BES leadership training is designed to equip emerging and established leaders with the skills and resources they need to deliver for their students and communities. Our programs cover nearly every aspect of running a school, from managing difficult conversations and coaching in real-time, to developing instructional models and supporting school operations.
Behind every excellent school is an excellent leader. BES training enables leaders to inspire their teachers and transform the lives of their students — all while honing their skills and elevating their careers.
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Tailored Support for Maximum Impact
Leadership Development
At BES, we recognize that leaders need to be supported and challenged in the right way at the right time. From yearlong cohort-based trainings to short, two-day intensives, to coaching tailored to specific needs, our leadership and organizational development programs do just that.
Cohort-based On-site visits Video assignments Remote coaching
DURATION
One year
scroll down for program details
LENS: Leaders for Emerging Networks of Schools
Leaders for Emerging Networks of Schools, or LENS, is yearlong, part-time training for individuals preparing to take on heightened leadership roles in schools. LENS participants study the best practices of successful schools from across the nation and develop their leadership voice and mindset through hands-on coaching. LENS is a valuable tool for schools looking to build their leadership bench and equip a new wave of leaders.
LENS provides robust content and training on:
Developing a leader’s mindset and voice with an equity lens
Managing strong adult culture by equipping and inspiring adults to perform successfully
Setting appropriate school culture, including arrivals, transitions, thresholds, discipline, and classroom systems
Delivering effective instruction, including curriculum, rigor, classroom routines and procedures, and assessment
LENS training consists of the following:
Eight days of intense summer training – June 24 – July 2, 2020 | Boston, Massachusetts
Two additional professional development trainings including seven+ school observations – November 2020 | Nashville, Tennessee – March 2021 | Boston, Massachusetts
Leadership coaching with BES staff on a regular basis via phone, email, and through an online video coaching platform
Leadership development self-assessment reviewed by BES staff
On-site visit by BES staff member for observation and formal evaluative report
Structured network of support with colleagues in the LENS cohort
LENS leaders are:
committed to school leadership
aligned with BES beliefs about excellent leaders and schools
proven effective teachers at the classroom level
recently elevated to leadership or considered to be on track for school leadership in one to two years
currently coaching adults in schools for more than two hours per week (or will be doing so in the 2020-2021 school year)
available to participate in the full calendar of LENS training
Cost 2020-2021
LENS costs $15,000 per participant. This includes:
On-site trainings (initial eight days of training, additional six days of training)
Hours of detailed leadership coaching from BES staff
Access to the online coaching portal
The leadership development self-assessment
Travel, hotel accommodations, and food for on-site trainings
Application
The application for the 2020-2021 LENS cohort is now live. How does a leader enroll in the LENS program?
STEP ONE: Learn about the LENS program. Click here for an overview of LENS. Want to know more? Contact us.
STEP TWO: School nominates a LENS leader. Next, we’d like to learn about your LENS leader candidate through our online nomination form designed to inform us about your candidate’s role, strengths, and goals/professional priorities. Note that applicants must be currently coaching adults 2+ hours per week (or will take on this responsibility in 2020-2021) to be considered for this opportunity.
STEP THREE: LENS leader candidate completes online application. Additionally, we’d like to learn from the LENS leader candidate through our online HireVue application. The application asks questions about the applicant’s current role, leadership style, and growth areas and requires both written and video responses.
STEP FOUR: BES reviews applications. The BES LENS team will review applications on a rolling basis through May 15. Accepted candidates will be notified within approximately 10 business days after applying.
STEP FIVE: BES invites select applicants to join the 2020-2021 LENS cohort. LENS leaders will take part in eight days of intense summer training, two additional professional development trainings, and 7+ school observations. Dates and details above.
For more information about LENS, please contact Krista Pendergast at kpendergast@bes.org.
Leadership Intensives
BES Leadership Intensives (formerly Weekend Warriors) provide study of transformative schools and targeted training in instructional and operational leadership.
Through BES Leadership Intensives, leaders sharpen the skills they need to run a transformational school that ensures opportunity and success for students in their communities.
