Fellowship Nominations
We are accepting nominations for Cohort XV Fellows for the 2025-2026 academic year. Nominate a prospective Fellow to help us improve academic outcomes for students.
Apply
Join Our Powerful Network of Learning and Leadership
The Lynch Leadership Academy Fellowship is open to sitting and aspiring principals from district, charter, Catholic, and tuition-free independent schools across Massachusetts. If accepted, you'll particiapte in the 14-month Fellowship and be part of an upcoming cohort of motivated, mission-driven peers.
Join the 2025-26 DESE-LLA Massachusetts Aspiring Principal Fellowship Cohort 2
DESE has established the Massachusetts Aspiring Principal Fellowship, a one-year program for aspiring school leaders that seeks to cultivate a strong and diverse pipeline of effective school principals who are committed to championing culturally and linguistically sustaining learning communities, equity-driven leadership, and anti-racist practices. This program aims to inspire and empower aspiring principals to lead with vision, passion, and purpose and to create a brighter future for all students. DESE has contract The Lynch Leadership Academy as the vendor for this program.
Designed for both fellows and their mentors, participants will engage in 12 to 14 hours of high-quality, job-embedded professional development and coaching with a combination of virtual or on-site monthly meetings (four virtual and four on-site), field-based experiences, engaging feedback cycles with mentors, and individual coaching from LLA coaches!
Online Application
The online application consists of a number of short answer and essay questions that allow participants to demonstrate accomplishments aligned to the competency areas. Applications for Cohort XV are now open.
Interviews
The Prospective Fellow Interviews take place in person and include several components and stakeholders.
Reference Checks
A member of the Academy staff conducts reference checks for each participant who is selected following the Prospective Fellow Interviews.
| Tuesday, October 1, 2024 | The application is available on our website. |
| Thursday, November 14, 2024 and Wednesday, December 4, 2024 | Cohort XV Virtual Information Sessions - Register Here. |
| Monday, January 6, 2025 | Primary application deadline (Sitting and Aspiring Principal Applicants) (by 11:59 p.m.) |
| Wednesday, February 19, 2025 | Secondary application deadline (Sitting and Aspiring Principal Applicants) (by 11:59pm) |
| January & February 2025 | Interview days |
| Friday, March 28, 2025 | Final decisions sent |
Candidate Profile
LLA Seeks Candidates With
- A strong instructional foundation
- An unwavering commitment to equity
- An openness to learning and growing within a collaborative community of leaders
Candidates Are
- Sitting principals who are already leading, but eager to further develop and improve.
- Aspiring principals who are assistant principals, directors of instruction, teacher leaders or central office staff members, who will be ready to lead a school in 2026-27.
Please email lynchacademy@bc.edu if you are not sure if your school or district is an LLA partner, or to discuss becoming an LLA partner. There is no tuition cost for individual Fellows; instead, partner districts and schools are responsible for Fellowship fees.
Cohort XV SY 2025-26 Professional Development Dates
| Tuesday, May 20th, 2025 at 1:00pm -- Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 at 3:30pm | Cohort Retreat |
| June 3rd, 2025 8:30am-4:30pm | Aspiring Principals PD |
| Monday, July 7th, 2025 -- Thursday, July 17th, 2025 from 8:00am-4:30pm weekdays | Summer Institute |
| September 2025 - May 2026, 3rd Tuesday of the month | Monthly PD for Sitting Principals |
| September 2025 - May 2026, 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month | Monthly PD for Aspiring Principals |
