> Very little of the tuition would be reimbursed by my
> district and I would not qualify for financial aid. I am
> trying to sell my husband on spending $12,000 with very
> little return

LOL, I was relieved when I got to the end of that sentence -
I was a bit concerned as I read "I would not qualify for
financial aid and I am trying to sell my husband..."
But on a more serious note - your age should not be a problem
to employers. But you should also consider for yourself how
many more years you hope to work before you retire. You are
57 and will be 59 before you finish the program. It can often
take several years to find an admin position once you're
certified (there are not nearly as many openings as there are
for teaching! and often a lot of competition for the openings
that exist); and usually administrators begin in a vice
principal / assistant principal or similar role for a few
years before applying for a principal position. Have you had
leadership experience in some form? That's another factor -
leadership experience will make you much more likely to
obtain an admin position.
So, depending on circumstancse it can take quite a few years
to get an initial admin position and then a few more to "move
up" if your goal is to become a principal. Look around at
what's most common in your area (are there often admin
openings? do admins ever become principals directly from
teaching or do they work their way through other positions
first?) Do the math on that based on local situations in any
areas in which you plan to apply and consider whether you're
hoping to be retired by then. If not, go for it!

On 7/26/10, Life long learner wrote:
> I am 57 years old and have been teaching for about 16
> years. I relocated many times and I am only in my current
> district in western PA for 3 years. I have 40+ grad credits
> but never got my masters, in part because of all the
> moving. I am considering a Masters program that would also
> allow me to obtain principal certification. Very little of
> the tuition would be reimbursed by my district and I would
> not qualify for financial aid. I am trying to sell my
> husband on spending $12,000 with very little return unless
> of course I could land an assist. principal position. The
> change on the salary scale for Masters would not increase
> my salary by very much at all. I could complete the program
> within 18 months. Never mind what the law says, I am
> wondering if my age would be a handicap for landing a job.
> I would be interested in your candid opinions. Thank you in
> advance for your insight.

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