We couldn’t be more excited to introduce you to our very first cohort of Transformative Leaders of Massachusetts (TLM) fellows! This phenomenal group of educators includes art, communications, humanities, math, social studies, science, and social studies teachers, as well as an adjustment counselor, deans, department heads, and coordinators from across the state. They bring a unique set of experiences, backgrounds, and skill sets but share a passion for creating a high school experience that will transform education as we know it. We are thrilled to support the fellows in making their visions for high school transformation a reality. We can’t wait to see how they will the change the lives of their students, staff, and broader communities!
The TLM fellows are:
- Caitlin Bradford – Hudson High School, Hudson, MA
- Bethany Cook – Monument Mountain Regional High School, Great Barrington, MA
- Lucille Germain – Veritas Prep Charter School, Springfield, MA
- Natalie Guthrie – Needham High School, Needham, MA
- Phelipe Johnson – Libertas Academy Charter School, Springfield, MA
- Kanchan Kant – Newton North High School, Newton, MA
- Amanda Laws – Rindge Ave Upper School, Cambridge, MA
- Candice Person – Veritas Prep Charter School, Springfield, MA
- Kettlynn Prophete – Academy of the Pacific Rim, Boston, MA
- AnnJilla Rogers – Jensen – Cambridge High School Extension Program, Cambridge, MA
- Ben Spencer – Prospect Hill Academy Charter School, Cambridge, MA
- Allen Wang – KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate, Lynn, MA
In addition to welcoming our fellows, we wanted to provide transparency around who was selected for the fellowship cohort, our recruitment and selection process, and how we intend to stay connected and share our learnings.
Goals
Our goal was to recruit 8-10 secondary educators who were dissatisfied with the status quo, had a strong interest in reimaging the high school experience for young people, and wanted to be the leaders that led the charge. It was important to us that the fellows selected were representative of the students of Massachusetts. Although 43% of K-12 students in Massachusetts are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), only 15% of high school principals identify as BIPOC. Therefore, we set a goal of at least 50% of selected fellows being BIPOC.
Outcomes
Our inaugural fellowship cohort consists of 12 fellows, 75% of whom are BIPOC. They are both, traditional district and charter school educators, represent multiple regions of the state, and have experience ranging from 5 to over twenty years in education. More than half of the cohort are first generation college, and 25% identifies as LGBTQIA+. The cohort far exceeds the racial diversity of MA students and educators.
So how did we get here?
Recruitment and Selection
To generate interest and applications, the Springpoint team reached out to state and district leaders, principals, and well-connected educators, asking them to share the opportunity across their networks in Massachusetts. We spoke directly with non-profit leaders and other colleagues for their recommendations on where to find strong secondary educators who could be a fit for the program, asked universities to share the opportunity with their alumni, connected with affinity groups, and posted the program on various websites, as well. The opportunity was advertised on social media, and we instituted a referral program to further promote word-of-mouth and generate leads for potential candidates.
We were incredibly impressed by the number of phenomenal educators doing amazing work across Massachusetts. Despite the challenges of the last few years, and the onslaught of negative stories about educators leaving the profession, we found that Massachusetts educators are passionate, optimistic, ambitious, and hungry for change. We received applications from 107 applicants: teachers, counselors, assistant principals, instructional coaches, and deans, with a variety of backgrounds and years in education, from charter schools and traditional district schools, all united by a commitment to doing high school differently.
We recruited a group of diverse selectors who were trained on a rubric and reviewed each application on a variety of metrics, including instructional ability, student-centered focus, and vision for transforming high school, among other factors. Selectors discussed candidate strengths for hours before determining an interview list and inviting 30 applicants for a virtual interview day.
After a rigorous and inspiring interview day, where we had the opportunity to meet finalists and hear more about their work, their vision for equity, and their case for change. The day was intentionally designed for the Springpoint team and potential fellows to become well-acquainted, but also for all candidates, regardless of acceptance into the fellowship, to regard the interview day as a strong professional development experience.
After the interviews, the Springpoint team met again to discuss candidates and made challenging decisions about who would receive an offer to join the fellowship.
Candidates who were part of the selection process responded positively to the selection process and found it to be a meaningful experience and a valuable opportunity to connect with like-minded educators in Massachusetts. Many indicated that they want to continue to stay in touch and connected to the work of TLM.
The Journey Ahead
As we enter our first year of working hand in hand with fellows to shape the TLM experience, we are excited to learn together and to transparently share what we are seeing, hearing, and discovering. We see this fellowship as an opportunity to codify practices and share learnings to strengthen the leadership preparation and apprenticeship experiences in service of school transformation.
Sign up for our newsletter to learn with us and stay tuned for more updates on the fellowship and to know when we start recruiting for our 2024 cohort!
Further reading: To learn more about the gender and racial/ethnic disparities of school leadership across Massachusetts, we recommend checking out this Rennie Center Study.