LENS: Leaders for Emerging Networks of Schools
Leaders for Emerging Networks of Schools, or LENS, is year-long, 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 strong student 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:
- Nine days of summer training in Boston (if travel is permitted due to COVID-19)
- Two additional professional development trainings including 7+ school observations
– November 4-7, 2020 | Virtual
– March 24-27, 2021 | Boston, MA or Virtual
Note: school observations will only take place if school is back in session and it is safe to conduct visits. - Leadership self-assessment and one-on-one coaching with BES staff on a regular basis via phone, email, and through an online video coaching platform
- On-site visit by BES staff for observation and formal evaluative report
- Structured network of support with colleagues in the LENS cohort
The 2020-21 LENS program costs $14,000 per participant (includes travel-related expenses). This is a reduced price due to budgetary implications of the COVID-19 crisis.
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 following school year)
- available to participate in the full calendar of LENS training
Become a LENS leader:
Our 2020-21 LENS application is closed. Applications for the 2021-22 LENS cohort will be accepted in the spring of 2021. To be considered, each LENS candidate must have:
- A nomination form completed and submitted by their school leader
- A completed and submitted candidate application
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 targeted leadership training, and tackle Monday morning with sharper focus and stronger skills.
FRIDAY
Participants start with a half-day dedicated to the study of high-performing schools. The day continues with thin-slicing the details of the schools’ best practices and a school leadership panel discussion.
SATURDAY
Participants will choose from specialized trainings, carefully tailored to individuals in different leadership roles.
Instructional Leadership: Participants will learn how to establish an instructional coaching presence and lens to quickly move teachers along a continuum of teaching success.
Operational Leadership: Participants will learn how to develop an operational leadership mindset that ensures instructional staff can focus only on educating students.
2019-2020 COST
$1500 for two days, or $750 for one day
Upcoming Trainings
Given the rapidly developing news and concerns around COVID-19, we will not be holding Leadership Intensives for the remainder of 2020. Please check back as dates are announced for 2021.
For more information about Leadership Intensives (formerly Weekend Warriors), please contact Stephanie Hellested at shellested@bes.org.
BES is offering the following coaching supports for the 2020-2021 academic year. Scroll down to learn more.
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. Coaching sessions include tailored feedback, strategy, and problem-solving support in which leaders are equipped with the lens, mindset, and tools required to consistently perform at the top of their game.
Executive coaching is for any experienced principal or school leader that wishes to focus on advancing organizational priorities and outcomes. Coaching options are tailored to the needs of the school leader and include remote-only biweekly or monthly coaching with optional school visits from the BES coach. Click here to view our executive coaching options and pricing.
Cost varies depending on coaching frequency and school leader needs
Operations 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 the equivalent of one to two hours per month during the academic year, tailoring their advice and approach to most effectively coach to excellence.
Coaching sessions include feedback, strategy, and problem-solving support to design and execute highly efficient and impactful operational practices. Coaching options include remote-only monthly coaching or remote monthly coaching with one school visit from BES coach to conduct an on-site operations audit.
$3,000 for monthly remote coaching only
$5,000 for monthly remote coaching with one visit (includes travel costs)
$2,000 for additional on-site visit from BES coach with either coaching option (includes travel costs)
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 conducts 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
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
Fill out the form below to get in touch with our team about bringing coaching support to your school.
For questions about coaching, please contact Krista Pendergast at kpendergast@bes.org.
Executive Searches
Get expert recruitment support in your search for executive leadership.
The BES talent and recruitment team offers a variety of supports to schools in their search for executive leadership (principals, executive directors, heads of school).
Support From Posting Through Selection
BES develops and manages your executive leadership search process, from job postings via hiring platforms and paid social media, all the way through semi-finalist candidate interviews and the selection of a slate of finalists. Candidates who apply go through our five-stage process. Once BES has identified finalists, schools conduct independent interviews and make a final hiring decision. BES supports in this process by debriefing all finalists with the school’s leadership team, sharing finalist video interviews, and providing on-the-ground interview support as needed.
Access to BES Network and Resources
With a BES Fellowship acceptance rate of just 3-4% per year, BES has a talent pool of 115,000+ leaders to draw from. We conduct targeted outreach to these leaders via email, cultivation calls, paid social media advertising, and virtual information sessions. Schools have access to videos of exemplar leader interviews.
Optional Add-Ons
BES recruiters can hold in-region recruitment events or provide interview support on-the-ground as needed, at an additional cost.
BES Support Benefits
- Access to a rich, national network of education leaders, an established talent team, and a streamlined recruitment process
- School leaders can focus on the highest-level, vetted candidates rather than the nuts and bolts of the recruitment process
- Talent search, candidate screening, and interview coaching from a team of education-focused recruiters that will operate within your hiring timeline
Cost
The base cost of this service is $10,000 + 15% of new hire salary. This does not include travel or optional in-person support.
For more information, email recruiting@bes.org.
School and Leadership Audit
Our team of experts works alongside the school’s leadership team to identify the highest-leverage shifts that will lead to sustained improvement for years to come.
BES Audit Components
- Team of auditors including two seasoned BES coaches and a visiting leader from a high-performing school
- Pre-visit call with the school’s leadership team and survey of all staff to gain insight into the school’s strengths and growth areas
- Two-day, on-site guided and independent visit by the BES team, including interviews with key leaders across departments and observations across grade levels, subjects, and time of day. Additional observations negotiable
- Observation of professional development sessions (if schedule allows)
- Review of key documents including budget and academic materials
BES Audit Results
- Culminating feedback session with the school’s leadership team to understand goals, strengths, and areas of growth that can be addressed quickly
- Detailed audit report with recommendations to further equip the school’s leadership team to be able to accelerate student achievement and ensure the school’s operational health
Cost
This service costs $18,000 plus travel, or could be conducted virtually in 2020-21 at a reduced rate.
Click here to view a sample schedule. For more information, email recruiting@bes.org.