Administrative Internship

All Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program participants engage in a one-year administrative internship at a sponsoring Catholic school of their choice. This internship experience is intended to be a primary vehicle for the formation of new Catholic school leaders, and as such, is enhanced with several levels of professional, academic, and spiritual support. Program participants are expected to engage in the leadership of their school community, as well as to challenge themselves to use the internship experience as an opportunity for growth as an educator and as a leader. The internship is typically undertaken during the academic year between the first and second summer of coursework at Notre Dame.

Securing a position

Applicants are required to secure the sponsorship and support of a current school administrator. This support takes the form of an administrative internship where the intern works under the supervision of the principal or assistant principal, sharing in a specific set of administrative duties. Interns are encouraged to continue in teaching roles, perhaps with a reduced load, in order to be responsible for some aspect of the administration of the school. Supervising administrators are asked to complete various evaluation forms throughout the internship year and to provide a final, summative recommendation at the year’s end. The candidate’s eventual success in the program and initial state licensing is dependent upon this recommendation and successful completion of required academic work.

Responsibilities

Internship responsibilities are negotiated between the intern and the school administrator, with a plan being formulated that is approved by the program director. Notre Dame does not require that interns be formally named or paid as school administrators, but they must have clearly delineated administrative responsibilities.

Supervision and Evaluation

The supervising administrator must be a licensed, state-certified school administrator. Additionally, this administrator must agree to have an intern serve the school throughout the year and provide supervision over the intern’s assigned activities. The interns will be evaluated according to the manner in which their agreed upon administrative tasks are performed. At the end of the school year, supervisors will be asked to evaluate their interns in a summative fashion and indicate their assessment of the intern’s suitability for a principalship.