In her quest to become a school superintendent, Aileen Delgado picked a good time to shadow one of the top administrators in her district.
This year, Perth Amboy Public Schools in New Jersey, where Delgado works, welcomed 3,300 students to the biggest high school in New Jersey history, a $284 million project nearly 40 years in the making, Delgado said.
"We had a superintendent from the 1940s come to the grand opening," said Delgado, who earned her doctorate after completing the Department of Teaching and Learning’s UOnline Applied Learning Sciences program earlier this year.
"This was a dream come true for the entire community. It was wonderful to witness that and play even a small role in it."
As part of a year-long internship offered through the New Jersey Principals & Supervisors Association, Delgado is shadowing two top administrators in two very different school districts in New Jersey.
One, Perth Amboy, is an urban district of more than 10,000 students, and the other, Metuchen Public Schools, is more suburban with less than 3,000 students.
Delgado, who moved to New Jersey from Miami in 2016, said she is getting a birds-eye view of how decisions are made that will serve her well as she continues her career in school administration.
"I’ve learned so much from both of my mentors," said Delgado, who is district supervisor of bilingual/ESL (English as a second language) and world languages for pre-K to fifth grade at Perth Amboy Public Schools.
"My end goal is to become a superintendent," she added. "In my intern cohort, we all shared what our goals were so yes, everybody knows now, including my superintendent. Fortunately for me, everyone is wonderfully supportive."
Delgado said she credits professors in her program at the School of Education and Human Development with giving her the confidence to dream big in her career goals.
"My professors laid out a path for us and showed us what was possible," said Delgado. "I’ve used everything I learned about being an instructional leader at UM to propel my career forward."
Back at Perth Amboy High School, which opened in September, Delgado said her job was to be "the boots on the ground" to help teachers get ready for their first day.
"We brainstormed what was needed for a model classroom," she explained. "Then we set the classrooms up with supplies and bulletin boards, so they were move-in ready. The teachers could walk in and start teaching on day one."
This winter, Delgado will take a four-hour assessment exam to earn her school administration certificate from the New Jersey Department of Education. That will open the door to many new opportunities, including potentially becoming a school superintendent one day, she said.
"I want to continue learning as much as I can and seek positions within my district that will build my capacity to be a better leader," she said.
"The University of Miami’s online EdD program gave me a deep understanding of the skills and competencies a superintendent needs to lead instructional improvements and foster a positive school district culture," she added. "I’m really thankful to UM for that."
Delgado, whose parents came to the U.S. from Cuba as teenagers, speaks multiple languages, including French, Italian, and Portuguese. With the support of professors in her doctorate program, Delgado said she now views being multilingual as an asset, particularly in her district, with its growing population of non-English speaking students.
"It makes me something of a unicorn, and I know now that is okay, more than okay," she explained. "I want to be able to help families who are brand new to this country and not yet oriented to the U.S. style of education."
As a first generation American, Delgado said it’s a mission she holds close to her heart.
"My parents sat in classrooms at 15-16 years old, not speaking the language and not having the kind of support we provide today," she said. "So, the passion I have for these students and their situations is very personal. They are a lot like my parents. I don’t want to let them down."
