Continued Education For Chicago Educators Can Help Further Your Career
Rodney Mack is the executive director of technology for Community Unit School District 200, with an extensive background in education; Rodney shares how his passion for education combined with a continuous effort to learn has helped with the overall success in his career.
What is your background in education?
"I have a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. During my first year teaching, I started one of the first ever Masters of Education in Technology programs. After completing this master's degree, I took coursework to become library certified and then began work on my Illinois state general administrative certificate. Both of those programs were equivalents to additional master's degrees, but I took the certificate-only path. I am currently in a doctoral program in school leadership. All-in-all, I have 17 years of professional education experience and was in a program of study or college for nine of those years."
How do you feel your formal education has helped with your career?
"I believe my college coursework has prepared me more for the opportunities I have been given. I learned early in my career that certification and experience are needed to further my career. I had to decline a position offered to me in my fourth year of teaching because I didn't have the correct certification. Since that time, I have taken over 60 hours of additional coursework so I can be ready for new opportunities and be prepared for changes and challenges in my current roles."
What do you feel are the biggest misconceptions when it comes to degrees in education?
"I think the biggest misconception in education is that the degree is not as important as the experience a person has in his career to prepare. I think the biggest advice I can give a person thinking about going into education is to be passionate. Education is about relationships. It requires dedication, determination and collaboration. I believe we are witnessing the biggest change in education in the past 100 years due to the movement involving technology in the classroom and it is an exciting time to be an educator."
Sara Lugardo is a professional writer out of Chicago, Illinois. She has a Bachelor's in Communication and is currently working on her Master's. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.
