and Management Board announced Wednesday that in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE) it has launched the first edition of the Puerto Rico Education Leadership Development Program.
The move is an opportunity for mid-career professionals at the PRDE to develop their leadership skills and expertise, with the goals of strengthening the department’s educational offerings and management capacity, according to a statement.
The program will strengthen Puerto Rico’s public education system, the oversight board said. It includes six half-day, in-person workshop sessions, several webinars and other professional development opportunities for a group of nine fellows selected from the PRDE’s central and regional offices. The fellows will receive personalized one-on-one coaching sessions and a capstone trip to a high-performing school district in the mainland U.S.
“A high-quality education is the cornerstone of strong economic development opportunities for the residents of Puerto Rico,” oversight board member Antonio Medina said. “Successful education reforms require a strategic and operational foundation, and for that, we need effective leaders. This program will support high-performing employees within the PRDE and provide them with leadership skills and capabilities that will help them contribute to the enhancement of the education of our children.”
For eligibility in the program, fellows were required to have five to 10 years of professional experience, show proficiency in Spanish and English, and exhibit a track record of high performance based on PRDE standards.
“The professionalism of our staff and the development of leadership skills has as a benefit the opportunity to achieve greater efficiency and better service performance by employees with the right tools to face daily challenges,” PRDE Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés said.
“This project, which we are working on along with the Oversight Board, is intended to be a tool for professionals to implement functional strategies to achieve these objectives,” he said. “I am confident that the experience will be beneficial for colleagues and that they will be able to put into practice everything they have learned for the benefit of our educational system.”