Rural School Leadership Academy
About the Rural School Leadership Academy
Develop 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 up to 35 participants made up of three streams of aspiring and current school leaders:
- Classroom teachers who are beginning to explore school leadership roles.
- Mid-level school-based leaders preparing for school principal roles.
- School principals focused on building and sustaining their leadership.
Key Program Components
- Three cycles of professional development focused on building school leadership competencies.
- In person gatherings and school visits in rural communities during the fellowship. (safety permitting)
- Continuous Participant-driven application of learning to impact participant’s school community.
Optional Program Components
- One-on-one leadership coaching twice-monthly throughout the fellowship for participants in streams 2 or 3.
- Complete courses in one of two certifications from Harvard Graduate School of Education
All program expenses are fully funded for participants.
2024-2025 Learning Cycles and Gatherings
Academy members participate in three Learning Cycles and one Rural School Community Visit. The following are the tentative dates for the in-person and virtual gatherings for the 2023-2024 cohort. Final dates, locations, session overviews, materials, and event registration will be communicated in advance of each component.
- Summer 2024: Program Kick Off, New Mexico, in-person conference and school visit, Tuesday, July 15 - Friday, July 19, 2024
- Fall 2024: Virtual Learning Cycle, virtual content sessions, October 2024
- Fall/Winter 2024/25: Rural School Community Visit, in-person school visits, location, and specific dates TBD, Wednesday-Friday
- Spring 2024: Program Conclusion, location TBD, in-person conference and school visit, Thursday, March 6 - Sunday, March 9, 2025
Eligibility Requirements
We are looking for applicants who are passionate about rural education and are driven toward school leadership roles. This program is open to all rural educators. You do not need to be a Teach For America alum to apply.
We welcome school-based teams to apply together, such as a principal, the assistant principal, and a teacher leader from the same school. Each member of a team will submit an individual application. There is a space on the individual application to indicate if you are a member of a school team applying.
All participants:
- Must be working in a rural K-12 school setting for the 2024-25 school year.
- Must be able to fully attend required components in all three learning cycles and at least one in person gathering.
Participants currently teaching:
- 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.
Participants currently in school leadership roles:
- Must be serving in a role where the majority of time is focused on leadership of adults. Common roles include: Assistant Principal, Principal, Instructional Coach, Dean, School Founder.
- Mid level leaders should have clear aspirations toward principalship in a rural community in the next 1-3 years. All leaders should have clear aspirations to sustain their work in school leadership in a rural community for the next 2-5 years.
- Should anticipate being in this role for the 2024-25 school year.
Application Opens Soon!
Applications for the 2025-26 cohort will open in the spring. Please fill out the form below if you are interested in applying or would like to nominate a colleague. Contact RSLA@teachforamerica.org if you have any questions
What our participants are saying about RSLA
“RSLA has been an amazing way to continue my growth as a developing school leader. After completing my master's program last year, I was striving to find more ways that I could continue my leadership development. RSLA has done that and more. The focus on rurality and strengthening core leadership competencies have significantly impacted my trajectory towards becoming an effective school leader. RSLA has been one of the most meaningful professional development opportunities I have ever participated in.”
“By allowing me to see beyond my community, RSLA has allowed me to become more rooted in my own rural context. I see myself as more of a leader and change maker than I did prior to RSLA.”
“I wish all my Professional Developments were like this. I built great relationships with my cohort through the experience.”
“I've learned strategies that I will be implementing on the daily basis.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Please contact RSLA@teachforamerica.org if you have any questions that are not answered below.
Rural locations are generally characterized by geographic isolation and small populations. RSLA participants have come from all over the country, including from towns that are more than two hours away from an airport and/or large grocery store.
If you have specific questions or concerns about your situation, please email RSLA@teachforamerica.org.
Each learning engagement is made up of a series of 3-5 sessions that build leadership across our prioritized competencies:
- Leading for Equity
- Building Culture
- Decision-making and Communication
- Developing a Vision for your School and Leadership
- Contextualizing and Honoring Place
Our sessions focus on helping participants develop their personal and interpersonal leadership skills and are extremely interactive and practice-oriented. On average, across our last cohort of programming, 100% of participants stated that sessions were of value to their current work and future career goals. In-person sessions engage participants from 3-8 hours, depending on the content and facilitation approach. Virtual sessions are 3-4 hours each and participants are able to sign up for days/times that work best for them during the learning window.
In between the fall and spring learning cycles, participants will travel to a rural community to engage with each other as a cohort in person, learn about the rural community, and visit innovative schools. The school visit will take place from Wednesday to Friday, including travel to and from our destination. These visits will focus on place and rurality as well as give an opportunity to learn from rural schools in action.
Past participants strongly agreed that these visits were a transformative experience in their leadership practice and provided concrete ideas they took back to their own communities.
Participants in school leadership roles who choose to receive coaching will work with a leadership coach to apply their learning to their practice. Your coach will meet with you virtually and engage in coaching aligned to your individual interests and learning priorities. Our coaches use a cyclical approach, supporting you to identify a practice to implement and work to reflect on the impact of those practices.
Yes. For the 2024-2025 program year, participants are required to attend the in-person summer kick-off, one rural school community visit, and the spring learning cycle in person. The fall learning cycle is required and will be virtual.
Teach For America will cover travel expenses, including airfare, ground transportation, meals, and lodging. Participants will receive travel booking guidance approximately six weeks prior to each gathering.
Yes. Nominations and referrals are welcome and an important way we identify candidates for the RSLA. To nominate someone or yourself, please complete this form or email RSLA@teachforamerica.org. You are encouraged to nominate multiple rural leaders. Your nomination(s) will remain anonymous unless you indicate otherwise.
Yes. We have seen that when teams or duos participate together in RSLA, they are able to bring even more of the learning back to their school community. Some examples of strong teams include:
- A principal, an assistant principal, and a lead teacher
- Multiple assistant principals from the same district/network
- Multiple teachers from the same school, etc.
There is a place on the application to indicate if you have a team member applying with you and/or to nominate someone to join your team.
Yes. We offer a full program of leadership development that builds on sessions and learning outcomes throughout the fellowship. Because one of our priorities for development is building a strong and connected community among RSLA participants, it is important that participants commit to fully engaging in each learning cycle. If or when emergencies that impact attendance happen, we work together to accommodate our participants.