Rocketship Network Leadership Program
The Rocketship Network Leadership Program is seeking our nation’s most outstanding school leaders to join our K-5 charter school
network, to eliminate the achievement gap in our lifetimes. Rocketship has ambitious growth plans – over the next ten years, we
intend to open hundreds of schools across the country – but we recognize that to grow rapidly while maintaining excellence across
our network, we must leverage the skills and talents of exceptional teachers and school leaders, while providing them with a
rewarding career path and performance-based compensation.
The Rocketship Network Leadership Program is an accelerated, multi-level program designed to support and prepare school leaders
to open and successfully run high-performing Rocketship schools. Because of the velocity of our growth, we seek leaders who can
excel at the school level and who also have the potential to run clusters of schools as network leaders in the future. We offer three
different program development tracks, to accommodate the different experiences and career objectives of program participants.
These include: Emerging Leaders, or outstanding teachers selected for their school leadership potential who participate in a 2-3
year program that starts with special projects and Network Leadership Program activities; Rising Fellows who participate in a 2year program that includes Network Leadership curriculum and activities, but who also serve as academic deans or assistant
principals; and Principal Fellows, who train intensively for a year as Assistant Principals, in preparation to run or take over a
Rocketship school upon program completion. Program graduates will be placed into leadership roles throughout Rocketship’s
network, serving initially as school principals, and with ample potential for follow-on advancement into regional leadership of
clusters of Rocketship schools. The Rocketship Network Leadership Program offers candidates an unprecedented opportunity to
join an organization that provides rapid professional advancement potential, become immersed in the charter school movement
with a nationally recognized network, and make a significant, positive impact on the lives of thousands of children in our country.
Program Philosophy and Approach
The Rocketship Network Leadership program is based on the belief that leadership potential, coupled with intense ground-level
experience in our schools, is the best preparation to become a Rocketship leader. Just as the best preparation for teaching is being
a teacher, the best preparation for school leadership is being a school leader. With this in mind, program participants will fill real
leadership roles in our network including academic dean positions and assistant principal positions. Program participants first work
as teacher leaders, academic deans, or assistant principals under the direction of current Rocketship principals. Additionally,
Rocketship Network Fellows participate in a comprehensive, rigorous training curriculum that includes 1:1 coaching and workshops
from third-party experts in management as well as instructional and personal leadership. For example, program participants will
attend specialized leadership workshops on topics such as effective communication, performance management, and data-driven
instruction and make visits to observe high-performing schools throughout the country. Throughout the entire program, Network
Fellows learn through sustained collaboration with other program participants as part of a selective cohort.
Participant Selection and Placement Process
In evaluating program candidates, we prioritize leadership potential and ability to drive results over all other characteristics.
Consequently, some program participants with two to three years of teaching experience may be ready to become Rocketship
principals after a single year in the Network Leadership Program. In contrast, others with leadership experience in other schools
may spend two years (or more) to become a Rocketship school leader. Whether you are just beginning your leadership pathway or
you are an experienced senior manager looking to make the transition to Rocketship, our program is designed to provide you with
the specific experience and coaching you need to run a successful Rocketship school.
Given the emphasis we place on potential over years of experience, applicants are asked to apply to the Rocketship Network
Leadership program and as part of the application process Rocketship’s Leadership Development team will work with each
applicant to identify the most appropriate Network Leadership track. These tracks are:
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Emerging Leaders: A 2+ Year Pathway to School Leadership
Rocketship Emerging Leaders are outstanding teachers interested in becoming school and network leaders. These classroom
leaders have a track record of student achievement and demonstrated leadership potential. Emerging Leaders come to Rocketship
as teachers to become immersed in the innovative Rocketship model and also participate in additional leadership experiences and
workshops as outlined above. They take on specialized projects at their school sites that may include teacher coaching, event
planning, or community outreach and meet regularly with other teachers in the Emerging Leaders program. Rocketship Emerging
Leaders will be among the first considered for Rocketship Rising Fellow and Rocketship Principal Fellow positions (see descriptions
below) and serve as important leadership team members on their campuses.
Rising Fellows: A Two-Year Pathway to Becoming a Principal
The Rising Fellows Program is intended to prepare program candidates to become Principal Fellows in their second year of program
participation, with the objective of opening or taking over an existing school after completion of two years in the Network
Leadership program. Rocketship Rising Fellows may serve as assistant principals or academic deans, depending on their own
professional development needs. In these roles, they hone their management and instructional skills and become immersed in the
Rocketship model. If placed as assistant principals, Rising Fellows are responsible for managing all non-teaching staff (including
staff of Learning Lab), coaching a small group of teachers, and building school culture by sharing in the supervision of transitions,
arrival, dismissal, and lunch. If placed as Academic Deans, they are responsible for intensively coaching new and experienced
teachers as well as planning and executing professional development. In addition to the experiential learning gained from these
roles, Rising Fellows also benefit from collaborating with a select group of Rocketship school leaders through training workshops,
individual coaching, and hands-on opportunities such as external school visits, 360 feedback surveys, and several weeks each year
serving as the full principal. Rocketship Rising Fellows may also have the opportunity to found a new region and advance into
regional and national leadership roles within the network.
Principal Fellows: A One-Year Pathway to Becoming a Principal
Rocketship Principal Fellows train intensively for a year, in preparation to run or take over a Rocketship school upon program
completion. In this year, Principal Fellows are based at a single school site, serving as Assistant Principal and becoming immersed in
the Rocketship school model. Principal Fellows are responsible for managing all non-teaching staff (including Learning Lab tutors),
coaching a group of teachers, and reinforcing school culture by supervising classroom transitions, school arrival and dismissal, and
lunch. Additionally, they prepare to open and run a new Rocketship school, or take over an existing Rocketship school in the next
year, by building community relationships, hiring staff, and creating a plan for their school. Principal Fellows participate in many
Rocketship Network Leadership events and also spend several weeks each year serving as the full principal. Principal Fellows pursue
an accelerated career track that may include the opportunity to found the first Rocketship school in a new region; they may also
move quickly into a Regional Director role or other senior management role.
We are currently accepting applications. Learn more online at www.rsed.org or email us at leadership@rsed.org.
About Rocketship Education
Rocketship Education (www.rsed.org) is a national non-profit elementary charter school network dedicated to eliminating
the achievement gap and enabling its students to achieve grade-level proficiency by the time they graduate from elementary
school, well positioned on their pathway to college. Through deep parental involvement, exceptional teaching and its unique
hybrid school model that combines outstanding classroom teaching with individualized online learning for every student,
Rocketship is transforming elementary school education, while operating its schools solely and sustainably with traditional
government funding.
420 Florence Street, Suite 300 | Palo Alto, CA 93401 | www.rsed.org
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