The Fellowship for Public Education Leadership is designed for senior public education leaders who are dedicated to strengthening public school systems and the communities they serve. Fellows drive transformative work happening in urban school districts, charter networks, and state education agencies that advances equity and excellence for all students.
Applications for the 2025-26 cohort will open in January 2025.
Fellows meet in person four times throughout the 10-month program to connect deeply with one another and draw on the expertise of the Yale SOM faculty and other leaders in the field. The program curriculum explores new ideas, tools, and frameworks in order to apply multiple answers to questions about the Fellows' own leadership journey and approach and apply an equity lens.
Eligibility Requirements & Characteristics of Strong Candidates
What are the eligibility requirements to apply to the Fellowship?
The Fellowship for Public Education Leadership is open to senior public education leaders, particularly superintendents and cabinet-level leaders, currently working in large urban K-12 public school systems in the United States, including school districts, public charter organizations, and state education agencies. Applicants should currently serve in the top role in their district or agency, or should report directly to the school system or state education agency leader.
Additionally, applicants must work in an eligible organization. Eligible school districts serve at least 15,000 students drawn primarily from historically underserved communities. Eligible public charter organizations operate a minimum of five school sites and are located in areas that would otherwise qualify under the district size eligibility requirements.
What traits and characteristics are you considering in your admissions process?
In addition to the eligibility requirements, TBC at Yale SOM seeks Fellows that show strength across five competency areas and demonstrate capacity in six personal traits we believe are necessary for success in K-12 education leadership. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to The Broad Center’s mission of empowering school system leaders to achieve the dual goals of excellence and equity, therefore our admissions team looks for evidence of a commitment to equity across the other competency areas and traits.
Equity: Demonstrates leadership in improving outcomes for historically underserved student groups and communities through specific actions across other competency areas and traits
Vision: Creates and communicates a compelling and meaningful vision and mission for their organization and achieves buy-in for that vision among staff, constituents, and partners
Strategy: Ensures the overall vision and mission are accompanied by clear strategies to achieve them, including making connections and synthesizing data and evidence to determine course of action.
Management: Leads effective management of people and projects across the organization, while focusing on talent recruitment, retention, and development.
Navigation: Identifies, understands, and builds strategic alliances and coalitions to support and sustain key strategies.
Communication: Clearly and effectively communicates the work of their school system, including building relationships across people of different backgrounds and perspectives. Communicates with authority, credibility, and calm in times of crisis.
Personal Traits for K-12 Success: Demonstrates self-awareness, development orientation, flexibility, empathy, optimism, and courage
Reflections from Fellows
Application Information
Applications for the 2025-26 cohort will open in January 2025. If you are interested in joining a future cohort, please introduce yourself.
Online Application Window
January 22-March 11, 2025
Individual Interviews
March 31- April 11, 2025
Final Interviews (Virtual, Partial Days)
May 16 and May 17, 2025
Decision Notifications
May 30, 2025
Application Requirements
Initial Application
Initial application form with information about current role and organization; current resume; three short essays; unofficial academic transcripts
Recommendations (for those invited to final interview days)
Two professional references
M. Ann Levett
Superintendent, Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, Georgia
Dr. Levett is a lifelong educator with experience at every level in K-12 and higher education, including service as a board of education member, researcher, Dean of a School of Education, and an educational technology service center director.