Principal or Vice Principal Innovative Schools Fellow
Job Description
Innovative Schools Fellowship (ISF)
Founding a new high-performing public school- St. Louis, Missouri
Organization: The Opportunity Trust
Position: Innovative Schools Fellow
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Who you are:
- A seasoned school based leader ready to bring your full vision to life in a school of your own. You may be a former
- Principal or Principal Supervisor
- Academic, operations, or finance leader at the Chief Level
- An experienced instructional leader from an established CMO or LEA seeking to build a new school within your network through deep community partnership
- A mission driven senior executive eager to apply your expertise to the full-scale launch of a transformational public institution
The Innovative Schools Fellowship (ISF) offers a rare opportunity: to design, build, and launch a breakthrough public school or network of schools that redefines what’s possible for children in St. Louis.
Background
Founded in 2018, The Opportunity Trust (OT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that every child in St. Louis is prepared to thrive by having access to a quality public school education. Since 2019, The Opportunity Trust has attracted and invested over $125 million to transform public education in Missouri, launching new schools, strengthening educator and leadership pipelines, and expanding access to quality public schools (both traditional district and public charter schools). In 2023, the organization secured Missouri’s first-ever $35 million U.S. Department of Education Charter School Program award, a landmark investment to expand access to high-quality charter schools across the state.
By 2027, OT is working to ensure that at least 30% of St. Louis’ children attend a quality public school, up from 12% when the organization launched. Through its Innovative Schools Fellowship (ISF), The Opportunity Trust has incubated and launched 9 schools and helped to expand 6 existing public schools in St. Louis.
To learn more about The Opportunity Trust, visit their website here.
Why St. Louis, Why Now
Innovation, collaboration, and significant investments are converging to deliver better outcomes for students. Missouri’s charter public schools are among the nation’s leaders in academic growth relative to their districts, and a wave of new philanthropic support is fueling the design and growth of high-quality schools. Recent policy shifts are creating the conditions for stronger accountability, expanded early learning, and space for bold, student-centered ideas to thrive. For leaders ready to do meaningful work, St. Louis offers something rare—the freedom to build, the support to grow, and the chance to help shape the future of public education in a city committed to doing better for kids.
What You’ll Do as a Fellow
As a Fellow, you’ll step into a once in a career opportunity to design and launch a world-class public school in St. Louis with the full strategic, financial, and operational backing of The Opportunity Trust. This is a role for leaders who are ready to turn their biggest, boldest ideas into a living, breathing school launch plan that serves children for generations. Throughout the fellowship, you’ll bring your leadership vision to life while receiving high caliber executive development, targeted residencies in top-performing St. Louis schools, and curated national excellent school visits to engage with innovative school models across the country. The support you will receive to make your ideas a reality will occur through residencies in St. Louis schools, professional development, and excellent school visits.
As one of the first leaders for the school you’ll launch, you’ll bring a high level of self responsibility and follow through to ensure that you’re setting up strong systems and structures. There will also be support to ensure that the operational, financial, and compliance aspects of leading a school are strong so you can focus on what matters most: leading an exceptional school that delivers extraordinary instructional and socio-emotional results for all students. Over the two-year fellowship, you’ll partner closely with TOT as you push toward an ambitious launch, bringing initiative, strategic thinking, and executive presence to one of the most consequential education opportunities in the region.
What You Bring:
- Initiative: We’re looking for visionary, equity-driven leaders who combine ambition for a more just world with humility needed to roll up sleeves and build it with others, and who thrive in environments where innovation meets accountability.
- Results: You’ve led teams to achieve student outcomes above state averages (~44% proficiency in ELA/Math), demonstrated significant student growth, or led organizations that have achieved outstanding operational or financial success
- Leadership: You have experience building, managing, and motivating diverse teams toward ambitious goals.
- Drive: You learn quickly, embrace feedback, and translate insight into action.
- Relationship builder: You build strong relationships and a desire to get to know and work with St. Louis communities.
- Commitment to equity: You reflect on identity and power, leading inclusively to ensure every child has access to an excellent school.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s or advanced degree preferred.
- Minimum 8 years of professional experience, including at least 2 years managing adults in a PreK–12 environment.
- Demonstrated record of leading teams to ambitious outcomes.
Fellowship Experience & Benefits
ISF Fellows receive two full years of competitive salary, healthcare, and benefits, along with comprehensive support designed to set you up for success:
- Salary: $115,000–$185,000+ annually during the two-year fellowship depending on the scale and type of school/network envisioned
- Reimbursement for up to $15,000 in moving expenses.
- Access to startup funding through The Opportunity Trust’s exclusive partnerships and federal Charter School Program grant.
- Personalized coaching and mentorship from education and executive leaders.
- Residency placement in a high-performing school with opportunities to test and refine your ideas in real time.
- National learning visits and exposure to innovative school models.
- Protected time to plan, design, and prepare your school model.
- Collaboration with a diverse cohort of leaders equally committed to innovation and community-driven design.
- Ongoing post-fellowship coaching and professional development.
Your Legacy
As a Fellow, you’ll build a school that proves excellence and equity can thrive together—expanding opportunity and transforming lives for generations. Your graduates will leave confident, curious, and prepared to lead lives of purpose and choice. Your work will help redefine what’s possible for public education in St. Louis and beyond.
