BUILD STAGE: Training (1 or 2 Years)

As part of the Build stage of the BES Fellowship, Fellows receive one or two years of pre-authorization training, coaching, and school study. In addition to completing their charter application, building a board, and participating in their capacity interview, Fellows participate in 300+ training hours (450+ for Community Co-Design Fellowship), study 20+ exemplar schools nationwide, complete a minimum of two residencies at excellent and equitable schools, write and submit their charter application, and build a founding board. during this time, they work closely with three coaches who guide them in school design, governance, and finance and operations.

Fellows, with the support of BES, also commit to raising startup funds for the school. These funds are used, upon authorization to support the launch of the school, including paying the salary of the school founder and other staff.

BES Fellows take part in one of the following tracks:

BUILD TRACK

Fellows in the Build Track found and lead a fresh-start public charter school in response to community needs and grounded in learnings from excellent schools. Fellows benefit from one training year to write and submit a complete high quality charter application as well as identify and prepare a diverse, high capacity, and mission aligned founding team and governing board. Character and Equity Fellows, available in Arizona only, engage in additional opportunities to inform how character and equity will be core to the school model.

Within the Build Track, some Fellows are identified as Character & Equity Fellows. These Fellows found a school with character and equity at the core of its model, in addition to other locally responsive elements. Fellows engage in additional opportunities such as communities of practice and conferences to center character and equity in their school models. Currently, all Fellowship spaces in Arizona are reserved for Character and Equity Fellows.

COMMUNITY CO-DESIGN TRACK

Over the course of two years, Fellows in the Community Co-Design Track design and prepare to lead a fresh-start public charter school that has been co-designed alongside a community co-design team. The first year allows Fellows to develop a co-design team of 7-10 individuals to help seek out and incorporate community input into the design of the new school. The second year allows Fellows to write and submit a complete high quality charter application as well as identify and prepare a diverse, high capacity, and mission aligned founding team and governing board.

GROWTH TRACK

Through the Growth Track, schools expand or replicate models that are delivering strong results for students. We partner with both school leaders ready to grow and the ecosystem partners who fund and support that growth. BES provides training and support that enable effective schools to multiply their impact—whether that means expanding into new regions, or adding campuses or grades beyond what they were originally chartered for.

In addition to one or two training years and School Launch Support for the Fellow, BES also provides structured support to the flagship school leader as they lead the team in preparation for growth. As part of the program, leaders also have the potential to access cohort support. Learn more here.