Strong principals are vital to improving education in America.
BECAUSE STRONG PRINCIPALS
MAKE BETTER SCHOOLS.
Cahn Fellowship provides advanced leadership development and recognition in large metropolitan areas to strong, talented school leaders to improve public education.
The best schools are led by strong principals. Cahn Fellowship selects high-potential principals to participate in programs that maximize their talents and enhance their skills.
Our programs aim to have a dramatic impact on the performance of the school, the outcomes for the students, and the satisfaction and commitment of the principals themselves.
CDPF 2025-26 Nominations
• Opening in January •
CLL 2025 Nominations Closed
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Jason Grissom, Anna Egalite, and Constance Lindsay, in a Wallace Foundation report, found that:
“… the impact of an effective principal has likely been understated, with impacts being both greater and broader than previously believed: greater in the impact on student achievement and broader in affecting other important outcomes, including teacher satisfaction and retention (especially among high-performing teachers), student attendance, and reductions in exclusionary discipline.”
“Principals really matter. Indeed, given not just the magnitude but the scope of principal effects, which are felt across a potentially large student body and faculty in a school, it is difficult to envision an investment with a higher ceiling on its potential return than a successful effort to improve principal leadership.”
We extend the tenure of successful principals.
Average tenure of Urban Principals is 6.4 Years
Average tenure of the Cahn Fellowship Principals is 12.5 years; almost double the national average. (Source)
Cahn Fellowship keeps excellent principals longer.
After Just One Year Cahn Fellowship Principals Experienced Significant Improvement..
And More of Their Emotional Needs Were Met
BEFORE
More likely to associate their jobs with negative attributes.
AFTER
Significantly decreased negative, and increased positive, attributes.
Highly Rated by Principals
94% of Cahn Fellows say the program was the best or one of the best personal development programs they’ve taken
86% of participants said that Cahn Fellowship improved their leadership skills a great deal
A visit to Cahn Fellowship Schools
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Our flagship program, featuring faculty from Teachers College, Columbia University, provides both recognition and advanced professional development for the highest performing principals around the country. Our program recognizes, supports and empowers principals as they navigate the challenges of leadership. Our curriculum prioritizes equity, diversity and inclusion, balancing advanced professional learning with wellness. Participants create long-lasting networks of peers from across the nation, learning from and with each other. This program is available to principals in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Antonio, Tampa, DFW and DC metro areas.
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Cahn Fellowship is proud to announce the launch of the Cahn Leadership Lab. This program is designed for principals in year 3-4 of the principalship who have impacted their school community by setting and achieving targeted academic and/or cultural improvement goals in their school. Principals accepted into the program will receive professional development to move them from technical to adaptive leadership. In addition to professional development sessions, each practitioner will be assigned a Certified Coach who will provide one-to-one and small group coaching throughout the lab experience year. The inaugural 2023 cohort includes principals from Miami, Atlanta, Chicago and New York City.
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Our alumni want to continue to grow. Their passion and enthusiasm have driven us to design programs that meet their ongoing needs. We will expand alumni programming in each city with the support of our Advisory Councils, the deepening of local relationships in each partner city, the hosting of national Cahn Fellows Conferences, and the expansion of program content through webinars.