View map of all KIPP schools >

School Leader FAQ

For common questions, select by category below. For further inquiries, please contact apply@kipp.org.

Candidate Background & Qualifications

What type of experience do successful candidates have?

What if I haven't taught a core content-area subject?

What percentage of KIPP school leaders are people of color?

Application & Selection Process

What are the differences between application deadlines?

Details about the student academic results section of the online application.

How do I submit a lesson plan if I am not currently teaching?

If I apply for the first deadline and am denied, can I reapply for a later deadline in the same year?

How are candidates evaluated at the Selection Event? Are there different qualifications for the Fisher Fellowship and the Miles Family Fellowship?

If I am offered a Fellowship but do not accept it for that year, can I apply for a deferral?

Fisher Fellowship Year

Do I have to attend the summer institute for the Fisher Fellowship if I have already completed coursework toward my administrative/supervisory certification?

Will I have my administrative certification after completing the Fisher Fellowship?

What does a typical day at the Fisher Fellowship summer training Institute look like?

What are the living arrangements during Institute?

What will I do during the residency or residencies?

Is there a guarantee that my school will open once I complete the Fisher Fellowship training?

What kind of support does the KIPP Foundation provide after the Fisher Fellowship?

Miles Family Fellowship Year

What roles are most Miles Family Fellows assigned in the region during the Fellowship?

How does the Miles Family Fellowship prepare me to apply for the Fisher Fellowship?

Am I guaranteed to get the Fisher Fellowship if I do the Miles Family Fellowship?

^ Top

Candidate Backgrounds & Qualifications

What type of experience do successful candidates have?

An excellent candidate possesses the unyielding belief in the potential of every child to succeed in top quality high schools, colleges, and the competitive world beyond.

Additionally, all candidates should have:

Instructional expertise in a K-12 classroom (all applicants must have at least two years experience in a K-12 setting as a teacher or administrator)
A record of success in leading adults
The capacity to define a vision, build a team, and achieve results despite tremendous obstacles.
At least two years of teaching and/or leadership experience in a low-income school with demonstrated exemplary student results ("low-income school" is a school in which over 50 percent of the student population qualify for the federal free and reduced meals program).

What if I haven't taught a core content-area subject?

Some applicants who have only taught specialized subjects (such as science, social studies, or music) may be at a disadvantage because they lack a breadth of instructional knowledge and may not be able to as easily report student achievement data for the application.

We encourage you to apply if you feel as though your background is broad enough to allow you to serve as an instructional leader to teachers of all subjects.

What percentage of KIPP school leaders are people of color?

As of August 2011, 52 percent of our school leaders are people of color.
^ Top

Application & Selection Process

What are the differences between the application deadlines?

Candidates are evaluated with the same process and criteria at each deadline. However, given the limited number of opportunities, we encourage candidates to apply to earlier deadlines to ensure they are considered for their top geographical priorities.

Another benefit to applying to the earlier deadlines is earlier notification. All accepted Fisher Fellows and Miles Family Fellows are notified of their outcome within one week of the selection event, but candidates for the earlier deadlines will have more time to prepare for either Fellowship.

Details about the student academic results section of the online application:

I have multiple kinds of data for my classroom/school. What should I submit?

You should submit the assessment that most accurately and thoroughly demonstrate the academic outcomes your students achieved. If you have state test results, please submit those.

What if I don’t have state tests results to report?

If you have state test results, please submit those. If not, please send the in-class assessments you used to measure student academic progress (e.g. Terra Nova).

I don’t know what the results were for my most recent years teaching – what should I do?

We recommend you reach out to your school (or previous school) to ask them to provide you with this information.

I’m in my second year of teaching – can I submit data for this year?

All applicants must submit at least one full year of student achievement data to be considered for the Fisher Fellowship or Miles Family Fellowship; you may submit data for up to the three most recent years you have been a teacher or administrator. Please submit as much data as possible, i.e.:

If you have been a teacher or administrator for three full years or more, please submit data for all three years
If you have been a teacher or administrator for two full years, please submit data for your two full years, plus as much data as you have from this year.
If you have been a teacher or administrator for one full year, please submit data for your first full year, plus as much data as you have from this year.

I can’t share data about my students because of privacy issues. What should I do?

You don’t need to share your students’ names or individual scores. You can share aggregate results at the classroom or school level.

How do I submit a lesson plan if I am not currently teaching?

We prefer that you are request the opportunity to teach a lesson in your old school, a neighborhood school, or another school within your network.

As a last resort, if you are unable to locate an opportunity on your own, we can connect you with a KIPP school in or near your region to teach a guest lesson.

If I apply for the first deadline and am denied, can I reapply at a later deadline in the same year?

Candidates may only apply once per application year. We do encourage candidates to re-apply in future years should they feel they are better prepared as a candidate based on additional experience they have gained.

How are candidates evaluated at the Selection Event? Are there different qualifications for the Fisher Fellowship and the Miles Family Fellowship?

All candidates are evaluated by the Leadership Competencies - read more about the Leadership Competencies.