Each intensive is a rigorous two-day training under the leadership of BES staff and expert presenters. The first day begins with a visit to and study of an exemplary school, where participants are exposed to the best practices in school leadership. On the second day, participants then immerse themselves in a full day of training.
Through analysis and hands-on workshops, participants learn how to effectively manage their organizations so that they can concentrate on the goal at hand: educating all students at high levels.
Two Days, Two Trainings
Whether you’re a school leader, instructional coach, network director, or leading from the operations office, Leadership Intensives have something for you. Spend two days with us, pick a training, and tackle Monday morning with sharper focus and stronger skills.
FRIDAY Participants start with a half-day dedicated to school study and continue with thin-slicing the details of the schools’ best practices and an afternoon school leadership panel.
SATURDAY Participants select sessions from specialized trainings carefully tailored to individuals in different leadership roles, including instructional and operational leadership.
Cost 2019-2020
Leadership Intensives are $1500, or $750 to attend just one of the two days.
For more information about Leadership Intensives (formerly Weekend Warriors), please contact Stephanie Hellested at shellested@bes.org.
Summer Leaders Institute
BES Summer Leaders are driven individuals who show talent in the classroom and aspire to become school leaders through the BES Fellowship. During this training, Summer Leaders develop their classroom and leadership skills alongside BES coaches and school leaders.
SLI consists of an orientation in Boston, followed by a 20-day residency at a top charter school. During orientation, our trainers introduce the Summer Leaders to the work of BES and what it takes to lead a high-performing school. The on-site residencies provide participants with the opportunity to work on projects and learn directly from accomplished school leaders.
BES may extend acceptance into the Fellowship for qualified individuals at the end of the Summer Leaders Institute.
Profile of a BES Summer Leader
The ideal Summer Leader will be…
aligned with BES beliefs about excellent leaders and schools
seriously considering school leadership
a demonstrated leader with a track record of outstanding and measurable results
available to participate in orientation and subsequent program dates
Components of the Summer Leaders Institute
Orientation: Leading a High-Performing Charter School | two days
Four-Week Leadership Residency: Practical, Hands-On Exposure to a BES School (placement chosen by BES) | working on a project designed by school leadership and a BES Director of Leadership Development, of importance to the host school and of learning value to the Summer Leader
Formal work and presentation on a capstone project
$5,000 stipend and May Orientation housing/travel provided
The application for the 2020 Summer Leaders Institute is now open.
Important Dates:
Orientation: May 19-21 Session 1: June 1-30 Session 2: July 6-31
Anchoring Excellence challenges and supports leaders of high-achieving schools in years three and beyond to propel student growth and achievement while sustaining organizational growth over time.
During the program, senior leaders create, practice, and codify:
Teacher Coaching and Leadership Development Playbooks
Define the cycle of teacher coaching, lesson internalization, lesson execution, observation, coaching, and feedback.
Detail the cycle of looking at student work, data analysis, and action-planning for results.
Specify the plans and processes for growing roles and leaders within the school and larger organization.
Manager Playbooks
Define what it means to be a manager at the school, both for operational and instructional staff.
Detail what managers do in all areas and what their specific responsibilities are.
Specify the required “school way” of doing certain things and areas where a manager has more discretion and autonomy.
Talent Development and Hiring Playbooks
Define repeatable and objective plans for future staffing decisions and building a talent pipeline.
Detail recruitment and hiring processes to effectively distribute responsibilities across multiple roles as needed.
Aligned Curricula
Define approaches to catching students up and pushing them to their full academic potential.
Detail what curricula are used, where there is consistency across instruction, and where there is autonomy to innovate.
DiSC Playbook
By analyzing their own results, leaders coach members of their team to adapt their communication to achieve better results.
Anchoring Excellence includes:
School visits with coaching three times per year
Executive coaching every two weeks
In-person cohort meetings twice per year
360-degree survey and analysis
DiSC survey and analysis
Availability for feedback, strategy discussions, and problem-solving as requested
Cost
The cost of Anchoring Excellence is $15,000.
For more information about Anchoring Excellence, please contact Krista Pendergast at kpendergast@bes.org.
BES is offering the following coaching supports for the 2019 -2020 academic year. Scroll down to learn more.
