Park Hill district leader earns Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, credits program for helping secure promotion

Marcus Fryatt, 32-year-old Director of Assessment for the Park Hill School District, graduated from KU this May with an Ed.D. in Educational Administration. When choosing where to pursue his doctorate, Fryatt needed a well-regarded program with a flexible schedule so he could spend quality time with his wife Jamie and their two young children.
“KU has an amazing reputation as a higher education institution, and as I continued my education to earn my Ed.D., I wanted to earn it from a highly reputable school. KU’s schedule and affordability also allowed me to maximize the time I could spend balancing family, work and school.”

Find out more about Fryatt and what he learned at KU.

What is a typical day in your life like?

A typical day for me includes getting my children ready for daycare and dropping them off prior to heading to work. After arriving at work, I partner with district and building leaders to continue supporting our district as we help each student be successful each day. I am lucky enough to spend my day after work with my wife and children having a family meal, playtime, and some relaxation before my children’s bedtime.

What makes you the happiest?

There are two things that make me the happiest, with the first being time with my wife and children. While many know the struggles of being a parent, there is nothing better in this world than spending time with the ones you love the most. The only thing that can make that any better is being with my wife and children in Maine!

What motivates you?

My children motivate me every day. Everything I do is to provide my children with experiences, opportunities, or an example of how I hope they will continue to live their life as they get older. Being able to let them have different experiences in their life is something that I valued throughout my childhood, and I hope I can provide the same for them.

Why did you choose KU and the Edwards Campus?

KU has an amazing reputation as a higher education institution and as I continued my education to earn my Ed.D. I wanted to earn this from a highly reputable school. KU’s schedule and affordability also allowed me to maximize the time I could spend balancing family, work, and school.

How did KUEC meet your personal and/or academic needs?

When continuing your education, the trick is balancing family, work and school. The times in which we met, and the location, allowed me to balance those things while focusing on my education.

How has your degree prepared you for the future? 

I believe that this degree led to me getting my current job as a district leader even though I had yet to complete the degree when I accepted the position. The field experiences and networking that came from this degree program has allowed me to meet people and expand my understanding of the K-12 education setting to allow me to get to the position I am in today.
What was the most difficult part of earning your college degree and how did you overcome it?
Time. The balance that I mentioned was the most difficult part of this degree, and trying to avoid the guilt of not being with my wife and children. I was able to combat this by scheduling time to work on “KU Stuff” early in the morning before everyone was awake.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

My proudest accomplishment is becoming the first individual in my family to earn a doctoral degree and setting an example for my children that with a lot of hard work and effort you can balance family and school time.

What is your favorite memory of your time at KUEC?

Working with my cohort members and the professors is the best memory of this program that I will have. Becoming friends with cohort members and helping get each other through was a huge part of the program. The professors in the program were incredible and great at pushing us to become better educational leaders.

What are your long-term career goals and how do you plan to achieve them?

To be honest, I am extremely happy with where I am and have moved up quickly from teaching to where I am now. Ultimately, I can see myself as either an assistant superintendent for Academic Services or assistant superintendent for Business and Technology. In order to achieve this, I must continue to learn and have experiences that could lead to this type of position.

What advice would you give others who are thinking of earning a degree, whether a first-time bachelor’s, a second bachelor’s or a master’s?

The best piece of advice that I can give is to make a schedule for yourself and stick to it. Establish the times that you can be most effective and efficient when completing your schoolwork. Make it happen and don’t let excuses get in your way. It is tough, but making and sticking to a schedule will allow you to get through it!

Learn more about KU’s Doctor of Education in Educational Administration