"Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership: PK-12 Specialization"

The University of Washington Tacoma’s School of Education announces an opening for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership with a specialization in Pre-K through grade 12 (PK-12) Leadership. This is a full-time (100% FTE) faculty position with an expected start date of September 16, 2026. The initial appointment will be for a three-year term, eligible for reappointment after successful academic review.

Compensation
The annual salary range for this position is $83,232 to $87,444 per nine-month academic year ($9,248 to $9,716 per month), commensurate with experience and qualifications, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination. Additional compensation affiliated with this recruitment may include a one-time relocation allowance and/or start up professional funds, if applicable. A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs.

Position Details

All faculty at UW Tacoma engage in teaching, research and service. This position is expected to serve as core faculty primarily in the School of Education’s Doctorate in Educational Leadership Program (EdD) and will conduct relevant research, teaching, and service activities that reflect and extend the EdD program values. The position will engage in practitioner-based pedagogy while serving a student population of primarily professional, full-time employed adults. Professional expertise in PK-12 leadership, community grounded research and community-specific knowledges, critical pedagogy, and/or leadership within educational systems would be welcome additions to this role.

This position has a teaching load of 6 courses per academic year (September-June), an expectation of rigorous academic work in the candidate’s area of expertise and will perform service to the university and profession. Faculty at UW Tacoma are expected to teach primarily in person but may be asked to teach across a variety of in person, online, and hybrid modalities. Pending enrollments, funding, and programmatic needs, faculty at UWT may have the opportunity to teach courses in summer quarter (June-August) for additional compensation.

Service expectations may include: advising and mentoring students; participating in EdD Faculty Council meetings; working collaboratively with the EdD Faculty Council and the EdD Faculty Program Director on core governance matters including reviewing applications for admissions, development of curriculum, assessment, and/or instructional materials, service on committees, and maintaining external relationships with community stakeholders; and staying informed and active of current issues and professional practices.

Positive Factors for Consideration include:

• Demonstrated knowledge of state-level and national-level educational policies and systems, as well as current issues and trends in PK-12 education;
• Experience with EdD programs and/or professional learning programs for educational practitioners;
• Years of leadership experience in formal or informal education settings, related to the position;
• Experience leading systems-level change to advance outcomes for diverse PK-12 educators, students, and other stakeholders;
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with teaching and/or mentoring diverse graduate students and/or educators who have multidisciplinary backgrounds and interests;
• Experience teaching race-conscious curricula; and/or
• Experience partnering with racialized, minoritized, urban, Indigenous, and/or Tribal communities to advance educational opportunities and outcomes.

About the School of Education and EdD Program
The School of Education community at UW Tacoma acknowledges that we learn, live, reflect, and teach on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish people. As our campus is specifically situated on the traditional homeland of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, we will make intentional efforts to create inclusive and respectful partnerships that honor Indigenous cultures, histories, identities, and sociopolitical realities. To learn more about our land acknowledgement, visit: https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/soe/land-acknowledgment.

Established in 1992, the Education Program has evolved into a dynamic professional and scholarly community that is now at the forefront of transforming twenty-first-century organizations and schools. We attained full-fledge University of Washington school status in 2016. The School of Education’s mission is: “to prepare ethical and reflective educators and leaders who transform learning, contribute to the community, exemplify professionalism, and promote diversity.” We are internationally recognized for our commitment to equity and excellence in education. To learn more about our School, visit: https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/soe.

As UW Tacoma’s first doctorate, The EdD in Educational Leadership Program was established in 2013. A three-year 123-credit cohort-based program, with additional credits required for those in the superintendent track, classes meet monthly across the calendar year, with an interdisciplinary course structure supporting higher education, PK-12, community, and Tribal/Indigenous leadership. Students work collaboratively in leadership-focused courses on systemic change, anti-racism, and instructional leadership. To learn more about the EdD program, visit: https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/soe/EdD.

About UW Tacoma
UW Tacoma is one of three campuses of the University of Washington. Founded in 1990, UW Tacoma is an urban-serving undergraduate and graduate institution that is committed to providing an interdisciplinary and community-engaged education to a diverse student body. Our faculty include some of the brightest and most innovative scholars working across the disciplines. UW Tacoma’s commitment to equity and inclusion is central to maintaining an atmosphere wherein students, staff, faculty and residents find abundant opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth. To read more about our campus, Part of the UW Tri-Campus system, UW Tacoma is proud to serve diverse graduate and undergraduate students who give back to our surrounding communities. To learn more about UW Tacoma, visit: https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/home/about-university-washington-tacoma.

Diversity and Inclusion at UW Tacoma
The University is dedicated to hiring faculty who will enhance diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in higher education through their teaching, research, and service. Academic inquiries linking knowledge, service, and practice are especially supported and encouraged, including innovations in teaching, leadership in teaching communities of practice, and student mentorship. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and areas of practice to apply.

Qualifications

• An earned doctorate (or foreign equivalent) in education, educational leadership, educational policy studies, ethnic studies, PK-12 education, or a related field from an accredited college or university by the time of appointment.
• Demonstrated record of (or training/preparation for) high-quality teaching and research, showing promise of a successful professorial career, as evidenced by publications, peer-reviewed research, positively reviewed teaching, and/or other evidence-based reports.
• In exceptional circumstances, candidates in the final stages of the doctoral degree (pending conferral) may be selected and appointed on an acting basis.

Application Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials via Interfolio:

1. A cover letter outlining your interest in the position, including how you meet the minimum qualifications, and brief descriptions of your scholarly interests and/or research agenda (maximum 2 pages).
2. A teaching statement describing your teaching philosophy and your teaching experience, including descriptions of teaching success and/or other accomplishments related to teaching (maximum 1 page).
3. A diversity statement describing your experiences with and commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including how your research, teaching, and service has supported the success of learners from diverse ethnic, racial, gender, and/or other historically underrepresented or underserved groups in educational systems. If candidates have not yet had opportunity to demonstrate such support, please describe how you would support diverse learners at UW Tacoma (maximum 1 page).
4. A current curriculum vitae.
5. An academic writing sample such as an article, book chapter, or dissertation chapter, or equivalent academic output.

The priority deadline for review of applications is Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Review will continue until the position is filled.

Additional Instructions
Candidates who advance in the search will be asked to submit the following (more instructions will be provided to candidates at a later time): (a) a teaching portfolio, including recent evidence of teaching success, such as student or peer teaching evaluations, sample syllabi, and/or other artifacts related to teaching; and (b) three (3) confidential professional and/or academic letters of recommendation.

All materials must be submitted via Interfolio (https://apply.interfolio.com/172063). General questions about the search may be directed to the School of Education’s front desk at: uwted@uw.edu, or 253-692-4430. Questions about the search should be directed to the Search Chair, Dr. Christopher B. Knaus (EdD Program Director & Professor), at educate@uw.edu.