BES Fellowship: Timeline

Build Stage | Training Year(s)

TIMELINE

FELLOWSHIP OUTCOMES

BES TRAINING & SUPPORT

1-2 Years

Build Fellows will participate in training, coaching, and school study to:

  • Develop and implement a community engagement plan
  • Engage with the community to gather input and feedback on the proposed school model
  • Build and lead founding board
  • Write charter application based on the needs of the community and observations of exemplar schools
  • Submit charter application with board of directors
  • Mobilize community support for the school

Year 1 Community Co-Design Fellows will participate in training, coaching, and school study to:

  • Develop and implement a community engagement plan
  • Build and lead a community co-design team
  • Research and study exemplar schools
  • Create a draft school design plan through the engagement with the community co-design team

Year 2 Community Co-Design Fellows will participate in training, coaching, and school study to:

  • Engage with the community to gather input and feedback on the proposed school model
  • Build and lead founding board
  • Write charter application based on the needs of the community and observations of exemplar schools
  • Submit charter application with board of directors
  • Mobilize community support for the school

 

BES will provide:

  • 300+ hours of practice-based training (450+ hours for CCD), leadership coaching, and professional development
  • 20+ school studies at exemplar schools nationwide
  • At least two extended residencies in schools with effective practices (and often schools with a similar model)
  • Support from three coaches who will work closely with Fellows to provide guidance in school design, governance, and finance and operations.
  • Charter application feedback and support in navigating the local authorization process
  • Community engagement training and support

Excel Stage | School Launch Support

TIMELINE

FOCUS

KEY BENCHMARKS

Phase 1:
Define & Anchor

Year 0 (July – October)

Founders establish the goals, metrics, plans and accountability structures that will anchor all work that follows.

    • Personal Leadership Development Plan
    • School Startup Plan
    • Updated Facilities, Enrollment, Fundraising & Hiring Plans
    • Approved Year 0 Budget
    • Strategic Plan
    • Leader & Board Dashboards
    • Board Data Review Protocols

      Phase 2:
      Architect Systems

      Year 0 (October – December)

      With goals established, founders design the instructional, operational, people, financial, and cultural systems that will bring their vision to life. A critical discipline of this phase is focus: founders identify the highest-leverage systems for Year 1 and articulate a deliberate sequencing plan for what gets built first and what is layered in over time.

        • Academic Systems Design
        • Operational, Financial & Family Engagement Systems Design
        • Staff Culture Vision
        • Systems List & Implementation Timeline

        Phase 3:
        Activate & Transfer

        December of Year 0 – October of Year 1

        This phase focuses on the transition from founder-as-designer to founder-as-leader and is aimed at enabling staff, families, and students to understand, own, and bring the school’s vision to life. It begins with hiring and runs through the critical first weeks of school.

            • Hiring Process & Outcomes
            • Student and Family-Facing Handbooks
            • Staff-Facing Manuals, Tools & Protocols
            • Leader Evaluation Process
            • Staff Onboarding Plan & Rehearsal
            • Family & Student Orientation Plans
            • Initial Succession Plan

            Phase 4:
            Execute, Diagnose & Adapt

            Year 1 and Year 2

            Once open, the work shifts to sustained execution and continuous improvement. Founders track progress against goals, use data to diagnose challenges, present results to key stakeholders, and adjust strategies based on evidence. In Year 2, the focus deepens on distributed leadership.

                • Leader & Board Dashboards (populated)
                • Regular Board Data Reports
                • Mid-Year & End-of-Year Data Stepbacks and Action Plans
                • Annual Leader Evaluation
                • Annual Board Retreat/Strategic Planning Meeting
                • Distributed Leadership Plan & Updated Succession Plan (Y1)
                • Post-School Launch Support Transition Plan (Y2)

                Sustain Stage | Alumni

                TIMELINE

                FELLOWSHIP OUTCOMES

                BES TRAINING & SUPPORT

                Year 3 of Operation and Beyond

                BES Fellows will:

                • Join the broader BES community made up of school founders from across the country 
                • Maintain access to resources and leadership development opportunities to help them sustain their work

                  BES can support leaders and schools through programs and services include: