Improved student performance depends on strong leadership, a culture of collaboration, and a dedication to accountability across a school district. This program helps leaders from U.S.-based urban school systems apply proven management concepts to their districts' unique challenges. Joining with other administrators and educators from across the country, your team of eight leaders from your district will refine your management model, develop new improvement strategies, and learn how to serve your students more effectively.

This program is offered through collaboration between its namesake, the Public Education Leadership Project (PELP), which is a joint initiative of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) and Harvard Business School (HBS), and the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative.

Summary

Key Benefits

In this unique program, your district team will learn and grow together, build management and leadership skills, and acquire new ability to achieve long-term excellence across all schools in your district. You will return to your district with new ideas and strategies that you can implement successfully.

Key Benefits

Develop, communicate, and execute a strategy for improving your schools

Build high-performance leadership teams that continue to learn and grow

Adapt successful practices from other school systems to the needs of your district

Expand your personal and professional network

Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions
Gain access to a valuable network of previous program participants

Who Should Attend

The program is designed for teams of eight participants who are responsible for urban school systems with at least 20,000 enrolled students.

Who Should Attend

The program is designed for teams of eight participants who are responsible for urban school systems with at least 20,000 enrolled students.

The district's superintendent must always be among the eight team participants. Other members of the multilevel leadership team might include:

Central office administrators
School principals
Regional supervisors
Union leaders
Teacher leaders
Community liaisons
Members of the school board, board of education, or school committee that governs the district

Districts can build capability by sending new teams to the program over three or more consecutive years. To facilitate continuity, teams from districts returning to the program may send one additional past participant beyond the superintendent.

Participating Companies Have Included:

Austin Independent School District

Boston Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools

Denver Public Schools

Los Angeles Unified School District

Madison Metropolitan School District (Wisconsin)

Montgomery County Public Schools

Orange County Public Schools (Orlando)

Saint Louis Public Schools

San Francisco Unified School District

Dive Deeper into the Experience

See how exchange with faculty and peers yields new insights into critical business trends.

Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.

Global perspectives > Leadership growth > Organizational impact.

Learning and Living at HBS

When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.

Review Our Campus Health & Safety Protocols

Learning and Living at HBS

Participating Companies Have Included:

Austin Independent School District

Boston Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools

Denver Public Schools

Los Angeles Unified School District

Madison Metropolitan School District (Wisconsin)

Montgomery County Public Schools

Orange County Public Schools (Orlando)

Saint Louis Public Schools

San Francisco Unified School District

Dive Deeper into the Experience

See how exchange with faculty and peers yields new insights into critical business trends.

Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.

Global perspectives > Leadership growth > Organizational impact.

Review Our Campus Health & Safety Protocols

Admissions Criteria and Process

Participation in this program requires that the school district's superintendent or designee submit a letter of interest due by January 31, 2022. For more information, please contact the Public Education Leadership Program at pelp@gse.harvard.edu or +1.617.496.1819.

Application Submission

We recommend that you apply at least four weeks before the program start date. You may use our online form or download an application. HBS maintains all application information in strict confidentiality. We acknowledge receipt of applications via email. In the unlikely event that you do not receive an acknowledgment, please email us at exed_admissions@hbs.edu or call us at +1.617.495.6226.

Application Review

To optimize the learning experience and maximize the exchange of ideas, our Admissions Committee makes selections that balance each participant's experience, scope of current responsibilities, and type of organization. HBS seeks candidates who reflect a broad range of industries, functions, countries, and backgrounds. We review applications monthly and will contact you via email with the Admissions Committee's decision.

In February 2022, the PELP staff will reach out directly to your school district's superintendent and designated point of contact to notify you of your acceptance status. At that time, you will be provided further instructions on how to register your eight-member district team.

Answering Your Questions

For further assistance, contact: Harvard Graduate School of Education, Matt Tallon, Senior Project Manager, Email: pelp@gse.harvard.edu; Telephone: +1.617.496.1819, or Program Advising team at: 1.800.427.5577 (outside the U.S., call +1.617.495.6555)

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

The program fee covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodations, and most meals. No payment is necessary until you have been accepted. Payment is required prior to the program start date. If you need to cancel or defer participation, you must submit your request in writing more than 30 days before the start of the program to receive a full refund. Cancellations or deferrals received 14 to 30 days prior to the start of the program are subject to a fee of one-half of the program fee. Requests received within 14 days are subject to full payment.

