School Board Partners (SBP) announced its sixth and largest cohort of Fellows to join its School Board Partners National Fellowship. SBP has selected 99 individuals to participate in the competitive, one-year fellowship for diverse elected school board members. This year’s cohort is made up of 80% people of color, with participants hailing from 76 different school districts and 28 different states, representing a total 2.2 million students.
Kati Cabral, elected to represent Chelsea in Massachusetts, is one of the new School Board Partners’ National Fellows. Cabral is a life-long resident of Chelsea, MA a Black Latina, educator, graduate of Chelsea Public Schools (CPS) and currently serves as the Vice-Chair and At-Large member on the Chelsea School Committee. She believes that together we can equip students that are most impacted by systems and structures with the skills necessary to be life-long learners, active citizens and change-makers within the decision-making process.
SBP’s fellowship empowers school board members like Vice-Chair Cabral — many holding elected office for the first time — with the knowledge, mentorship, community, and policy support to address the needs of their district and students. As part of the Fellowship, these emerging education leaders are paired with trusted mentors who provide them with the guidance, first-hand knowledge, and skills needed to implement real change through equity-centered policies in their districts.
“Our Fellowship equips new school board members with the skills, knowledge, and community they need to become effective school board members. Each Fellow receives personalized support, including a mentor and policy coach, to design policies that will have the greatest impact on students,” said Carrie Douglass, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of School Board Partners. “As an elected school board member myself, I’ve seen how kids-first policies can improve student outcomes, paving the way to more equitable and high-quality schools.”
SBP Fellows are trained in six high-impact areas: hiring, anti-racist policy-making, representing the community, developing goals, school performance frameworks, and budget and resource management. The Fellowship also includes an in-person convening, regular webinars with a community of practice, an individual executive coach, policy mentors, and access to SBP’s library of resources.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the latest cohort of Fellows into the School Board Partners community,” said Ethan Ashley, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of School Board Partners. “I’ve experienced firsthand the power of school boards to make a difference, both in my own life and during my time as an elected school board member. With this unique support and tools, the Fellows are empowered to address the challenges facing our schools, turning their campaign promises into real policy change for students.”
This cohort represents SBP’s sixth cohort since 2020. Including fellows from previous cohorts and the newly named sixth cohort, SBP has worked with nearly 349 school board members in 28 states and 120 school districts, serving over seven million students. The following is a full list of the 2024 C6 School Board Fellows:
School Board Partners is a nonprofit organization focused on transforming education in America by supporting, connecting and re-electing diverse, anti-racist school board members across the country to lead with courage, competence, and impact.