Principal Fellow

The Uncommon Schools Principal Fellowship was created to strategically identify, develop, and train rising leaders. As we continue to grow and maintain the highest standards for all of our schools, it is critical to prepare our future leaders in an environment immersed in the successful practices of our schools and the thoughtful leadership of our current Principals.The Principal Fellowship provides a robust development process to prepare leaders to lead a school in conjunction with the Director of Operations. This Principal Fellow and eventual Principal is a full-time employee, hired, supported, and evaluated by the Regional Superintendent of Instruction and the Senior Director of School Support.  The fellowship is based on a foundation of core elements aligned to the competencies of Uncommon Principals. Each element is designed to build Principal Fellows’ capacity towards becoming effective instructional school leaders:Feedback and Assessment Feedback, especially individualized feedback, is the main tool that will support the Principal Fellow’s growth as a leader. It is the main reason our schools go from good to great. Principal Fellows will receive feedback formally and informally throughout the year. Informal feedback will be given throughout the Principal Fellow’s time in schools, PD, and in cohort gatherings. This will include feedback from the Principal Fellow’s Host Principal, the Regional Superintendent of Instruction, and the Senior Director of School Support. School Immersion By integrating fully into the day-to-day activities of an Uncommon school, Principal Fellows will gain exposure to situations they may face as a school leader and be challenged to manage the complexity of scenarios that occur at a school.  Principal Fellows will work with their Host Principal and Senior Director of School Support at the beginning and throughout their Fellowship to plan how they will master the competencies needed to lead a high-performing school. Principal Fellows should be “in the driver’s seat” of their learning and should feel empowered to take advantage of all opportunities to build their leadership. The Principal Fellow must seek and plan for opportunities throughout their Fellowship to demonstrate a leadership presence and full school Immersion.Professional DevelopmentAll Principal Fellows will join our Principals in monthly, cross-regional professional development. This is an amazing opportunity to learn alongside your Principals and cohort members to learn the most up-to-date best practices and develop your leadership capabilities. In addition, all 1st and 2nd year Principal Fellows will attend a series of professional development workshops. These sessions will be more intimate and allow for more “at-bats,” practice, and direct application to your school immersion. In years past, Principal Fellows have found these sessions to be most effective when they can immediately practice their learnings in their host school. These cohort sessions will provide opportunities for Principal Fellows to look to one another for professional and personal support.