The Dr. Carol Johnson District Leadership Fellowship

The Dr. Carol Johnson District Leadership Fellowship, named in honor of visionary leader and former Boston Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Carol Johnson, is designed to empower BPS district staff and school leaders to excel in their current roles and prepare them for a future of leadership in the Boston Public Schools. This fellowship is designed for current BPS leaders – at the school or district level – with aspirations to lead in future BPS roles such as Regional School Superintendent, Executive Director, Deputy Chief, or Chief.

A joint effort between Boston Public Schools and Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, students admitted to the Dr. Carol Johnson District Leadership Fellowship will join a cohort of BPS school and district leaders dedicated to advancing educational equity and excellence in the City of Boston. Over the course of 14 months, fellows will engage in yearlong academic coursework leading to a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies and tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities in the City of Boston. Successful candidates will make significant progress toward their doctorate and would be encouraged to apply to continue their studies, at their expense, toward the completion of a doctoral degree.

BPS will pay for the tuition of admitted fellows.

Course List

JULY/AUGUST 2024

Advanced Strategic Planning and Implementation (SED AP 664 - 4cr)

Cultivating a Leadership Disposition I (SED AP 705 - 2cr)

FALL 2024

Advanced Strategic Planning and Implementation (SED AP 664 - 4cr)

Cultivating a Leadership Disposition I (SED AP 705 - 2cr)

SPRING 2025

Advanced School Budgeting, Finance, and Labor Relations (SED AP 762 - 4cr)

School Law (SED AP 751 - 2cr)

MAY/JUNE 2025

Educational Politics: Local, State, and National (SED AP 765 - 4cr)

JULY/AUGUST 2025

Cultivating a Leadership Disposition II (SED AP 706 - 2cr)

Communications and Working with the Media (4cr)

Informational Sessions

The district will hold several informal informational sessions for candidates who would like to learn more about the Dr. Carol Johnson District Leadership Fellowship. These sessions will be held both on Zoom and at Bolling (all links and locations will be shared as we get closer to events with appropriate listservs):

• April 10th Via Zoom from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• April 23rd at Bolling from 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• April 24th via Zoom from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

If you would like more information about the Fellowship, please contact Linda Chen, Senior Deputy Superintendent of Academics, at lchen2@bostonpublicschools.org, Drew Echelson, Chief of Schools and Accountability at dechelson@bostonpublicschools.org or Lesley Ryan Miller, Chief of Teaching and Learning at lmiller2@bostonpublicschools.org.

How to Apply

Stage 1: Applicants will submit their resume and responses to short answer questions and essays via an internal BPS application.

Stage 2: Applicants will submit all materials, including an official transcript, for a final review by the BU Wheelock team.