Ten education leaders have been chosen for the second cohort of the Council of the Great City Schools’ Michael Casserly Urban Executive Leadership Institute for Superintendents, created to train current and aspiring superintendents.

Named after the Council’s longtime former executive director, the eight-month program will help participants gain new skills as they attend sessions on effective leadership, school board relations, academics, media relations, operations, finances, and labor relations. Other facets of the program include individual coaching, mentoring, case studies, mock interviews, and shadowing successful urban school superintendents.

The Institute is headed by Michael Hinojosa, the Council’s Superintendent-in-Residence, and a former superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District.

This year’s cohort features five men and five women, and seven educators of color. Participants were nominated by a current or past superintendent and then had to undergo a rigorous selection process.

The first cohort of the Institute graduated in October and a commencement ceremony was held in San Diego during the Council’s 67^th Annual Fall Conference.

Two of the members of the first cohort who served as interim leaders are now superintendents. Ebony Johnson was named the superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools in December, and Matias Segura was recently named the lone finalist for the position of superintendent of Texas’ Austin Independent School District.

“Being a part of this cohort pushes individuals out of their comfort zone and gives them opportunities to grow both professionally and personally,” said Hinojosa. “We’re already hearing of the great progress from the first cohort, so I can’t wait to see how this program will propel each one of these exceptional individuals to new heights as they receive the mentorship, tools, and guidance they need to improve the nation’s urban school systems.”

The second cohort of the Institute begins their leadership journey in February and will participate in monthly sessions through October 2024.

The members of the cohort are:

• Rochelle Cox, Interim Superintendent, Minneapolis Public Schools
• Drew Echelson, Chief of Schools and Accountability, Boston Public Schools
• Karla Estrada, Deputy Superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District
• Fateama Fulmore, Deputy Superintendent, NOLA Public Schools
• Jose Martinez, Chief of High Schools, Orange County Public Schools (FL)
• Dexter Moore, Jr., Chief of Staff, Oakland Unified School District
• Eric Rosser, Superintendent, Poughkeepsie City School District
• Andrew Strope, Deputy Superintendent, Indianapolis Public Schools
• Shannon Trejo, Deputy Commissioner of School Programs, Texas Education Agency
• Angela Whitelaw, Deputy Superintendent, Memphis-Shelby County Schools

To access bios and photos of the 2024 cohort of the Michael Casserly Urban Executive Leadership Institute, click here.