Raising School Leaders

Developing strong school leaders and district teams.

Our vision

At the helm of every Texas school is a strong leader who is equipped to support teachers, develop future leaders, create systems of change to ensure better outcomes for all students, and advocate for their school, community, and public education as a whole.

About Raising School Leaders

Research indicates a principal is second only to the classroom teacher in terms of impacting student learning and achievement. The Raising School Leaders program consists of a week-long leadership development institute through The Principals’ Center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and year-long participation in a community of practice focused on campus improvement and individual leadership development. Yet, the investment and support are much greater. All participants become part of an alumni network and receive ongoing professional development and connection.

Harvard Leadership Program

Since 2008, the Foundation has sponsored over 1,600 school leaders to participate in a variety of professional development programs offered through The Principals’ Center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. These summer institutes inspire, challenge, and empower both new and seasoned campus leaders across Texas.

Leadership Symposium

For 15 years, our annual Leadership Symposium was a time for alumni from our statewide programs to rekindle personal and professional connections and enrich professional learning. Months of meticulous preparation unfolded into three days of fellowship, presentations, breakout sessions, and dialogue on all things public education, with local, state, national, and global emphasis. The symposium inspired our alumni to broaden their scope of influence beyond their campus and to push their thinking and practice beyond its current state. Explore our recap blogs and videos from across the years to re-live these inspiring events.

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Program goals

Every district in the state has at least one principal who has participated in Raising School Leaders
Raising School Leaders participants reflect the diversity of the public school student population of Texas
Create and sustain a strong, connected network of educators across the state of Texas committed to learning and improving together, to meet the needs of all Texas students