NIET Fellows Program 2025 - 2026

The NIET Fellows Program is a one-year opportunity for teacher leaders in K-12 school systems. The program is designed to provide teacher leaders with opportunities to deepen their knowledge of NIET’s systems of improvement in order to more effectively support the work taking place within and beyond their school and district. The next cohort of fellows will begin the program in Summer 2025. Through the NIET Fellows Program, candidates will BUILD their skills to advance educator effectiveness by:

• Building a strong foundational understanding of leadership best practices
• Understanding how leadership structures provide opportunities to grow and support their own learning and the learning of their colleagues
• Increasing foundational perspective and understanding of the role successful distributed leadership plays
• Learning how instructional practices lead to positive change in districts and schools
• Deepening their instructional skills and their abilities to coach others

Fellowship Responsibilities

Over the course of the year-long fellowship, July 2025 - June 2026, fellows will take on a variety of responsibilities through which they will engage in multiple types of professional development. Fellows will:

• Deepen their knowledge of NIET’s systems of improvement
• Attend a five day in person Boot Camp in July 2025
• Shadow NIET Senior Specialists providing support to other districts regionally for up to five days during the school year
• Attend virtual learning experiences throughout the program year
• Write one blog post that will be used on NIET’s social media
• Create one video that contributes to the field of teacher leadership
• Assist with and attend the NIET National Conference
• Assist with and attend NIET Summer Institute (NSI)
• Provide feedback to NIET on the NIET Fellows Program

Fellows are expected to attend all in person events including:

• Fellows Boot Camp, July 2025
• NIET National Conference, February or March 2026
• NSI, June 2026

Fellowship Structure

• Fellows will maintain their employment as a full-time district employee (including salary and benefits aligned with their district’s salary schedule and structure), while being released from their district to participate in the program activities throughout the year.
• Travel costs associated with required program travel will be covered by NIET.
• Each fellow will receive a $7,500 stipend from NIET for their participation.

Application Process and Timeline

To be eligible for this opportunity, the applicant must:

• Be a teacher leader (i.e. instructional coach, Master Teacher) working in a district
• Expect to remain in a teacher leader position for the 2025-26 school year
• Have at least three years of experience as a full-time teacher leader

To be considered for this opportunity, the eligible applicant must complete this online application which includes the submission of:

• A cover letter describing your current role as a teacher leader and why you want to be a fellows candidate (500-word limit)
• Your résumé or curriculum vitae
• An unedited video segment showing you leading professional learning or coaching a colleague
• A document that includes data demonstrating your track record of success
• Two letters of reference (i.e., principal, classroom teacher, teacher leader, or district leader)

A 2025-2026 NIET Fellows Program informational webinar will be held from 4:00 - 5:00 PM CT on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 for anyone interested in applying or learning more about the program. Click here to join the webinar live or watch the recording. If you have any questions, take a look at this FAQ page or send an email to fellows@niet.org.