Principal Innovation Fellowship
In partnership with New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), Bank Street’s Principal Innovation Fellowship supports high school leaders in redesigning their schools to offer relevant career pathways and work-based learning opportunities for students. Through the fellowship, principals will design and implement school models that better prepare students for postsecondary success, including the development of career readiness and the ability to support economic mobility for those whose families experience generational poverty.
The inaugural cohort of 20 high school leaders are currently participating in the Future Ready NYC (FRNYC) initiative, which puts New York City public school students on a path to a rewarding career that is aligned with their passion and purpose and helps them achieves long-term economic security and a choice-filled life.
The initial cohort of fellows will begin work in Summer 2023.
Fellowship Design
The cohort will participate in a five-day summer intensive designed to inspire their vision for school redesign and develop a clear implementation plan. During the school year, principals will continue learning within their cohort while receiving ongoing coaching from an experienced school leader. Coaching and peer learning will continue for two years with further opportunities to convene, reset, and recommit to a journey of change management.
| YEAR 1 | YEAR 2 | |
| Whole Group | Summer Intensive (5 Days) Mid-year Convening (Half Day, January) |
Summer Intensive (2 Days) Final Convening (2 Days) |
| Small Group | Collaborative Working Groups (Half Day, 1x per month) | Collaborative Working Groups (Half Day, every other month) |
| 1:1 | Coaching (Half Day, 1x per month) | Coaching (Half Day, every other month) |
Fellowship Impact
Principals will develop a roadmap for school redesign with benchmarks for school change across a two-year span. Bank Street will work with principals to align their implementation plan to the core components of FRNYC and will collaborate with NYCPS to document common measures of outcomes and impacts in schools. These will include changes in teacher practice, increased student engagement, increased measures of postsecondary readiness, and new opportunities for student voice and family engagement.
Why Bank Street?
Bank Street has a proven track record of developing highly adaptive and innovative school leaders. Through the fellowship, Bank Street will:
- Design and pilot new programming models to prepare students for college and career readiness
- Adapt academic curriculum to address the future workforce with real-world applications
- Engage students and families in the design process to pursue ambitious career goals
- Build and manage partnerships with employers, colleges, and workforce providers
- Rethink school staffing, course sequencing, and schedules
- Sustain positive school culture through school change