Rich Steinberg
Ph.D. - Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership - K-12 Leadership
Education
1976, William & Mary, Ph.D. - Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership - K-12 Leadership
Describe your career and how the William & Mary School of Education helped prepare you.
After having taught American History for a number of years, in Westchester County, New York State, and wishing to become a school principal, I applied to a number of academic institutions to pursue doctoral studies in educational administration, and was truly very fortunate to complete said studies at William & Mary. My professors were excellent, and William & Mary provided me with graduate assistantships during two of my three full academic years there, and a full fellowship during the middle year, so I will always be very much indebted to W&M and the School of Education.
My coursework, my internship at a local school system for a semester, and my incredible first-hand experiences working directly with the school's professors, during my two graduate assistantships, prepared me extremely well, so much so that in spite of my never having been an assistant principal, upon completion of my studies, I was offered a principalship at the relatively young age of 33, in a Virginia school division to become its high school principal.
Why did you choose to apply to William & Mary and specifically to your program?
Being married and having a one year old baby made evident to me that in order to approach full-time doctoral studies, I would need financial assistance, meaning I should apply to a fair number of schools and simultaneously request financial assistance. Thus I applied to 13 programs in educational administration, all over the nation, based upon my personal awareness of the acknowledged reputations of those universities and their colleges or schools of education.
William & Mary, all the way back to when I was a high school student myself, had a wonderful reputation, and was known to be very competitive, especially for out-of-state students. The materials which I received and the personal awareness that I developed regarding William & Mary, and the School of Education, were in tandem, that this would be a very good "fit/match" for the type of educational program at the doctoral level, which I was seeking.
What has been the most influential experience as an alum?
Clearly having been a high school, [and much later, a middle school], principal, initially in Virginia and later in New Jersey, provided me a wonderful and challenging career, during which I was truly extremely fortunate, even blessed, to be able to work very closely with students and teachers, as well as supervisors and other administrators, and thereby make a significant difference in the progress and futures of virtually all with whom I had contact in those several venues.
For someone like me, it was a very meaningful career, as there was never a Sunday evening, wherein I did not wish to be in my respective school building the next morning.
I also had the privilege of serving on the Charter W&M, School of Education Development Board, from 1993-2000, and was its "chair" those final two years of my tenure. To this day, I am invited, as an emeritus Board member, to all of its events, for which I am very appreciative.
I have also been a guide to three or four School of Education doctoral students during the last decade or so, within the program that you, Elizabeth, lead, and, as well, in a somewhat similar format in which I also had previously served, prior to the current Ambassadors' program.
Lastly, my wife and I take considerable pride in providing an annual scholarship to a deserving School of Education doctoral student in educational administration, and in fact, our feeling truly reflects upon the reality that because William & Mary and the School of Education were so very generous to us, so many years ago, that we felt strongly that we should establish a scholarship [maybe 8-9 years ago], because it was, simply speaking, "our turn" to give back, in what I refer to as a "360 degree angle."
Any additional information you think a prospective student should know about the School of Education and our degree programs?
I truly believe that the School of Education is excellent, and provides a "human bridge" for its students to successful future careers in the many disciplines which create meaningful opportunities for its students, especially in an era when so many more educators are truly needed.
