The 2026 BES Fellowship for Founding School Leaders - Georgia

About the role#

The BES Fellowship for Founding School Leaders is a multi-year program designed to train leaders to design, found, and lead a high-achieving public charter school. This role is focused on the state of Georgia, specifically targeting regions outside of the metropolitan Atlanta area, such as central Georgia, rural areas, Athens, Albany, Braselton, or Dalton. The program begins with an intensive training year, followed by planning and operational support to ensure the long-term sustainability of the school.

What you'll do#

• Engage in over 300 hours of coursework covering school design, leadership, governance, community engagement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Conduct in-depth studies of effective schools nationwide and complete residencies at high-performing institutions.
• Develop a charter application and establish a founding board.
• Partner with a BES coach to refine project management and leadership skills, hire founding staff, and recruit students.
• Welcome the inaugural class, coach teachers, and use data to drive academic success during operational years.
• Foster an empowered, mission-aligned team and build leadership capacity to support future growth.

What you'll need#

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s or Professional degree preferred.
• Minimum of 8 years of professional experience, including instructional or instructional leadership experience.
• At least 2 years of experience managing and supervising adults in a PreK-12 setting.
• A commitment to serving as a school leader in the proposed community for at least 10 years.
• Strong preference for candidates with 2-3 years of experience living or working in the proposed school region.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage, and motivate teams toward results.
• Strong ties to the community and the ability to establish local connections for school enrollment.

Location & details#

• Location: Georgia, United States (On-site).
• Term: Summer 2027.
• Status: Full-time, paid.
• Note: The current Georgia placement is filled, but applications are being accepted for an active waitlist for potential upcoming opportunities.