Strategic Support Review
Through Strategic Support Reviews, the BES team works with school leaders to thin-slice the organizational health of the school, identifying levers that will continue to drive the health and integrity of the organization.
The SSR is an annual, daylong process during which the school leadership team is pushed to think more critically about the school to strengthen their impact and improve the quality growth of their organization.
At the end of the review, the BES team will create a detailed report for the school, including an action plan intended to equip leaders to accelerate student achievement, ensure operational health, and lead the school to its next stage of success.
The SSR team is typically composed of one BES staff member and one visiting leader from a peer school who conduct the review alongside the school leader and select members from the school leadership team.
$5,000 per visit + associated travel costs Includes pre-visit consultation and post-visit check-in
Executive Coaching
Executive coaching is designed to support and challenge the most senior leaders in an organization on the skills and mindset they need to execute at the highest level. Coaches – selected based on the needs of the executive leader – provide remote coaching for one hour every other week during the academic year, tailoring their advice and approach to most effectively coach to excellence.
Through these sessions, leaders are equipped with the lens, mindset, and tools required to consistently perform at the top of their game.
$4,000 per participant One-hour calls every other week during the academic year
Operations Leadership Coaching
Operations leadership coaching is designed to support and challenge the most senior operational leaders in an organization on the skills and mindset they need to execute at the highest level. Selected based on the needs of the operational leader, coaches provide remote support for one hour every month during the academic year, tailoring their advice and approach to most effectively coach to excellence.
Through these sessions, leaders are equipped with the lens, mindset, and tools required to consistently perform at the top of their game.
$2,000 for one hour of remote coaching every month during the academic year
Operations Training and Coaching
Operations Training and Coaching is a six-part webinar series designed to equip operations teams in schools currently in their building or growing phase with the skills and resources required to design and execute highly efficient and impactful operational practices.
In addition to the webinars, teams receive six hours of virtual coaching tailored to specific challenges.
$2,500 per school for six, two-hour webinars plus six hours of virtual coaching
Culture Coaching
Webinar series designed to train school leadership in cultural best practices – in systems, operations, spaces, rituals, and celebrations – with targeted support aimed at executing new or refining existing practices.
$2,000 for five, two-hour webinars
Instructional Coaching
Webinar series designed to train school leadership in instructional best practices – in systems, coaching, feedback, classroom observations, and teacher PD, with targeted support aimed at refining current systems, coaching sessions, and professional development series within their schools.
$2,000 for five, two-hour webinars
Sign-ups have closed for 2019-20. Registrations for 2020-2021 will open in Spring 2020.
For more information about coaching, please contact Krista Pendergast at kpendergast@bes.org.
Why BES
What Leaders Are Saying
“LENS equipped me to be an effective school leader. The summer training experience was transformative. I received targeted development in coaching and developing teachers; handling challenging, crucial conversations; generating and executing a weekly schedule; and discovering and maintaining a strong leadership voice and presence. Once summer training concluded, the development and assistance I received continued with a leadership coach. Having a coach during my first year as a school leader was invaluable as I received critical guidance for any and all situations that arose.”
Parker Couch
Director of Growth and Infrastructure, Compass Rose Education, Inc., TX
“My time in the LENS program has proven to be invaluable as I continue to grow as a leader within my school. Heading into the school year as a new principal, I felt confident knowing that LENS had equipped me with the skills and resources necessary to sustain a strong school culture focused on academic achievement and adult accountability. Through LENS, I was able to find and strengthen my leadership presence. “
Lizzie Stewart
Principal, Independence Academy, Intrepid College Prep, TN
“LENS training was invaluable to me in my development as I prepare to lead as principal. The heightened level of discussion, precision detail in sessions, and frequent direct feedback raised the bar for my own growth and the level of development I was prepared to bring back to my school. Continued support throughout the year was incredibly individualized allowing me to address specific needs at my school. As a school leader, I am certain I will be sending future leaders to LENS to continue pushing our team toward our vision. LENS truly pushed me to grow and polish my leadership presence.”
Kate Freudenheim
Assistant Head of School 2015-2019, Tulsa Honor Academy, OK
“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.”
Maya G. Robinson
High School Director, Soulsville Charter School, TN