“As a founding leader, I see building a solid leadership bench as the most critical component of school sustainability, and this begins before a school even opens. LENS has developed the mindsets, knowledge, and skills of our emerging leaders and equipped them to make a seamless transition from the classroom into leadership roles to help our school stay strong.”

“BES’s approach to helping us find the perfect candidate for our Founding Executive Director role was intentional, thoughtful, and personalized, and more than exceeded our expectations. Eight months later, it is clear that Dr. Graham’s leadership is the game-changer in redefining excellence in public education in the Sumter community.”

“Working with my coach develops my leadership lens as well as how my orientations/values impact our organization and growth. He is a wealth of resources and is always quick to respond when I have one-off questions/challenges – thus striking a good balance between the immediate and the long-term support I need. The coaching is more transformational rather than task or scenario-driven.”

“My coach is really strong at providing me perspective outside of the work I’m doing at my school. The resources that he has offered to me in our coaching sessions have allowed me to contextualize what I’m seeing on the ground at my school with my leadership team.”

“BES Follow On Support has been absolutely critical to our school success. We were faced with unprecedented challenges over the last two years and I really could not have pushed through without the support of my coach. I feel honored to have a mentor that is accessible, relatable, and experienced.”

“LENS provides a blueprint to current and aspiring leaders. During LENS school studies, I was able to take what another school was doing well and then adapt it to my school to meet the needs of our students and families. Being able to go into another school virtually and observe has been a tremendous blessing in terms of implementing, adjusting, and constantly improving the instructional practice in my building.”

“LENS provided an opportunity for me to see schools in other parts of the country. The models were not cookie-cutter; we really had the opportunity to see people in different facets of the school. It was eye-opening to see what charter schools are doing and how they define success, and I was able to think about how we could bring some of these practices into the public school system. It was also really nice to be able to work with leaders in charter schools and get to see that their struggles are our struggles, and their triumphs are our triumphs. Our shared purpose is successful outcomes for students.”

“LENS provided me the opportunity to grow as a leader by enhancing my leadership skills. Despite the challenges we’ve faced this year in regards to COVID, LENS allowed me to receive both whole group and individual training provided by a phenomenal coach. She continuously pushed me to sharpen both my lens and vision so that I could be a better leader not only for my team but for my scholars that deserve an equitable education.”

“As a department chair who also teaches, I can’t say enough about how the LENS program has boosted my time management skills and increased my confidence as an educational coach. LENS has provided me with a supportive environment where I can polish my leadership skills, evaluate how I communicate and coach my team, and become more confident in having difficult but crucial conversations with teachers, staff, students, and parents. My teacher observation, appraisal, and coaching skills are miles above where they were last school year. My LENS coach has been a blessing to me and her impact on my leadership development is already leading to positive changes on campus that will impact our students this year.”

“As a teacher transitioning into a leadership role, LENS played a major role in my professional growth. Through LENS, I have received hands-on training in providing effective professional development sessions, coaching educators, managing data analysis conversations, and culture building. My monthly meetings with my coach prove increasingly more meaningful as we work together to transition from my teacher leader mindset to that of a school-wide leader. I also appreciate the LENS team’s seamless and swift response to our current virtual world. They have not skipped a beat in providing high-quality training and connections with other BES schools. I am grateful to be a part of it and I know that what I learn here will impact teachers and scholars for years to come.”

“Working alongside my BES Follow On Support coach has been critical in identifying how education has rapidly evolved under the circumstances of 2020 and pivoting our model to be responsive to those changes.”

“Thank you for the opportunity to attend BES’s Adult Management & Operations training. I gained an enormous amount of insight from both of them and they provided excellent resources. BES did an amazing job on the Zoom platform and it was a neat experience to be with educators all over the country.”

“Working with BES this year has been a breath of fresh air, even to someone like myself who has worked with high performing CMO’s for the greater part of the last decade. Having executive coaching that is tailored to my individual needs, skills, and goals has helped me be a more focused and effective leader as I develop our network, and is something I have desired for a long time. The partnership with my coach truly feels aligned, and because of his support I am 100% confident we will open with amazing results this year!”

“It was a great experience to hear from educators all over the country. Overall, the workshop was highly insightful and I feel tremendously more equipped.”

“LENS equipped me with the skills that I need to effectively and equitably lead a school in the South Bronx. The intensive small group training, school visits, monthly coaching calls, and networking opportunities have elevated my leadership skills and allowed me to bring back innovative ideas that have improved our overall school community. As a result, Legacy College Prep has achieved higher scholar growth while creating a safe and engaging learning environment for all.”

“LENS is the first program I’ve participated in that affirms leading with heart and passion, which was important to me as a woman of color in leadership. The uncompromising level of excellence in this program compels new leaders to courageously reach for the highest bar, even when we don’t yet know the pathway to get there. Educational inequity won’t be undone in a day, but LENS armors us with the skills and voice for us to be brazen enough to believe that we can end it in our lifetime.”

“My leadership gains from the LENS program have been noteworthy, and my gains in community and mentorship have been astronomical. My fellow LENS leaders helped to shape not only my leadership skills, but our school’s culture as we prepare to open our doors for the first time.”

“To describe my LENS experience in one word, I choose elevating. Working alongside LENS leaders and the thoughtful feedback of my coach challenged me in many ways. I now feel more confident and effective as a leader. I highly recommend LENS to all individuals who serve in supportive leadership roles for their school.”