KIPP SoCal School Leader Fellow Program

Who We Are

KIPP SoCal Public Schools is a nonprofit organization that operates 20 tuition-free, open-enrollment charter public schools, within 17 Local Education Agencies (LEA), educating more than 10,000 students and supporting 8,300 alumni to and through college and beyond. Our award winning schools are part of the national KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) network, dedicated to meeting the needs of all learners and providing the social, emotional and academic support for success in high school, college, and life.

Mission

Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and create a more just world.

What We Do

At KIPP SoCal we build trusting relationships that are strengthened by high expectations and collaboration alongside laughter and joy. We set ambitious goals and hold each other accountable for students achieving their greatest potential. We work together with each other and in partnership with families and communities in the active pursuit of a more equitable world. We do the right thing, even when it's not always comfortable standing up and speaking out against anti-blackness, racism, oppression, and injustice. We persevere through obstacles and treat failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.

About the School Leader Fellow Program

KIPP SoCal Public Schools’ School Leader Fellow Program is a one or two year, job-embedded leadership residency program designed to prepare high-potential Assistant School Leaders to successfully transition into School Leader roles at KIPP SoCal Public Schools. Through authentic school leadership experiences, individualized development, coaching and mentoring, formal cohort learning, and competency-based assessment, Fellows develop and deepen the instructional, people, strategic, and adaptive skills necessary to successfully lead a KIPP SoCal school.

Through the fellowship, Fellows progressively take on expanded school leadership responsibilities and are expected to demonstrate both proficiency in core leadership skills and measurable impact on school and student outcomes. Four quarterly progression checkpoints are held throughout each fellowship year to assess Fellows’ progress toward their performance goals, leadership skill proficiency, and overall readiness for the School Leader role.

Why Apply?

The School Leader Fellow Program is KIPP SoCal's primary pathway from Assistant School Leader to School Leader. Over one to two years, Fellows take on progressively greater leadership responsibility with structured coaching and cohort learning built in, and receive:
Placement on the Assistant School Leader salary table, with up to 3 years of past-experience credit for external candidates
A completion bonus of up to $10,000 tied to program milestones
Fully funded travel and coursework
Individualized coaching from a Mentor School Leader and the Director of Leadership Development
Application Deadline #1: Friday, November 20, 2026
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.