The job of the K12 school district superintendency is mired in political, logistical and administrative challenges that can often strain and overwhelm. Just ask the state of Maryland: About a third of all superintendent positions were up for grabs in 2022.

Thanks to the University of Maryland’s partnership with state school districts, the Education in School System Leadership, Ed.D. challenges the next wave of superintendents to take on a district's real-time wicked problem that they've identified, diagnose its root causes and alleviate it under the guidance of the program.

“We are heightening their awareness of all the K12 systems and how they interact with the whole ecosystem,” says Pamela Shetley, the program’s associate director.