Skip to main content

Welcome to the School of Teacher Preparation, Administration, and Leadership



The NMSU College of Education’s School of Teacher Preparation, Administration, and Leadership (TPAL) is devoted to the preparation of master educators, administrators and leaders for public, private, and governmental institutions. Graduates are prepared to serve as teachers, directors of instruction and curriculum, subject matter specialists, supervisors of student teaching, educational leaders, and university professors.

Vision

We serve the State of New Mexico, borderlands and global communities with socially responsive scholarship, innovative programs, and collaborative initiatives in education that foster and enhance the capacity of educators and communities to advance equity, democracy, and social justice in education and society.

Mission

As a School within a land-grant and Hispanic Serving Institution, we support and advocate for equitable education for all, especially historically marginalized and multicultural/multilingual communities and students with exceptionalities. We accomplish this through teaching, scholarship, public service, the preparation of teachers and leaders, and collaborations across the disciplines and with our constituents.

college building

Message from School of TPAL Director

A Message from the School Director

Dr. Lucero.jpg
Dr. Leanna Lucero, Director

Greetings!  

Welcome to the School of Teacher Preparation, Administration, and Leadership! We are organized within the College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation here at New Mexico State University in beautiful Las Cruces, New Mexico. 

The School of TPAL houses three primary academic departments: Educational Leadership and Administration, Special Education, and Curriculum and Instruction, which includes our Teacher Education Program. We offer numerous academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate level including licensure and nonlicensure bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctoral degrees, minor programs, and graduate certificates. TPAL also provides impactful research, outreach, and service through our numerous ancillary units including the Glass Family Research Institute for Early Childhood Studies, the Dona Ana County Head Start and Early Head Start Program, the School for Young Children at Myrna's Childrens Village, Educators Rising New Mexico, Collaborating for Readiness in Education, the Teacher pipline Initiative, and much more.

Through justice-oriented scholarship and creative activity, critically engaged teaching and learning, and community-driven service and outreach, the School of TPAL achieves NMSU's Land-Grant, Hispanic-Serving, Minority-Serving Institutional mission by generating and sustaining a robust, diverse, and culturally and linguistically responsive educator and educational leader pipeline for the state of New Mexico.

Sincerely,
Leanna Lucero, Ph.D.
LeannaL@nmsu.edu