KIPP SoCal School Leader Fellow Program

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Please note: If your candidacy progresses, you will be invited to pre-interviews currently planned for December 10-11, 2026. If you progress to the final selection event, we will invite you to approximately 1.5 days of interviews currently scheduled for January 14-15, 2027. Pre-interviews will be completed via Zoom, and the final selection event is will be an in-person event. Specific school-site placement for the program will be determined following the selection process.
• *Note: For external to KIPP SoCal candidates who successfully pass the pre-selection interview, a member of the KIPP SoCal team will conduct an in-person observation at your school site before the final interview. This experience typically lasts 1/2 a day and allows our team to see you in your element.

Job-Embedded Residency: Fellows serve as full-time Assistant School Leaders at their residency schools and as members of the leadership team. Fellows take on authentic leadership responsibilities connected to instructional leadership, people leadership, school culture, strategic priorities, and school operations. Responsibilities increase over the course of the fellowship based on demonstrated readiness and development needs. Fellows are expected to contribute meaningfully to the success of their placement school, meet established performance goals, and act in alignment with the school leadership team’s vision and priorities.

Individual Development Plan: Fellows engage in ongoing reflection and readiness assessment to identify priority development areas. In partnership with their Mentor School Leader and Director of Leadership Development, Fellows establish targeted development goals and experiences aligned to the leadership skills and competencies required for successful school leadership.

Competency-Based Skill Assessment: Fellows are assessed on defined school leadership skills throughout the fellowship through authentic demonstrations of leadership practice. Fellows work with their Mentor School Leader and Director of Leadership Development to identify opportunities to practice, demonstrate, receive feedback on, and show proficiency in required leadership skills.

Quarterly Progression Checkpoints: Fellows participate in four formal checkpoints throughout the year. During each checkpoint, Fellows analyze and present progress toward their school performance goals, student and school outcomes, leadership readiness, demonstrated leadership skills, and key leadership lessons. Checkpoints are used to assess progress, identify development priorities, and determine readiness for increasing levels of school leadership responsibility.

Coaching and Mentorship: Fellows receive ongoing one-on-one coaching, mentorship, and feedback from their Mentor School Leader and the Director of Leadership Development. Fellows are expected to actively seek feedback, reflect on their leadership practice, and translate feedback into changes in leadership behavior and impact.

Professional Development and Cohort Learning: Fellows participate in cohort-based professional learning aligned to the SLFP development roadmap. Learning experiences may include workshops, leadership case studies, simulations, peer learning, reflection, and application to Fellows’ current school leadership challenges.

Successful completion of the fellowship requires Fellows to demonstrate proficiency across required benchmarks and readiness expectations. 

For more information internal candidate and external candidate requirements, click here.

If you are a current KIPP team member, you are highly encouraged to discuss this opportunity with your manager before applying.

Candidates may apply through either of the two 2027-28 SLFP selection events:

*For External Candidates: School-Site Visit
A vital part of our selection process for external candidates is an in-person visit to the candidate’s current school site. A member of the Talent Team or School Management Team will work directly with the candidate to schedule the visit. School visits typically last approximately 2-4 hours and should provide opportunities to observe the candidate’s leadership in action. When possible, visits will include classroom observations, coaching or adult development interactions, and schoolwide moments that allow our team to see the candidate's leadership with key school stakeholders, including students, families, teachers, and school leaders.

Candidates who advance will participate in a multi-stage, competency-based selection process designed to assess readiness for the fellowship and alignment with the leadership skills required of KIPP SoCal School Leaders. Selection activities may include competency-based interviews, leadership case studies or simulations, review of past leadership impact and student outcomes, and reference checks.

 

 

The School Leader Fellow Program application consists of the following components:

Applicants must provide contact information for three professional references as part of their application. We recommend these three references include a current supervisor, a peer, and an individual the applicant manages. For each reference, please include their name, title, organization, relationship to you, email, and phone number.

If you advance in the selection process, KIPP SoCal will contact your references and request that they complete a recommendation form on your behalf. If you have questions or concerns about your references being contacted, please contact Eric DeSobe, Director of Talent Acquisition, at erdesobe@kippsocal.org directly.