Massachusetts Aspiring Principal Fellowship
Welcome to the DESE Aspiring Principal Fellowship application! We look forward to receiving your application and learning more about you as an educator and a leader.
What is the Massachusetts Aspiring Principal Fellowship?
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) understands the pivotal role that school leaders play in empowering student success and achievement. To this end, DESE has established the Massachusetts Aspiring Principal Fellowship, a one-year program for aspiring school leaders that seeks to cultivate a strong and diverse pipeline of effective school principals who are committed to championing culturally and linguistically sustaining learning communities, equity-driven leadership, and anti-racist practices. This program aims to inspire and empower aspiring principals to lead with vision, passion, and purpose and to create a brighter future for all students. To launch this inaugural fellowship, DESE has partnered with The Lynch Leadership Academy.
Fellow Eligibility
- Educator with a minimum of 3 years of experience working in a school setting.
- Currently employed and will be employed in SY 2024-2025 in a Massachusetts public school.
- Has an identified and committed mentor principal for the 2024-2025 school year.
Who should apply?
Individuals who aspire to become school principals* in Massachusetts public schools.
Individuals who are committed to promoting cultural responsiveness, equity, and anti-racism in their leadership practices.
*The Aspiring Principals Fellowship aligns with many programmatic requirements for the Administrative Apprenticeship/Internship route to licensure. Other licensure requirements may still apply.Fellowship Time Commitment Fellows and mentors should expect 10-12 hours per month. This will be a combination of virtual or on-site monthly meetings, field-based experiences, engaging feedback cycles with mentors, and individual coaching with the vendor. Fellows who interested in pursuing their MA provisional assistant principal/principal license through the Administrative Apprenticeship route will be required to complete the 500-hour required minimum for field experience.How to Apply?Both the fellow and the mentor must submit their applications by 4:00 pm on April 26, 2024, which is the priority deadline for this program. Once you submit your application, your identified mentor will receive the application component. Therefore, please try to submit your application well in advance of April 26, 2024, to give your mentor enough time to complete their component on time.Fellowship Timeline
- Application Launch: March 20, 2024
- Priority Submission Date: April 26, 2024
- Application Submission Window: March 18, 2024 – April 26, 2024
- Fellowship Interviews: April 30, 2024- May 19, 2024
- Notification of Final Fellow Selection: May 24, 2024
Virtual Information Sessions Date - Register Link
- April 4, 2024 – 5:30 pm- 6:30 pm
If you have any questions about the application, please contact joretha.s.lewis@mass.gov.