This program intends to develop multicultural, community-centered educators who
embody educator and poet Dr. Kipchoge Kirkland’s charge to:
“Never stop asking questions
Keep reading,
And most importantly, never forget where we came from.

This two-year master’s degree program (with option for the preliminary administrative credential) prepares educators to serve in formal leadership capacities within schools, school districts, and communities for the purpose of building and sustaining equitable schools. Guiding principles include a continual focus on addressing structural racism and classism, on modeling democratic, multicultural leadership, and on developing personal and community voice to de-center school inequality. As such, the program is led by a collaborative advisory board, consisting of critical educators, community advocates, and practitioners who combine to center critical race theory, culturally responsive approaches, and youth-focused participatory action research throughout all aspects of the program. Instruction is site-based and centers on social justice principles to ensure the program challenges the normalization of academic failure for students of color in urban schools.

Participants build understanding and develop habits to engage in collaborative, site-based educational innovations that reflect the culture, experiences, and knowledge base of urban youth. As the program prepares participants for Bold, Socially Responsible Leadership, key focus remains on developing strategies for systemic reform and on the nuts and bolts that ensure equitable outcomes. This program is ideal for teachers, teacher leaders, administrators, community educators, and advocates dedicated to creative, community-centered school communities.

For more information contact:
Christopher Knaus, Ph.D., Associate Professor and
Urban Teacher Leadership Program Coordinator
Department of Educational Leadership
CSU East Bay
Office: AE 203
(510) 885-2904
chris.knaus@csueastbay.edu