It’s a great time to be a Florida educator, and an even better time to consider making the move from the classroom and into administration. K-12 public education funding in the Sunshine State is on the rise, with the 2022-23 state budget coming in at $15.5 billion over the 2021-22 budget. An increase in per-pupil spending, an increase in spending for programs related to mental health and school safety, and a surge of capital to increase the minimum teacher salary are just a few of the ways Florida is demonstrating its commitment to the state’s nearly three million PreK-12 students.
As Florida invests in its school system, you have plans to invest in your career by adding a master’s, educational specialist, or doctoral degree to your resume. Doing so will allow you to recommit your career to education and pursue a career in educational administration, either as a principal or superintendent.
The move to educational leadership and administration comes with greater earning power, new professional challenges, and countless opportunities to serve Florida’s children in new and exciting ways. It’s time to make a change and advance your career in education!
How to Become a Principal in Florida – School-level Educational Leadership
Becoming a principal in Florida is a two-step process that includes first adding an Educational Leadership – Administrative Class subject area and then a School Principal – Administrative Class subject area to your current Professional Florida Educator’s Certificate through the Florida Department of Education.
Before you can begin working toward becoming a principal in Florida, you’ll need to hold, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree and a Professional Florida Educator’s Certificate.
Once you’ve met these requirements, you’ll be ready to take the next steps to become a principal in Florida.
Step 1. Earn a Minimum of a Master’s Degree and Complete the Florida Educational Leadership Core Curriculum
Florida’s Educational Leadership core curriculum includes the following principal leadership standard areas:
- Instructional leadership
- Managing the learning environment
- Learning, accountability, and assessment
- Decision making strategies
- Technology
- Human resource development
- Ethical leadership
- Vision
- Community and stakeholder partnerships
- Diversity
There are four, primary paths you can take to satisfy Florida’s Educational Leadership core curriculum and earn the education you need to add the Educational Leadership – Administrative Class subject area to your Professional License:
- Earn a master’s degree or higher in educational administration, administration and supervision, or educational leadership
- Earn a master’s degree or higher in a subject other than educational administration, administration and supervision, or educational leadership and complete a Department of Education-approved modified Florida program in educational leadership
- Earn a master’s degree or higher in a subject other than educational administration, administration and supervision, or educational leadership and earn at least 30 semester hours of graduate credit that includes credit in each of the principal leadership standard areas
- Complete an Educational Leadership training program that’s approved by the Department of Education and offered through a Florida public school district
There are many colleges and universities in Florida that offer state-approved Level 1 Educational Leadership programs in educational administration, administration and supervision, or educational leadership. These master’s, educational specialist, and doctoral degree programs include all of the necessary coursework and practical requirements to earn an Educational Class – Administrative Certificate in Florida.
Department-approved Level I Educational Leadership Programs lead to an initial certification in educational leadership in Florida and are designed to prepare you to become a school administrator.
These programs are often designed as:
- MEd in Educational Leadership
- MS in Educational Leadership
- EdD in Educational Leadership
- EdS in Educational Leadership
- EdS in Educational Leadership & Policy
- EdS in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
Many of these programs require at least three years of teaching experience for admission.
You’ll also find many schools that offer Department of Education-approved modified programs in educational leadership. These graduate-level programs are specifically designed to meet Florida’s Educational Leadership core curriculum for those who already hold a master’s degree in a subject other than educational administration, administration and supervision, or educational leadership. These programs are often an ideal choice for educators who already hold a master’s degree or higher and want to make the transition to education leadership and administration.
Step 2. Take and Pass the Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE)
You must take and pass the Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE) to add an Educational Leadership – Administrative Class subject area to your current Florida Professional Certificate. This exam includes three subtests that cover the following topics:
- Subtest 1: Leadership for Student Learning: Student Learning Results, Student Learning as a Priority, Instructional Plan Implementation, and Learning Environment
- Subtest 2: Organizational Development: Faculty Development, Leadership Development, and Professional and Ethical Behavior
- Subtest 3: Systems Leadership: Decision Making, School Management, and Communication
The first two subtests of the FELE include multiple-choice questions, while Subtest 3 includes multiple-choice questions and a written performance assessment, which is used to assess your proficiency in written communication and data analysis.
You can take the FELE year-round at a testing center near you.
Step 3. Add an Educational Leadership – Administrative Class Subject Coverage Area to Your Florida Professional Certificate
You’ll add an Educational Leadership- Administrative Class Subject Area to your Florida Professional Certificate by applying online through the Online Licensing Service.
Step 4. Complete a Level II Principal Preparation Program and Add an Educational Leadership – School Principal Class Subject Area to Your Florida Professional Certificate
Now it’s time to complete a Level II Principal Preparation Program to become a school principal. Level II Principal Preparation Programs build upon your Level I training and allow you to renew your certificate as a school principal.
Level II Principal Preparation Programs are formally planned professional development programs that are completed under the direct supervision of a currently practicing school principal who has been approved by the district school board.
To qualify for a Level II Principal Preparation Program, you must:
- Hold a Florida Professional License with an Educational Leadership – Administrative Class subject area
- Be employed in a full-time leadership position (usually as an assistant principal)
- Complete the program through a Department of Education-approved Florida school district
Once you’ve completed this one-year principal preparation program, you can add an Educational Leadership – School Principal subject area to your Professional Certificate by applying through the Online Licensing Service.
