School Founder Fellow

New Mexico Future Schools Fellowship

School Founder Fellow

Location: New Mexico

Position Summary

Excellent Schools New Mexico is seeking bold, visionary leaders ready to design and launch schools that transform the educational landscape for students in New Mexico. The New Mexico Future Schools Fellowship is a unique, two-year program that provides individualized training, coaching, and support to prepare exceptional educators to open and lead a public charter school.

Starting in August 2026, this fellowship equips school founders to launch a high-quality charter school in August 2028. Candidates with deep ties to one or more New Mexico communities (or a strong commitment to building those connections) are strongly preferred.

Who We Are

Excellent Schools New Mexico believes that large-scale transformation in K-12 education in New Mexico begins with great people and great schools. Since our founding in 2016, we have:

• Invested in and supported a portfolio of entrepreneurial educators in launching new schools statewide
• Expanded and replicated proven, high-performing schools
• Built the capacity of parents and civic leaders through education and advocacy

Why New Mexico?

New Mexico – known as the Land of Enchantment – is a unique and beautiful state that offers a high quality of life for those who work in public education. New Mexico is affordable, possesses a rich cultural heritage, has some of the best weather and food in the country, and – for those who are committed to the state and highly motivated – provides the opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of others.

However, for too long, the state’s K–12 education system has ranked last in the country, particularly impacting historically underserved students. Yet there is hope: with strong per-pupil funding, strong community demand for more quality options, and federal support for charter school launches, New Mexico is uniquely positioned for bold, transformative educational innovation.

How You’ll Help

Year 1 – Training: The first year provides a rigorous, in-depth learning experience designed to equip fellows with the skills and knowledge to design and launch a successful charter school. Fellows will focus on planning for high-quality curriculum and instruction, creating a mission-driven culture, hiring and developing exceptional educators, building a high-functioning board, and engaging families and communities. Fellows will also get the chance to engage with and learn from high-performing schools and education organizations, participate in both in-state and out-of-state school visits, and complete a month-long leadership residency. The goal for Year 1 of the fellowship is to earn charter authorization and be well-positioned to prepare for a successful school opening.

Year 2 – Planning: Following charter authorization, fellows receive individualized coaching and local support to translate training into action. This second year will help the fellow further develop as a results-driven leader as they build and train a team, recruit students, secure a school facility, establish strong operational, governance, finance, legal, and compliance systems, and prepare to open the school.

Who You Are

• A mission-aligned educator who believes all students can achieve at high levels and is ready to build a school rooted in equity and academic excellence for every child.
• An entrepreneurial leader who thrives in building something from the ground up and is energized by the challenge of designing and launching a new public charter school.
• A strategic thinker and planner who can translate a compelling vision into clear goals, systems, and action plans.
• A strong communicator and relationship builder who earns trust and inspires others, including families, educators, board members, and community partners, to invest in a shared vision.
• A learner and collaborator who is eager to engage in coaching, feedback, and continuous improvement.
• A resilient and adaptive problem-solver who can navigate complexity and stay focused on long-term goals.

What You’ve Done

• Achieved ambitious outcomes in education or another mission-driven sector, with particular preference for K–12 educators who have measurably improved student outcomes.
• Served in a school-based leadership position, such as principal, assistant principal, instructional coach, dean, or other campus-based role responsible for academic results, culture, and staff development and/or nonprofit or systems-level leadership experience, such as serving as a program director, executive director, or other senior leader driving organizational impact and growth.
• Effectively managed people, including recruiting, developing, and retaining high-performing team members and fostering a culture of accountability, learning, and collaboration.
• Led and/or participated heavily in strategic planning and implementation, ideally in launching new initiatives, programs, or schools that required vision, persistence, and strong execution.
• Engaged families and the community, demonstrating an ability to build authentic partnerships, navigate diverse perspectives, and mobilize local support around a shared mission.
• Led governance and operational functions, including collaborating with boards, managing budgets, and overseeing compliance or performance systems. Preferred but not required.
• Built personal and/or professional connections to a New Mexico community, or have demonstrated a commitment to developing deep roots and long-term impact in the state. Those with existing connections to New Mexico are strongly preferred.

Salary and Benefits

The Year 1 stipend for the fellowship is $110,000. Excellent Schools New Mexico will provide startup funding and coaching support for Year 2 and the school launch year following charter authorization.

Application

Please submit your application here. Note: the preferred application deadline is December 10, 2025. After this date, we do not guarantee review of submissions.

We support equal opportunity and value building the diversity of our team as we grow. We seek individuals of all races, ethnicities, abilities, and creeds to support our organization’s work and encourage individuals from historically under-represented backgrounds to apply.

There are no benefits during the fellowship year, but once the school is authorized, fellows transition to a salaried role within their school startup funding.