NEW MEXICO FUTURE SCHOOLS FELLOWSHIP

This is for an August 2026 start date for a two-year fellowship to launch a public charter school in New Mexico in August 2028. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. A connection to a community (or communities) in New Mexico is very strongly preferred.

ORGANIZATION WEBSITE: New Mexico Future Schools Fellowship, operated by Excellent Schools New Mexico.

ROLE: School Founder Fellow (New Mexico)

LOCATION: New Mexico

SALARY RANGE: $110,000 stipend (equivalent to $190,597 in the Bay Area and $125,797 in Denver, CO according to Forbes 2025 Cost of Living Calculator)

JOB DESCRIPTION:

WHO WE ARE

Are you a LEADER with the fortitude to develop and launch an exceptional school? This unique, two-year fellowship program provides you with individualized training and support to design and launch a public charter school in New Mexico.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

YEAR 1: TRAINING

A rigorous, IN-DEPTH LEARNING EXPERIENCE to facilitate school design and charter application writing focused on: 

• Delivering high-quality curriculum and instruction. 

• Creating a mission-driven culture.

• Hiring and developing great educators. 

• Building a high-functioning board.

• Engaging families and communities. 

• Learning from high-performing schools and education organizations. 

• Earning authorization to operate your charter school. 

• In-state and out-of-state excellent school visits. 

• A month-long leadership residency experience.

YEAR 2: PLANNING

Following charter authorization, INDIVIDUALIZED COACHING and local support for:

• Developing as a results-driven leader.

• Building and training your team.

• Recruiting students.

• Securing a school building.

• Setting up strong systems for operations, governance, finance, legal, and compliance functions.

• Preparing to open your school.

WHO YOU ARE

• Unequivocal belief that ALL students can achieve at high levels regardless of their backgrounds.

• Demonstrated track record of achieving ambitious outcomes in education or another sector, with K-12 educators who possess a track record of improving measurable student outcomes highly preferred.

• School-based and/or non-profit leadership experience (instructional coach, dean, AP, principal, program director, executive director, etc.)

• People management experience prioritized.

• A clear vision and compelling rationale for wanting to launch a charter school and the ability inspire others to invest in your vision.

• Desire to launch and lead an academically focused school that will prepare all students to attend college if they so choose (acknowledging there are many school models that prepare students for college access and success)

• Clear commitment to a New Mexico community and a demonstrated willingness and capacity to build relationships with families and local partners.

• Those with existing connections to New Mexico are very strongly preferred.

FELLOWSHIP DETAILS

• Year 1 stipend of $110,000.

• Startup funding (including the funding necessary to pay yourself) and coaching support for Year 2 and the school launch year following charter authorization.

• Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through May 15, 2026.

• Fellowship begins August 2026.

WHY NEW MEXICO?

New Mexico – known as the Land of Enchantment – is a unique and beautiful state that offers a high quality of life for those who work in public education. New Mexico is affordable, possesses a rich cultural heritage, has some of the best weather and food in the country, and – for those who are committed to the state and highly motivated – provides the opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of others.

However, for far too long, New Mexico’s K-12 education system has ranked last in the country. Too few students – and especially those who come from historically underserved communities – can read and do math at grade level, leading to poor high school graduation rates and post-secondary outcomes.

But there is hope: We see all types of schools bucking these trends, and the conditions are in place to drive meaningful improvements for kids. New Mexico has some of the highest per-pupil funding in the western U.S., has significantly grown its early childhood supports, serves a very diverse population of students, and, for those starting charter schools, holds a federal Charter School Program (CSP) grant to support the launch of new schools.

ABOUT EXCELLENT SCHOOLS NEW MEXICO

Excellent Schools New Mexico believes that large-scale, transformational change to our state’s K-12 system begins by investing in great people and great schools. As such, we:

• Invest in and support promising entrepreneurial educators who aim to launch new schools statewide.

• Expand and replicate existing proof-point schools.

• Build the capacity of parents and civic leaders through education and advocacy work.

Since our founding in 2016, we have invested in growing a portfolio of high-quality, homegrown charter schools that will serve 12,000+ students at-scale and in which 90% of schools academically outperform their peer schools that serve similar types of students.

APPLICATION