Candidates are offered the Fisher Fellowship if they demonstrate strong skills and readiness to open a KIPP school according to our selection criteria, and candidates are offered the Miles Family Fellowship if the selection committee believes that they are high-quality candidates with the potential to develop into strong Fisher Fellows in one year.

If I am offered a Fellowship but do not accept it for that year, can I apply for a deferral?

You can apply for a one year deferral. The request for deferral must be submitted to the Director of Recruitment & Selection.

During this time, we ask accepted Fellows to work in a role that will continue to prepare them for being school leaders at KIPP. The Director of Recruitment & Selection will decide what will qualify as preparation for school leadership at KIPP.

^ Top

Fisher Fellowship Year

Do I have to attend the summer institute for the Fisher Fellowship if I have already completed coursework toward my administrative/supervisory certification?

Attendance is a mandatory and crucial part of the Fisher Fellowship, and all Fisher Fellows are required to attend the full session.

Will I have my administrative certification after completing the Fisher Fellowship?

You can opt into a program through National-Louis University (NLU) to get a Master's degree in Educational Leadership and apply for an administrative certificate upon completion of the degree. The optional program allows participants to receive course credit for the training provided during the fellowship year.

Participants in the NLU program will receive nine semester units at the end of the Institute and then will participate in ongoing coursework through NLU. The Master's program runs from July through April. Tuition payments are the responsibility of the individual participants.

What does a typical day at the Fisher Fellowship summer training Institute look like?

A typical day at our summer institute starts with class at 8:00am. During the day, you might have a lecture from a top business school professional, attend a workshop by a KIPP school leader, or observe a community round table where participants are bringing best practices from their schools and sharing them. You could also attend a session by one of KIPP's two co-founders or participate in a series of case discussions and role-plays to build your skills in leadership. In the evenings, you will meet with the collaborative learning teams and/or prepare for the next day at Institute.

What are the living arrangements during Institute?

During Institute, Fellows live and work together in dormitory-style housing; housing and meals are paid for by the KIPP Foundation.

Because of the demanding schedule of Institute and the need to collaborate with other participants and faculty, all Fellows are required to live in the housing for the duration of Institute.

The KIPP Foundation may be able to arrange family housing for Fellows who choose to bring family members to the Institute. However, Fellows are responsible for any costs incurred for the lodging of family members.

What will I do during the residency?

The residency consists of approximately 10 weeks of learning at a variety of high-performing schools across the country. Fisher Fellows will have an individualized residency plan that incorporates feedback from the Fisher Fellow Selection Interviews, input from the KSLP team, and recommendations from the regional Executive Director. Residencies offer the opportunity to work on areas of development. Examples of possible activities include: providing feedback to teachers who are struggling or doing well, assisting in operational leadership, helping to negotiate a vendor contract, and leading the morning community meeting.

Is there a guarantee that my school will open once I complete the Fisher Fellowship training?

The ability to open a school will be made based on a variety of factors which include the region's ability to find a facility, secure a charter, and acquire necessary funding to open your school. Given this, there is no guarantee for Fisher Fellows that they will open schools once they have completed their Fellowship training year.

What kind of support does the KIPP Foundation provide after the Fisher Fellowship?

The KIPP Foundation provides a variety of support to school leaders once they have opened their school. School leaders can reach out to KIPP Foundation staff for support in operations (legal, financial, facility, accounting, public relations, and marketing); instructional leadership; specific professional development retreats for teachers and office staff; or direct professional development support.

In addition, our regional structure provides schools with oversight from regional Executive Directors. Each region also shares a school support center, which provides joint administrative, operational, and academic resources across the region. Most importantly, the region shares a strategic plan-a roadmap for consistent execution in identifying and cultivating school leaders, maintaining high levels of quality and performance, promoting the sustainability of individual schools, and assessing future growth possibilities.

^ Top

Miles Family Fellowship Year

What roles are most Miles Family Fellows assigned in the region during the Fellowship?

Most of the Miles Family Fellows teach and fulfill a leadership role on campus such as a grade level chair or department chair. The role is determined, and aligned with the fellow’s individualized leadership plans, after a candidate is selected for the Miles Family Fellowship.

How does the Miles Family Fellowship prepare me to apply for the Fisher Fellowship?

The Miles Family Fellowship is a partnership between the KIPP region, the Miles Family Fellow, and the KSLP team. The region ensures that the fellow is placed in appropriate teaching and leadership roles and receives ongoing feedback from the host school leader. The fellow reflects on his or her strengths and areas for development to outline an Individualized Leadership Plan and actively utilizes this plan to seize opportunities for growth and feedback. In addition to the leadership development opportunities provided through Orientation and the three Intersessions throughout the year, the KSLP team provides Miles Family Fellows individualized leadership coaching through the KSLP Coaching Program and at least two site visits.

Am I guaranteed to get the Fisher Fellowship if I do the Miles Family Fellowship?

Miles Family Fellows are not guaranteed a Fisher Fellowship; Miles Family Fellows must apply for and be selected for the Fisher Fellowship at the end of their Fellowship year.

Learn more about the KIPP School Leadership Programs by registering for one of our regular online Information Session webinars.

^ Top

KIPP is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals. KIPP does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, national, or ethnic origin.