2026 Leadership Cohort

Alliance Education Services is pleased to offer our annual Charter School Leadership Cohort Program for current and aspiring charter school principals. This tuition-free, six-session series is designed to strengthen your leadership capacity through interactive, practitioner-led training facilitated by seasoned charter school experts with more than 25 years of experience. Each session focuses on a critical component of effective charter school leadership—including educational finance, governance, academic achievement, human resources, marketing, and school safety. Sessions are intentionally non-sequential, allowing participants the flexibility to attend any or all sessions that best meet their professional needs.

While much of the content is universally applicable to charter school leadership, select sessions will be customized to address the unique needs, laws, and operational requirements specific to the size and geographic location of participating schools.

Led by veteran charter school experts, the program builds leadership skills in key areas such as finance, governance, academics, HR, marketing, and school safety.

Sessions are non-sequential and flexible, with select topics tailored to the unique needs and laws relevant to participating schools.

To apply, please scan the barcode

This tuition-free professional development program will offer six sessions on critically important topics that will help both aspiring and current school leaders acquire the skills necessary to lead successful charter schools. Each session will focus on a specific and relevant topic presented by top-performing charter school leaders with over twenty-five years of practical experience. Each training will consist of interactive exercises that coincide with that session’s curriculum so that each participant can actively engage in the content with the goal of demonstrating mastery of each topic in a real-time activity based on actual events at charter schools. The sessions themselves are non-sequential, so there is no requirement to attend all six sessions in order to benefit from the program.

Domains for each session will include:

Education Finance
Governance and Compliance
Academic Achievement

Human Resources
Marketing/Community Outreach
School Safety

Candidates must meet the following criteria:

Possess a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership (or equivalent) or be otherwise actively enrolled in a Master’s degree program in Educational Leadership (or equivalent).
Must be otherwise fully licensed/certified as an educator and currently working in a school.
Must have a recommendation from a current or former direct supervisor.

Applications for candidates will close on December 19th, 2025, and the workshops will begin in January 2026. All sessions will be held via ZOOM, and participants will collectively select meeting dates and times. A complete listing of all Domains and various Topics is below:

Domain	Topics
Education Finance	School Finance: Enrollment, Funding Programs, and Sources of Revenue Charter Financial Requirements and Reporting
Governance and Compliance	Charter School Federal, State, and Local Laws Understanding the Charter Agreement Board Relations and the Art and Science of the Board Meeting
Academic Achievement	Master Scheduling and School Improvement Plan Tiered Instructio Instructional Leadership Practices
Human Resources	Employment and Other Contracts National Fair Labor Standards Act and Other Labor Laws Employee Discipline
Marketing and Community Outreach	Marketing to New and Current Families Building and Maintaining a Positive School Culture Sports and Extracurriculars, and Partnerships
School Safety	How to Properly Investigate a School Disciplinary Incident Threat Assessment and Response Internal and External Communication Safety Practices

Client Feedback

Participating in the Alliance Education Services leadership cohort has been a game-changer for me as an educator and leader. The sessions are not only practical but also deeply relevant to the real challenges schools face. One of the most impactful sessions for me was the budget workshop—it shifted the way I think about financial planning, from simply balancing numbers to strategically aligning resources with our mission and priorities. That perspective has already influenced how I approach decision-making in my school.
Alliance Education Services provides the kind of professional learning that is both thought-provoking and immediately actionable. I would highly recommend them to any school or leader looking to grow in both knowledge and practice

M. Winston

Choice Charter School

Client Feedback

Alliance Education Services Leadership Program provided an opportunity for school leaders to learn how to manage their schools through shared experiences of leaders and working through daily challenges in real time.

D. Deveaux

Academy Prep

Client Feedback

I would highly recommend this program. Each session was well planned, purposeful, and interactive. I appreciated that the facilitators, Justin and Jennifer, spoke from real experience rather than only relying on research. Every session was engaging, and members of my cohort were consistently active in discussions that were both meaningful and reflective. I also valued that the sessions felt productive and intentional. I never felt that my time was wasted. Through this cohort, I have gained a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be a leader. I have learned not only the importance of leadership itself, but also how to recognize and address challenges effectively.

N. Sweat

Southwest Charlotte STEM Academ

Client Feedback

This was one of the most meaningful and helpful experiences I have been a part of in awhile, thank you for allowing me to be a part of this experience.

W. Chisholm

Client Feedback

Yes, this training is great for anyone interested in charter school leadership.

C. Robinson

The Point College Preparatory Academy

Client Feedback

The information was truly helpful and the activities were informational.

J. Greene

TMSA Academy

Charter School Leadership Cohort 2025-2026 Candidate Form

Candidate Qualifications:

Must have a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership or be actively enrolled and in the process of earning a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership or equivalent.
Must be fully licensed/certified and working in field. May teach any grade level or hold an instructional support position in the school.
Must have a recommendation from their current or former direct supervisor.

Candidate Contact Information:

Your Name

Current School

Current Position

Degree Status

Phone Number

Your email

Recommending Current/Former Direct Supervisor Information:

Name

School/Institution

Phone