PhD in Education – Urban Leadership Program

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

• “Learning to become a researcher in the Urban Leadership Program has made me be a better principal.” 
  

  Adam Bailey, Principal, Chino Valley USD—Awarded by CDE with Title 1 Achievement Award 2007

• “The Urban Leadership Program at CGU has challenged me, as a school principal, to appreciate and participate in the disciplined inquiry role of the educational researcher. What a great opportunity it is for me to explore issues in education I’m passionate about.”
  
  Bonita Barnett, Principal, George Washington Elementary School, a California Distinguished School, Corona-Norco Unified School District

• “The Urban Leadership Program provides a framework for leadership that emphasizes becoming a thoughtful risk-taker that will enact fundamental change in education.”
  Claudia Bermudez, Title III/Access to Core Instructional Coach, Independence Elementary/Magnet School, LAUSD

• “The Ph.D. program has enabled me to constructively integrate research tools and educational theory into effective educational practices. The expert knowledge of the professors, faculty and staff at CGU has provided me with strong support and the information necessary to positively impact student achievement in K-12 urban schools.”
  Elsie Briseno Simonovski, Project Director, English Learner Programs/Curriculum & Instruction K-8, Montebello Unified School District

• “The Urban Leadership Program has provided me an invaluable learning on how to bridge research and practice. The cohort members have provided unconditional support and long-lasting friendships. The professors have opened my eyes to the various research methodologies and different perspectives of human, social, and cultural capital. This knowledge is extremely critical in serving the students and families I work with at my school.”
  Lily Chung, Teaching Assisting Principal, El Monte City School District

• “CGU is a place where I’ve been able to grow as a student and a professional by taking on challenging projects that are directly related to what I do.”
  Yolanda Cleveland, Director of Outreach and School Relations at Cal Poly Pomona; 2010 Vice President/President Elect of the UC Riverside Staff Assembly, and 2009-10 Faculty and Administrative Leadership at Riverside Community College District

• “CGU matches the needs of urban leaders by providing relevant programs that connect theory and practice. By doing this they provide the personalization and flexibility needed for urban leaders to not only lead, but transform systems.”
  Frances Gipson, Administrator of Instruction of 108 schools in LAUSD5--LD5 Recognized as the 2010 nation's largest NBPTS for accomplished teaching cohort, highest gains in CST scores, & reclassification rates in LAUSD

• "The Urban Leadership Program has given me the tools and motivation to put theory into practice and use my school as a laboratory for educational research."
  Jeremiah Gonzalez, ELD/Title III Instructional Coach, Los Angeles Unified School District

• “The rigorous training at CGU has helped me to discern strong from weak scholarship, and empiricism from theory. As someone whose goals are to engage in praxis and publish for academia, there is no better preparatory nesting ground than the ‘Little Harvard of the West’, CGU.”
  Wil Greer, Program Specialist, San Bernardino Unified School District
  
• “The uniqueness of the program at CGU fosters my creativity and enables me to integrate the results of scholarly pursuits with professional practice.”
  Lindsey Ma, Assistant Principal of Pupil Services, San Gabriel High School, Alhambra Unified School District, SG High School Awarded 2009-2010 Silver Medal from US News and World Report, WASC Recognition for MoMa – Motivating Matadors—a model freshman transition program(mentoring, leadership, and academics)

• “Claremont opened my eyes to educational excellence in craft and practice. Throughout the coursework, I was systematically introduced to both theoretical and practical applications for educational leadership. I was particularly pleased with the worldview dialogues woven throughout the program with my cohort colleagues. They brought the coursework to life and made the program exciting yet realistic and tangible. Claremont created the conditions to investigate educational leadership from a variety of perspectives. As a consequence, I am leaving the program with a new set of skills, a renewed commitment to my role as a leader and an incredible knowledge base from which to operate."
  Aida Molina, Executive Director, Academic Improvement & Accountability, Bakersfield City School District

CGU SES URBAN LEADERSHIP ALUMNI TESTIMONIALS

• “The Urban Leadership Program was instrumental in preparing me for my work as a leader in urban school settings. The caring and knowledgeable professors and staff supported my work as a student and continued to provide guidance for me as I began implementation of educational reform efforts in schools. As a graduate of the Urban Leadership Program at CGU, I entered the administrative workforce confident and prepared to address issues of social justice and equity in schools and beyond.”
  Dr. Angela Lin, Principal, Los Molinos Elementary School, Hacienda La Puente School District CGU Urban Leadership Achievement Award, 2010

• ”The rigorous and relevant curriculum the Urban Leadership Program offers at CGU helped me to broaden my vision for educating each child not only in the United States but Canada as well. The knowledge I learned from the masterful professors honed my writing skills and their encouragement prompted me to coauthor my first book on cultural proficiency. Most rewarding is that the lives of educators and children are being influenced through my work because of my experience at Claremont Graduate University.”
  Dr. Brenda Campbell Jones, President, Campbell Jones & Associates

• “I highly recommend the Claremont Urban Leadership Doctoral Program to individuals interested in
  developing the skills needed to discover, examine, analyze and confront the complex issues impacting the academic success of children in our urban communities. The cohort format of instruction, focuseddiscussion, collaboration and mutual support complemented my often hectic professional life adding greatly to my successful and timely completion of the Ph.D. Program. My doctorate from Claremont Graduate University in Urban Leadership has opened new pathways through which I have been able to combine research with innovative approaches in solving the instructional dilemmas challenging urban educators. “
  Dr. Lynne Kennedy, Superintendent, Banning Unified School District, CGU Urban Leadership Achievement Award, 2005

• “The Urban Leadership Program at the Claremont Graduate School has provided me with deep theoreticaland usefull practical insights in my professional growth as a school leader. It was these insights that allowed me to plan, develop and implement successful programs that assisted our students in our classrooms, schools and district. Additionally, the faculty provided great support in my professional, personal and intellectual trajectory that ultimately resulted in reaching my life-long dream - a Doctorate in Philosophy Degree.”
  Dr. Enrique Medina, Director of Career and Adult Education, Pomona Unified School District

• “The 21st Century presents a major education challenge in the urban inner-city. Claremont’s PhD in Urban Leadership program was constructed with the premise that urban inner-cities are a key indicator of the larger society. The principles behind the program involve creating effective urban education leaders to enhance sustainable urban communities through successful schools. For me, a significant part of the program’s principles was that each cohort is a highly selective small group of urban administrators who are facing comparable challenges. The ability to interact and collaborate with a group of professionals who share common goals and similar experiences was extremely valuable. Furthermore, the professors involved in the program were highly reputable, experienced educators who facilitated and taught from their urban leadership experiences. Applying the knowledge gained from this comprehensive program has brought much success within our district and community as we equip our students for continuous long-term achievement.”
  Dr. David Vierra, Superintendent, Antelope Valley Union High School District

• “The Urban Leadership program at CGU helps educational leaders learn to both respond to and lead urban schools into a vision of tomorrow. The program taught me how to ask the right questions, to listen intently, and to approach “problems” as a diagnostic tool to gain insight. Education is the union of the law and the heart -- the law tells schools what we must do; human relations tells us what we should do. Human relations is the tool by which communities can work past their perceived differences to create safe and enriching schools for our children. On a daily basis I draw upon the wisdom imparted to me by my visionary professors.”
  Dr. Judy Chiasson, Office of Chief of Staff, Los Angeles Unified School District

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