Admissions Criteria and Process

Application Submission

Application Review

Answering Your Questions

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

What You Will Learn

This rich learning experience features faculty presentations, case studies, and dynamic discussions with faculty and other public education leaders whose insights will help you grow both during the program and well beyond. As you analyze management and leadership best practices in successful school districts, businesses, and nonprofit organizations, you will broaden and deepen your leadership and management capabilities, improve your ability to deliver measurable results—and learn how to establish a culture of high expectations and accountability.

What You Will Learn: This rich learning experience features faculty presentations, case studies, and dynamic discussions with faculty and other public education leaders whose insights will help you grow both during the program and well beyond. As you analyze management and leadership best practices in successful school districts, businesses, and nonprofit organizations, you will broaden and deepen your leadership and management capabilities, improve your ability to deliver measurable results—and learn how to establish a culture of high expectations and accountability.

Key TopicsExpand All Collapse All

Make strategy and coherence concrete Make strategy and coherence concrete

Understanding how cultures, systems, and environments reinforce one another and support strategy implementation
Enabling people at all levels to implement their piece of the strategy
Envisioning and managing districts as integrated systems with interdependent parts that directly link to the classroom
Establishing a collaborative process for designing plans that principals and teachers can use effectively

Attract and retain the best people Attract and retain the best people

Developing and managing human capital
Recruiting the best people for hard-to-staff schools
Aligning the recruiting process with the district strategy
Improving leadership capabilities at all levels

Manage for high performance Manage for high performance

Building strategies for effective, long-term administrative performance
Applying performance data to guide decisions and measure accountability
Allocating resources to support strategic goals

Create a culture of performance Create a culture of performance

Establishing a culture of performance that values results more than efforts
Analyzing data to improve performance
Motivating the best teachers and administrators to take on the most challenging assignments

Key Topics

Make strategy and coherence concrete

Understanding how cultures, systems, and environments reinforce one another and support strategy implementation
Enabling people at all levels to implement their piece of the strategy
Envisioning and managing districts as integrated systems with interdependent parts that directly link to the classroom
Establishing a collaborative process for designing plans that principals and teachers can use effectively

Attract and retain the best people

Developing and managing human capital
Recruiting the best people for hard-to-staff schools
Aligning the recruiting process with the district strategy
Improving leadership capabilities at all levels

Manage for high performance

Building strategies for effective, long-term administrative performance
Applying performance data to guide decisions and measure accountability
Allocating resources to support strategic goals

Create a culture of performance

Establishing a culture of performance that values results more than efforts
Analyzing data to improve performance
Motivating the best teachers and administrators to take on the most challenging assignments

The HBS Advantage

Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

Faculty Cochairs

Jennifer Perry Cheatham

Harvard Graduate School of Education:

Senior Lecturer on Education

Read Full Bio

John Jong-Hyun Kim

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

General Management

Read Full Bio

Faculty

Monica C. Higgins

Harvard Graduate School of Education:

Kathleen McCartney Professor of Education Leadership

Read Full Bio

Karen L. Mapp

Harvard Graduate School of Education:

Senior Lecturer on Education

Read Full Bio

Monique Burns Thompson

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Organizational Behavior

Read Full Bio

Michael L. Tushman

Baker Foundation Professor, Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus

HBS Unit:

Organizational Behavior

Read Full Bio

The HBS Advantage: Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

Faculty Cochairs

Jennifer Perry Cheatham

Harvard Graduate School of Education:

Senior Lecturer on Education

Read Full Bio

John Jong-Hyun Kim

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

General Management

Read Full Bio

Faculty

Monica C. Higgins

Harvard Graduate School of Education:

Kathleen McCartney Professor of Education Leadership

Read Full Bio

Karen L. Mapp

Harvard Graduate School of Education:

Senior Lecturer on Education

Read Full Bio

Monique Burns Thompson

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Organizational Behavior

Read Full Bio

Michael L. Tushman

Baker Foundation Professor, Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus

HBS Unit:

Organizational Behavior

Read Full Bio

Apply Download Brochure

More Admissions Information

Program content, dates, schedule, fees, technology platforms, and faculty are subject to change. In accordance with Harvard University policy, Harvard Business School does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex or sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status, or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities.

Apply

Download Brochure

Program Finder

Need Help? Contact Us:

Mr. Matthew Tallon

Email: pelp@gse.harvard.edu
Telephone: 1.617.496.1819
Send a Letter of Interest

Apply

Download Brochure

Program Finder

Need Help? Contact Us:

Mr. Matthew Tallon

Email: pelp@gse.harvard.edu
Telephone: 1.617.496.1819
Send a Letter of Interest