Just as important as having good teachers in the classroom, schools need good administrators as well.
Whether it be in personal and ethical leadership, visionary leadership, learning-focused leadership or organizational leadership, fellows will be challenged to bring skills back to their districts to help them become highly effective leaders in their schools.
Through generous support from the Ayers Foundation and Scarlett Family Foundation, scholarships are available for each candidate in the Ayers Leadership Fellowship. Qualified candidates are selected from a competitive application process based on merit and evidence of strong aspiration leadership talent.
Ayers Leadership Fellows will earn a Master of Education (M.Ed.) or Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Educational Leadership at Lipscomb University and an administrative license in the state of Tennessee. Fellows will engage in field experiences, direct mentoring relationships with current educational leaders, participate in experiential learning days in the field, and progress through coursework designed to expose candidates to researched-based best-practice leadership skills.
Ayers Leadership Fellows: Why is Leadership Important to You?
Program Information
In partnership with the Ayers Foundation and Scarlett Family Foundation, Lipscomb's College of Education offers scholarships for aspiring school leaders throughout the region to earn an educational leadership master’s or education specialist degree with administrative licensure. Below you'll find resources explaining the Fellowship, school district engagement and the program's timeline.
Timeline
Application Acceptance —January-May
Application Deadline —May
Interviews for Selected Applicants—May-June
Acceptances Announced—July
Orientation—July
Classes Begin—August
Application Information
To apply for the Ayers Leadership Fellows program, applicants complete a standard application for either the M.Ed. or Ed.S. in Educational Leadership programs and select the "Ayers" option on the application. Applications will be accepted beginning in January through May
Ayers Leadership Fellows will earn a Master of Education (M.Ed.) or Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Educational Leadership at Lipscomb University and an administrative license in the state of Tennessee. The Ayers Foundation and the Scarlett Family Foundation have made scholarships available for these aspiring school leaders, and Ayers Leadership Fellows will be selected from a pool of applicants based on merit and innovative partnerships with their individual school districts. Fellows will engage in field experiences and direct mentoring relationships with current educational leaders, and will be engaged in coursework designed to enhance researched-based best-practice leadership skills.
Scholarships will be awarded to candidates who are exceptional individuals, have already shown leadership capacity, have the ability to set goals, are ready to assume high levels of responsibility, have a passion for learning, and exhibit a desire to achieve. Candidates should be aspiring school leaders who are seeking to improve their leadership knowledge and skills through completion of a competency, field-based program that includes clinical experiences and mentor coaching.
Applicants must hold a valid Tennessee educator license and have completed at least three years of educational experience to be eligible for the program. Applicants will demonstrate leadership capacity and exceptional employment performance through a recommendation from their current supervisor (principal or district supervisor), writing samples, participation in a panel interview with department faculty, and a writing prompt response the day of the interview.
Scholarships will be awarded based upon merit. However, applicants who demonstrate a thoughtful and involved participation from his or her district will be given preference for the scholarship. Since the scholarship program seeks to promote and leverage partnerships between aspiring school leaders and current school leadership, school districts that demonstrate commitment to their fellows through strong recommendations and a commitment to future leadership roles will have an advantage over other candidates that cannot show such commitment from their school district or school system leadership.
To apply for the Ayers Leadership Fellows program, applicants must first complete a standard application for either the M.Ed. or Ed.S. in Educational Leadership program. Once applicants have completed the standard degree applications, they will need to complete the Ayers Leadership Fellows scholarship application. Refer to the timeline on this page for due dates and application milestones.
Applicants to the Ayers Leadership Fellows program will follow the standard application process for the Master of Education or Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership. Additionally, applicants will indicate interest in Ayers Fellowship by selecting “Ayers” on the application. An admission committee will review submitted applications and select candidates for interviews with the department faculty. For questions about the application process, contact the Director of Graduate Admissions at education [at] lipscomb.edu (education[at]lipscomb[dot]edu).
Applicants with a master’s degree will be encouraged to apply for the Ed.S. program. Applicants with either an Ed.S. or an administrative license may apply for the fellowship but must clearly articulate both their intentions for this program and how being selected for the program will benefit themselves and the district.
The program is 18 months long. Classes begin in August and will meet approximately three Saturdays each academic term. Some courses may meet four weeknights via online synchronous sessions during the academic term. Additional online work, field experiences and collaboration with a mentor will be expected throughout the program.
