Aspiring CAO Cohort '26 - '27

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Cohort Agenda

Agenda

Program Cost

Cost

FAQ's

Aspiring Chief Academic Officer Cohort

A transformative learning experience for current and emerging leaders who are ready to step into academic leadership at the systemic level.

Learning experiences across the whole year.

1:1

Access to sitting CAO's across the country.

100%

Leaders who find the CAO cohort valuable or very valuable.

Culminates with an in-person summit.

About The Cohort |
Built for leaders ready to lead at scale

This Cohort is designed for current and emerging leaders who are curious about the CAO role or actively preparing to step into it.

Through a carefully sequenced series of learning experiences, participants build the knowledge, skills, and habits essential for driving academic strategy and instructional excellence across entire systems.

Who Is This For |
The CAO Cohort is for you if...

Emerging Leaders

You are a current leader curious about what it means to lead academic strategy at the district or network level.

Apiring CAO's

You are actively preparing to step into the CAO role and want structured, high-quality preparation alongside peers.

Community Builders

You want to grow alongside a cohort of Black and Latino male educators committed to advancing each other’s leadership.

The Journey |
How the CAO Cohort works

Fellows participate in four 90-minute remote learning sessions and a culminating in-person Chief Academic Officer Summit. During virtual sessions, fellows study video, analyze guidance documents, and organize artifacts that demonstrate readiness for the role.

Belonging for leaders: A foundational exploration of how inclusive leadership creates conditions for staff and student success.

Key functions of the CAO role: Gain clarity on what distinguishes high-impact CAOs — from driving instructional improvement to leveraging data for continuous growth.

Strategic planning: Study real-world examples and identify the key drivers of effective academic strategic plans.

Designing year-long PD: Practice crafting responsive, vision-aligned professional development plans.

Conversations with sitting CAO's: Candid interviews surfacing both successes and challenges of leading academic strategy across districts and networks.

CAO Collaboration Summit: A dynamic, in-person capstone where participants visit a partner school, offer strategic feedback, and observe key initiatives in action.

All video clips and case studies
Strategic planning templates
Sample year-long PD scope and sequences
Handouts, protocols, and reflection tools

Fellows Also Receive:

Why Sponsor A Fellow |
Invest in your schools future

Support the development of a current or rising leader. This cohort offers a powerful professional learning experience that prepares participants to:

Lead inclusive teams rooted in Belonging for Leaders
Understand the key functions of the CAO role
Build and execute strong strategic plans
Design year-long PD scope and sequences
Learn from sitting CAOs through candid interviewsEngage in an in-person CAO Collaboration Summit

What Schools Gain:

High quality teaching clips to be used for coaching and training teachers
Professional development practices and case studies
Tools and resources to be adapted to fit the needs of your school or network

“This session on Key Functions of a CAO gave me perspective on what to look for in this role as I build out my organization structure for my school.”

~ Cohort Fellow

"The opening session focused entirely on vision and plan-setting was fantastic."

~ Cohort Fellow

"I really appreciate the practical videos and resources that come out of these sessions. Seeing these strategies in action makes all the difference."

~ Cohort Fellow

"Being alongside colleagues in my occupational discipline and hearing how they approach the same challenges I face was incredibly valuable."

~ Cohort Fellow

Aspiring CAO Cohort FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Aspiring CAO Cohort? The Aspiring Chief Academic Officer Cohort is a leadership development experience designed for educators and instructional leaders preparing to lead at the systems level. The program supports leaders pursuing roles such as Chief Academic Officer, Chief of Schools, Regional Superintendent, and other senior instructional leadership positions.

Who is this cohort designed for? The cohort is designed primarily for Black and Latino male educators who have already demonstrated leadership at the classroom, school, or network level and are ready to expand their impact across multiple schools or systems. Ideal candidates include teachers, instructional coaches, department chairs, grade-level leaders, school leaders, and network staff.

What will fellows learn? Fellows develop the skills needed to lead instructional strategy at scale, including:

Understanding the core functions of the CAO role
Building strategic plans and instructional roadmaps
Designing year-long professional development plans
Leading equity-driven instructional systems
Analyzing teaching and leadership through case studies and video study
Learning directly from sitting CAOs and executive leaders

What does the program format look like? The cohort includes four 90-minute virtual learning sessions and a culminating in-person Chief Academic Officer Collaboration Summit. Fellows engage in interactive learning experiences, strategic planning exercises, artifact analysis, and executive leadership case studies.

Is the program virtual or in person? The experience is hybrid. Most learning sessions take place virtually, while the program culminates in an in-person collaboration summit designed to provide immersive learning, networking, and executive-level collaboration opportunities.

What resources do fellows receive? Participants gain access to:

Strategic planning templates
Sample PD scopes and sequences
Reflection protocols and leadership tools
Video clips and executive case studies
Guidance documents used by sitting CAOs
Curated leadership artifacts and implementation resources

Who facilitates the learning? The cohort is powered in partnership with Teach Like a Champion and includes learning from experienced Chief Academic Officers, executive leaders, and senior instructional practitioners from across the country.

Why should schools or organizations sponsor a fellow? Organizations benefit by developing leaders capable of driving instructional excellence, strengthening academic systems, building staff capacity, and improving leadership pipelines. Fellows return with practical tools, strategic frameworks, and implementation plans that directly support school and organizational improvement.

What makes this cohort different from traditional leadership programs? Unlike traditional leadership programs focused primarily on theory, the Aspiring CAO Cohort emphasizes practical systems leadership, real-world case studies, executive decision-making, and community. The program blends technical instructional leadership with adaptive leadership development and brotherhood.

How much does the program cost? Standard program cost is $3000, which includes access to all virtual sessions, cohort programming, learning materials, and the culminating summit experience. More registration details can be found on the official registration page.

Is financial support or sponsorship available? Many fellows receive support from their schools, districts, charter networks, or organizations through professional development funding. Participants are encouraged to explore sponsorship opportunities with their employers.

How do I register? You can register here: Aspiring CAO Cohort Registration

Who can I contact with questions? For additional questions about the cohort, registration, or logistics, contact Keith Brooks (KiethBrooks@nfblme.org).

NFBLME

Lead Academic Excellence — Shape what comes next!

NFBLME

The CAO Experience

Virtual Learning Sessions

Four high-impact virtual sessions designed to help leaders think, plan, and lead like a Chief Academic Officer. Fellows engage in real-world case studies, analyze instructional and strategic leadership decisions, study systems-level challenges, and build practical tools they can immediately bring back to their schools or networks. Topics include Belonging for Leaders, the core functions of the CAO role, strategic planning, and designing year-long professional development aligned to organizational priorities. Powered by Teach Like a Champion, each session blends elite instructional content with practical leadership application.

CAO Collaboration Summit

The experience culminates in an in-person CAO Collaboration Summit where fellows move from theory to practice. Participants visit partner schools, observe leadership systems in action, collaborate with peers and executive leaders, and offer strategic feedback on real instructional and organizational challenges. This is not a sit-and-get conference — it is a hands-on executive leadership experience designed to sharpen strategic thinking, deepen relationships, and prepare fellows to lead at the systems level with confidence and clarity.