First-of-its-kind National Aspiring Principal Fellowship Now Available in 37 States and DC
Educators looking to become school leaders in 37 states and Washington, DC, can now enroll in the National Aspiring Principal Fellowship, a first-of-its-kind program created by national nonprofit New Leaders in partnership with distinguished historically Black institutions Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College to dramatically boost the number of principals of color leading K-12 schools across the country.
The Fellowship is an online principal certification and master’s degree program designed to train the next generation of equity-focused principals who better reflect the students they serve. Half of the nearly 50 million students in public schools today identify as people of color, while only 1 in 5 principals do. Only 11% of principals are Black, and just 9% are Hispanic, even as research shows that principals of color deliver better outcomes for students of color and are more effective at hiring and retaining teachers of color.
“Leadership matters, and in schools, research tells us that it matters a great deal — from hiring great teachers to creating safe, welcoming environments for all students. We also know that representation in school leadership matters because research has shown it leads to better outcomes for students of color,” said Jean Desravines, CEO of New Leaders. “Our goal with the Fellowship is to create a pipeline of diverse, equity-focused school leaders who have high expectations, hold themselves and teachers accountable, and see the brilliance and potential of children, especially historically underserved students.”
“Clark Atlanta University has educated teachers of color for generations, so it is fitting that we are a partner in this historic Fellowship that is now available to aspiring principals in the majority of states across the country,” said J. Fidel Turner, Ph. D., dean of the Clark Atlanta School of Education. “When we talk about fundamentally changing what is happening in education in our country, this is what we mean: transforming the system so that every school is led by an equity-focused principal with the highest expectations for every child.”
Through state approvals of New Leaders and Clark Atlanta’s programs, Fellows can seek direct certification or reciprocity to serve as principals in states including: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
State licensure and certification are at all times subject to the requirements of the credentialing state.
School districts and charter school management organizations interested in sponsoring a cohort of educators to join the National Aspiring Principals Fellowship can do so at fellowship.newleaders.org.
Educators enrolling in the Fellowship will join a nationwide network of 8,000 skilled leaders who have completed New Leaders training to advance their leadership skills and help ensure that every student that walks through the doors of their schools can thrive.
For more on this groundbreaking program, visit fellowship.newleaders.org.
Tags: diversity, equity, principal preparation, teacher leaders
