The Pahara Institute, together with the Aspen Institute, announced today the Fall 2018 cohort of the highly selective Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship. These 25 leaders join a network of diverse and talented leaders who are reimagining America’s public schools.
“In order to make sure all of our children have access to the skills, knowledge and mindsets they need to thrive, we must have transformative education leaders working together towards this ambitious goal,” said Kim Smith, Pahara Institute Founder and CEO. “We are thrilled to welcome this group of bold, innovative, and courageous leaders to the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship, where they will engage together in deep and meaningful dialogue, create a diverse learning community, and strengthen their ability to lead across difference and towards ‘third-way’ solutions.”
The Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship is a two-year, cohort-based program that identifies exceptional leaders in the educational excellence and equity movement, facilitates their dynamic growth, and strengthens their collective efforts to dramatically improve public schools, especially those serving low-income children and communities. The Fellowship provides these leaders with the unusual opportunity to step back from their demanding daily work to reflect with peers on their collective and individual impact as leaders and change agents. Fellows challenge each other to think beyond traditional silos and sector boundaries to develop strategies that enhance their effectiveness as leaders, address leadership challenges in public education, and accelerate the improvements needed to provide high-quality learning opportunities for all of our nation’s children.
The Fellowship is a partnership between the Pahara and Aspen Institutes. The Aspen Institute has created a leadership development model through its renowned Henry Crown Fellowship program, which focuses on inspiring Fellows to make a lasting difference in their spheres of influence through the application of effective and enlightened leadership. Pahara-Aspen Fellows become part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, which currently includes more than 2,500 Fellows from over 50 countries who are collectively making tremendous positive change in the world.
The Fall 2018 Pahara-Aspen Education Fellows are:
Michael Ambriz, Chief of Operations, Uncommon Schools
Alexandra Bernadotte, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Beyond 12
Andrew Calkins, Director, Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC), EDUCAUSE
Pyper Davis, Executive Director, Educare DC
Andrew Goldin, Chief of Schools, Summit Public Schools
David Hardy, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, Lorain City Schools
Scott Jenkins, Strategy Director, Lumina Foundation
Ebony Lee, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, U.S. Department of Education
Deborah Levitzky, Chief Program Officer and Founding Director, National Academy of Advanced Teacher Education (NAATE)
David Mansouri, President, State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE)
Pedro Martinez, Superintendent, San Antonio Independent School District
Celina Miranda, Executive Director, Hyde Square Task Force
Al Motley, Founder and Managing Partner, Techademics
Adam Pisoni, Chief Executive Officer, Abl Schools
Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds, Vice President of Policy, Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd)
Dena Simmons, Assistant Director, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
Elliot Smalley, Superintendent, South Carolina Public Charter School District
LaVerne Evans Srinivasan, Vice President, National Program, Carnegie Corporation of New York
Owen Stearns, Chief Executive Officer, Excel Academy Charter Schools
Frances Teso, Chief Executive Officer, Voices College-Bound Language Academies
Elizabeth Thompson, President, The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education (The CAFE)
Aaron Walker, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Camelback Ventures
Russ Wigginton, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students, Rhodes College
Elizabeth Wolfson, Chief Visionary Officer, Girls Athletic Leadership Schools, Inc. (GALS, Inc.)
Julie Young, Chief Executive Officer, ASU Prep Digital and Deputy Vice President, Education Outreach and Student Services, Arizona State University
“Public education is so critical to our democracy that we simply must have creative, committed and visionary leadership at the helm,” said David Langstaff, Interim Executive Vice President for the Aspen Global Leadership Network. “Pahara-Aspen Fellows have been bringing this necessary, entrepreneurial and ‘can-do’ energy to public education for over 10 years. We are proud to welcome this new cohort of high-integrity leaders to the Pahara-Aspen community of Fellows.”
To access bios and photos of the Pahara-Aspen Fellows, click here.