Step 5. Maintain Your Professional Certificate
A Florida Professional Certificate is valid for five years (July 1 – June 30). You must complete at least six hours of college credit, one semester hour of which must be related to teaching students with disabilities, to maintain your Florida Professional Certificate.
School Principal Salary and Jobs in Florida
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), principals in Florida earned a median salary of $94,120 as of May 2021. Top earners in this field earned about $100,640 during this time.
Principals in the Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island metro area earned one of the highest median salaries as of May 2021, at $118,960, followed by those in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area, where they earned a median salary of $99,330. These metro areas include the Collier County Public Schools and the Lee County School District.
Some of the highest principals in the state were located in the Miami-Fort-Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro area, where the top principals earned about $119,410. School districts in this metro area include the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the Broward County Public Schools, and the School District of Palm Beach County.
How to Become a Superintendent in Florida – District-Level Educational Leadership
Florida’s superintendents are not required to be certified or licensed. That’s because Florida is one of just a couple states (Alabama being the other; Mississippi changed from an elected system to an appointed system in 2019) where school superintendents can be elected. Currently, 41 out of the 67 Florida public school districts elect their superintendents.
Among school districts in Florida where superintendents are appointed, it’s commonplace to see requirements that include at least ten years of administrative/leadership experience and a master’s or doctoral degree. Some of the degrees earned by aspiring superintendents in Florida include:
- MEd in Educational Leadership
- EdS Educational Leadership – Superintendent
- EdS Educational Administration & Supervision
- EdD Educational Leadership
- EdD Leadership & Innovation
Though not required, the Florida Association of District School Superintendents is home to the Leadership Development Program, which offers a new superintendent orientation program, a superintendent mentoring program, and even the opportunity to complete a Superintendent Special Certification Program. These programs are open to Florida superintendents as soon as they are appointed or elected.
Superintendent Salary and Jobs in Florida
According to the BLS, superintendents in Florida earned about $122,860 as of May 2021. Some of the highest earners in this profession were located in the Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island metro area, where they earned about $149,740.
Both the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area and the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton metro area also revealed top salaries for superintendents, at $126,460 and $126,040, respectively.
Educational Leadership Degree Options in Florida: Doctorate and Master’s in Educational Leadership
You’re focused, dedicated, and committed to both the field of education and your career, which is why your plans include exploring new opportunities in educational administration. Whether you aspire to become a principal or superintendent, Florida’s colleges and universities are rich in degree programs at the master’s, educational specialist, and doctorate levels.
Available to students in Florida and across the country, these programs are often delivered in convenient and flexible online formats to accommodate the busy, working schedules of today’s educators.
Barry University
School of Education
Accreditation: SACSCOC
Online
MS in Educational Leadership
- Concentration: Certification and non-certification tracks offered
Also offers:
Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership
Ed.D in Transformational School Leadership
Florida Southern College
School of Education
Accreditation: SACSCOC
Campus, online
M.Ed in Educational Leadership
Also offers:
Ed.D in Educational Leadership
Hobe Sound Bible College
Accreditation: ABHE
Online
M.Ed in Educational Leadership
Jacksonville University
College of Arts and Sciences, Education Department
Accreditation: SACSCOC
Hybrid
MS in Leadership and Learning
- Concentration: Instructional Leadership Training and Development (ILTD)
Keiser University
Graduate School
Accreditation: SACSCOC
Online
MS in Educational Leadership
Also offers:
MS.Ed in Allied Health Teaching and Leadership
Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, PhD in Educational Leadership
Lynn University
Donald E. and Helen L. Ross College of Education
Accreditation: SACSCOC
Online
M.Ed in Educational Leadership
- Concentrations: K-12 track, Training and Development track
Also offers:
Ed.D in Educational Leadership
Nova Southeastern University
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice
Department of Education
Accreditation: SACSCOC
Online
MS in Educational Leadership
- Concentrations: Pre-K–12 Leadership Certification track, Non-Certification track
Saint Leo University
College of Education and Social Services
Accreditation: SACSCOC
Campus, online
M.Ed in Educational Leadership
Also offers:
Ed.D in School Leadership
Post-Graduate Certificate in Education Specialist-Educational Leadership
M.Ed in Instructional Leadership
M.Ed in Instructional Leadership and Reading
Southeastern University
College of Education
Accreditation: SACSCOC
Online
M.Ed in Educational Leadership
Also offers:
Ed.D in Education track in Organizational Leadership
St. Thomas University
Biscayne College, Department of Leadership and Education
Accreditation: SACSCOC
Hybrid, online
MS in Educational Leadership
Also offers:
Ed.D in Leadership and Innovation (Administration, Digital Instruction, Sports Administration)
Stetson University
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Education
Accreditation: SACSCOC
Campus
M.Ed in Educational Leadership
The University of Tampa
College of Social Sciences Mathematics and Education
Department of Education
Accreditation: SACSCOC
Hybrid, campus
M.Ed in Educational Leadership
Trinity Baptist College
Accreditation: TRACS
Online
M.Ed in Educational Leadership
2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for education administrators, kindergarten through secondary. Job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures are based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed March 2023.