New Mexico leaders announced the incoming class of 2017–18 Woodrow Wilson (WW) MBA Fellows in Education Leadership during a program at The University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management. The new fellowship cohort includes 46 current educators seeking long careers as school leaders in the state.
The WW MBA Fellowship program is designed to better prepare principals, superintendents and other administrators to lead changing 21st-century schools in the state. It was developed by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in partnership with the New Mexico Public Education Department, The University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University. The program blends school-based clinical practice with innovative business school coursework to ensure graduates have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to guide schools and districts in a new kind of education environment while closing achievement gaps.
“By marrying the required skills of successful school leaders with the proven models of industry-leading MBA programs, this Fellowship in Education Leadership aims to identify and integrate critical relevant leadership abilities, knowledge, tools and competencies needed from both fields,” said UNM Interim President Chaouki Abdallah.
New Mexico is one of three states to offer the WW MBA Fellowship program, along with Indiana and Wisconsin. With UNM and NMSU, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation provides school leaders with a blend of graduate coursework and a tailored MBA curriculum. For a complete list, visit: UNM WW MBA Fellowship Cohorts.
“The outstanding teachers selected for this program excel in their dedication and passion for student success,” said Audrey Arnold, UNM Anderson School of Management’s Executive & Professional Education Center Director. “We believe this program will give these dedicated educators additional tools that will help them lead their organizations and make a difference in their communities, their schools and their students’ lives.”
Under the Woodrow Wilson model, fellows take MBA courses with a specific focus on the education context. Offered through business schools in collaboration with education schools, the program is designed to prepare leaders who will drive innovation, expand the use of analytics and evidence-based practices, raise student performance to international standards, and improve the quality of school systems and teaching over time.
"After teachers themselves, school leaders have the greatest impact on the success of our students,” said Woodrow Wilson Foundation President Arthur Levine. “These New Mexico educators are a prime example of how an outcomes-based approach to educator preparation can improve the pipeline of talented individuals to lead our schools while ultimately boosting student success for all.”
The WW MBA Fellowship is intended for education professionals nominated by their school districts or charter school leaders. Fellows selected have demonstrated effective leadership and will use their knowledge of school culture to help transform schools from within. Each fellow receives a stipend, which covers full tuition, materials and associated program expenses. In exchange, each fellow agrees to serve in an approved school or district leadership role within the state for at least three years, with Foundation-supported mentoring.
Funding for the Woodrow Wilson MBA’s New Mexico initiative was initially provided by a grant from the New Mexico Public Education Department, with additional support provided by the Daniels Fund.
The more than 100 outstanding teachers have been selected for the program since its launch in 2015.