Assistant or Associate Professor in K-12 Leadership

Faculty, tenure-track position in K-12 Leadership beginning August 2027 or earlier, based on department need and funding.

About the role

The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison seeks a scholar with an established interest and record in research, teaching, and service aligned with the department’s mission: to create, evaluate, exchange, and apply knowledge about leadership, learning, and organizational performance to prepare scholars and scholar-practitioners who cultivate equity and educational opportunity in a diverse and changing world.

Preference will be given to candidates whose teaching and research focus on K-12 public school/district leadership with current and emerging applications of artificial intelligence, including related areas such as special education, data-informed continuous improvement, and systems change. Candidates with a successful external funding portfolio in K-12 leadership—particularly in data-driven continuous improvement, AI-enhanced leadership practice, and/or special education—are strongly encouraged to apply. Experience working as a school or district leader, or in a community leadership role, is desirable but not required.

We seek an individual committed to excellence in research, teaching, graduate student advising, and contributing to the growth and quality of our K-12 Leadership programs. This position is open to a wide range of candidates, including current assistant and associate professors, postdoctoral fellows, recent doctoral degree recipients, and individuals with distinguished educational leadership experience. Associate Professor candidates must possess experience and scholarly credentials suitable for appointment with tenure at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Responsibilities

• Embrace departmental and university service responsibilities, including participation in professional service.
• Inform and enrich state policy development in alignment with the Wisconsin Idea.
• Create and maintain networks with students, staff, and faculty in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.
• Advise and mentor doctoral, master’s, and certification students, and serve on doctoral student committees.
• Teach core and graduate-level courses in the K-12 leadership programs, delivered in various modalities and typically scheduled in evenings and weekends, for educational leadership scholars, leaders, practitioners, and policymakers.
• Conduct exemplary research leading to publications in major scholarly outlets and pursue and secure external grant funding.

Qualifications

• Established interest and record of research, teaching, and service aligned with the department’s mission.
• PhD or terminal degree, conferred by the start date.

Preferred Qualifications

• Teaching focus on K-12 public school/district leadership with current and emerging applications of artificial intelligence, including related areas such as special education, data-informed continuous improvement, and systems change.
• Research focus on K-12 public school leadership and the evolving role of artificial intelligence, with scholarly emphasis on data-informed continuous improvement.
• Successful external funding portfolio focused on K-12 public school leadership, particularly in data-driven continuous improvement, AI-enhanced leadership practice, and/or special education.
• Commitment to excellence in graduate student advising.
• Experience working as a school or district leader, or in a community leadership role (desirable but not required).

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off.
• Competitively priced health, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Tax-advantaged savings accounts.
• Participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund.