The 2026 BES Fellowship for Founding School Leaders - Georgia

BES Fellowship and School Leadership Opportunities • Georgia, GA

11d • Onsite

About The Position

The BES Fellowship for Founding School Leaders - Georgia (outside of Atlanta) is a program designed for highly motivated individuals committed to transforming education. While the current Georgia placement for the 2026 cohort is filled, BES continues to accept and review applications for an active waitlist. Candidates may be considered for future cohorts in 2026 or 2027 should additional opportunities arise. The Fellowship aims to provide rigorous, multi-year training to design, found, and lead high-achieving schools that cater to the specific needs of their communities. BES is particularly interested in applicants from Georgia regions that are favorable for new public charter schools and align with authorizer priorities, especially in areas with limited or no existing charter school options. Regions of interest include, but are not limited to, central Georgia, rural areas, Athens, Albany, Braselton, or Dalton. BES identifies and prepares exceptional leaders to build, excel, and sustain schools, serving over 73,000 students through more than 220 founded schools.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum 8 years of professional experience.
• Instructional or instructional leadership experience required.
• At least 2 years managing and supervising adults in a PreK-12 setting required.
• Commitment to serving as a school leader in the proposed community for at least 10 years required.
• Ability to establish and activate local connections to support school enrollment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a team towards results.
• Possess a growth mindset and a continuous desire to improve.
• Eager to give, take, and implement feedback with humility and in real time.
• Experience in the community you are proposing for your school.
• Bring strong organizational partnerships.
• Can articulate how you will gain and factor in community input.
• School model will primarily serve students from under-sourced communities.
• Bring an anti-racist lens to the work.
• Had success with similar populations of students and been responsive to community needs.
• Clear vision for your school and can discuss key elements in a detailed, compelling, and direct manner.
• Hold yourself accountable for results.
• Believe that all students can achieve at high levels.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s or Professional degree preferred.
• 2 years of school leadership experience preferred.
• Strong preference for candidates with 2-3 years of experience living or working in the proposed school region, especially those with strong ties to the community.
• Clear, compelling rationale for the proposed school location.

Responsibilities

• Design, found, and lead a high-achieving school.
• Engage in over 300 hours of coursework on school design, leadership, governance, and community engagement, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion during the intensive training year.
• Conduct in-depth studies of effective schools across the nation.
• Complete residencies at high-performing schools.
• Develop a charter application.
• Establish a founding board.
• Refine project management and leadership skills.
• Hire founding staff.
• Recruit students.
• Solidify school vision.
• Welcome inaugural class of students.
• Coach teachers.
• Use data to drive academic success.
• Deepen academic focus and serve a growing student population.
• Build leadership capacity for future growth.
• Foster an empowered, mission-aligned team.
• Opt-in to additional BES leadership and professional development opportunities in year three of operation and beyond.

Benefits

• $100,000 grant during the first year of the program (the Fellowship training year).
• Health reimbursements available.
• Travel and accommodations for training and during school study travel.
• Reimbursement for up to $5,000 in moving expenses.
• Up to $3,500 reimbursed for school design expenses for Build Fellows.
• The opportunity to apply for BES start-up fund awards and/or those provided exclusively to Fellows by our partners.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree