A journey from literacy to leadership

Longwood’s online graduate programs helped one educator turn her passion for literacy into a career in school leadership.

After earning her master's degree and educational leadership endorsement from Longwood University, Jessica McCracken is putting her passion for literacy and instructional leadership to work as an elementary school academic dean.

Jessica McCracken knew she wanted to make a difference beyond her own classroom. Inspired by a literacy coach who helped teachers improve instruction across an entire school, she began exploring opportunities to expand her impact as an educator.

“As a classroom teacher, I'm impacting the kids that I have, but she was really impacting all of the teachers,” Jessica said. “And I just thought, ‘What an impact that could have on so many students.’”

That inspiration led Jessica to Longwood University, where she earned her master's degree in Reading, Literacy, and Learning in 2022. She returned to complete her Educational Leadership Endorsement in 2024.

Today, Jessica serves as an academic dean at Buffalo Trail Elementary School in Northern Virginia, drawing on the knowledge, relationships and leadership skills she developed through both programs.

Finding Flexibility and Connection at Longwood

When Jessica began researching graduate programs, she considered several universities across Virginia. Longwood stood out for its responsive faculty, flexible online format and opportunities for professional growth.

“The Longwood faculty members were absolutely the best with answering all of my questions, and I really appreciated that they had both the endorsement and the master's track,” Jessica said.

Initially interested in pursuing an endorsement, Jessica ultimately decided to complete the full master's degree.

Longwood's online format allowed her to continue working while pursuing graduate studies without sacrificing the interaction and academic rigor she valued.

“The program was so easy to make work with my schedule,” she said. “I really loved that even though it was online, there were live classes every week. It was the same level of rigor [as an in-person program], just virtually.”

Building Relationships Beyond the Classroom

Although Jessica completed her coursework online, she developed lasting connections with classmates and faculty.

“I got to know my cohort very, very well because we were together for two years,” she said.

Those relationships extended beyond graduation. Jessica became close friends with a classmate she worked with regularly online but didn't meet in person until commencement.

Faculty members also provided mentorship and professional connections that continued after she completed the program.

“I knew that if I had a question, I could text Dr. Snow,” Jessica said. “They were able to help with connecting me with conferences and opportunities both during the program and after.”

From Literacy Coach to Academic Dean

After earning her master's degree in 2022, Jessica became a literacy coach supporting eight schools across her district. She worked with teachers, administrators, reading specialists and other educators to strengthen instruction and support student learning.

As her responsibilities expanded, she recognized the value of additional leadership preparation and returned to Longwood for her Educational Leadership Endorsement.

Her combined graduate experiences helped prepare her for her current role as an academic dean.

“I think even though I'm in the admin role now, the experience from the RLL program has really helped me to be a strong instructional leader as an administrator,” Jessica said.

Her literacy expertise continues to inform how she supports teachers, develops instructional practices and approaches school leadership.

“Being able to coach teachers and knowing the ins and outs of the Virginia Literacy Partnership has been really helpful,” she said.

Carrying Mentorship Forward

Throughout her career, Jessica has benefited from educators who encouraged her to grow professionally.

Her former literacy coach, Mary Pratt, inspired her interest in instructional leadership by demonstrating how one educator could influence learning across multiple classrooms.

“She was the biggest cheerleader,” Jessica said, “but also the biggest proponent of, ‘Okay, we’ve got this down—what’s next?’”

Teri Finn, a retired executive principal in Loudoun County, also provided guidance as Jessica transitioned into school administration. Their mentorship relationship continued beyond the formal program.

Jessica now brings those lessons into her own leadership approach, emphasizing collaboration, professional growth and support for fellow educators.

“Education is such a complex field. You really have to have the right people there collaborating together, leaning on each other, because no one person can solve all the things.”

A Lasting Impact on Her Career

For Jessica, returning to Longwood was an opportunity to build on an educational experience that had already helped shape her career.

“I do feel like between both of those two programs, it opened a tremendous amount of doors,” she said.

From classroom teacher to literacy coach to academic dean, Jessica's professional journey reflects the value of continued learning, strong mentorship and instructional leadership.

Her experience also demonstrates how Longwood's online graduate programs can help working educators pursue new opportunities while remaining connected to the schools and communities they serve.