The Rural School Leadership Academy is open to all educators passionate about rural education and driven toward school leadership roles.

It develops the knowledge and skills necessary for school leadership roles while building a powerful network of aspiring school leaders in rural communities.

The Rural School Leadership Academy is a yearlong fellowship for two streams of aspiring and current school leaders:

• Stream 1: Classroom teachers who are beginning to explore school leadership roles.
• Stream 2: Mid-level school-based leaders preparing for school principal roles.

The key program components include:

• Four cycles of virtual professional development focused on building skills in school leadership competencies.
• One-on-one leadership coaching twice-monthly throughout the fellowship.
• Participant-driven application of learning to impact participant’s school community.

Eligibility Criteria

They are looking for applicants who are passionate about rural education and are driven toward school leadership roles. This program is now open to all rural educators. You do not need to be a Teach for America alum to apply.

All Participants

• Must be working in a rural K-12 school setting for the 2021-22 school year.
• Must be able to fully attend all four virtual learning cycles.

Stream 1 Participants

• Should be teaching in a rural school.
• Should be interested in pursuing an adult-facing leadership role in a rural K-12 school setting in the next 1-3 years.

Stream 2 Participants

• Must be serving in a role where the majority of your time is focused on instructional leadership of adults (likely a mid-level leadership role in a school such as assistant principal or dean.)
• Should have clear aspirations toward principalship in a rural community in the next 1-4 years.
• Should anticipate being in your role for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.

For more information, visit Teach For America.