Mississippi Charter School Fellowship

What is the Mississippi Charter School Fellowship?

The charter school fellowship program is a summer program that cultivates interested educators and leaders in education to learn operational and leadership skills in hopes of expanding the leadership talent pool for public charter schools in Mississippi.

Public charter schools empower communities to design high-quality, public educational experiences to meet their students’ needs. Charter schools are free, public, and open to all children in relevant grades. Currently, Mississippi has nine public charter schools operating in Jackson, Clarksdale, Natchez, and Leflore County.

Because Mississippi is new to the public charter school sector, many current and rising education leaders lack familiarity with quality public charter schools. In knowing this, Mississippi First partnered with charter schools in Mississippi to create the Mississippi Charter School Fellowship. Not only are fellows learning about charter school academics and operations, but they are also building community through working with public charter school leaders and stakeholders.

We seek leaders who reflect the communities they serve and bring deep knowledge of the issues facing their communities. We strongly encourage applicants from anywhere in Mississippi.

Benefits of the Fellowship

Learning Centered

Fellows will receive hands-on experience in running
a charter school.

Community and Networking

Fellows will support community and family engagement by working with leaders and educators.

Compensation

Fellows will be paid a $5,000 stipend and be reimbursed for mileage for in-person orientation.

Qualifications

To be considered, a candidate must:

Hold or be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in policy, education, or a field related to the placement
Be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
Express interest in learning about charter schools in Mississippi
Possess strong attention to detail
Be very task-oriented
Be a self-starter
Demonstrate excellent critical thinking/problem-solving skills
Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills

Duties & Responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities will be specific to each charter school placement.

During the application process, candidates will be asked to select their site preference. Fellows will serve as support to the charter school’s leadership and will participate in weekly lunch and learns to learn more about charter schools in Mississippi. Fellows may be asked to serve in departments or roles outside of their assignment in an effort to gain more charter school experience. Each of these sites will host two fellows.

**Clarksdale Collegiate**
Clarksdale, MS

**Leflore Legacy Academy**
Greenwood, MS

**Midtown Public Charter School**
Jackson, MS

Cohorts

2024

Applications for the 2024 cohort are now open!

2023

D’Atra Gilmore, Ambition Prep
Crystal Dixon, Leflore Legacy Academy
Mark Beechem, Leflore Legacy Academy
Nicole Ford, Leflore Legacy Academy

2022 | The Inaugural Cohort

LaToya Spurlock-Fluker, Leflore Legacy Academy
Myra Grey, Leflore Legacy Academy
Porshia Ferguson, Ambition Prep
Tywanna Mosley, Ambition Prep
CaTina Anderson, Republic Schools
Tionna Anderson, Republic Schools
Erica Dotson, Clarksdale Collegiate
Nicole Moore, Clarksdale Collegiate

Interested in being a leader in education?

Join the Mississippi Charter School Fellowship, where leaders in education gain leadership skills needed to operate and grow charter schools in Mississippi. Applications for Instant Impact will be accepted until April 17.

Apply Today

For any questions or concerns about the fellowship, please contact our Director of Special Programs, Pheron Russell.