The purpose of UELP is to prepare cadres of exceptional urban school system leaders who are equipped to lead complex educational systems that advance academic excellence, educational equity, and positive social change. Through a comprehensive interdisciplinary curriculum grounded in leadership research and theory that incorporates clinical leadership and activities, UELP's program purpose is explicitly connected to the larger TC community by bridging theory, research, and practice.
Our fundamental premise is that when practitioners bring a rich and robust background in education theory and research to their daily work, they become more effective; thus, the program goes well beyond a mere accumulation of practical skills. We believe that the best leaders are learners, and by providing our students with knowledge of how to conduct action research on the job, they position themselves to ask the most important questions, collect the most critical data, and make the best decisions for the communities they serve.