A strong pipeline of mission-driven school founders is critical to expanding high-quality charter schools and sustaining innovation across the sector. SchoolWorks® partners with incubators, associations, and CSP grant–managing agencies to identify, attract, and support aspiring founders who are interested in designing and launching new schools. Through targeted outreach, screening, and early-stage guidance, we help our partners build a diverse, high-potential pool of founders prepared to enter incubator programs and pursue successful school launches.
SchoolWorks brings a structured yet flexible approach to founder pipeline development, grounded in extensive experience supporting new school developers and early-stage school design efforts. Our work spans the full pipeline continuum - from identifying and attracting prospective founders, to screening and assessing readiness, to supporting candidates as they enter incubator or fellowship programs.
We partner closely with organizations to design and implement pipeline strategies aligned to their specific goals, whether launching a new founder fellowship, strengthening recruitment for an existing incubator, or expanding and diversifying the pool of aspiring school founders. Throughout the process, we ensure alignment with organizational mission, authorizer expectations, and CSP priorities, helping partners build a sustainable, high-quality pipeline of founders prepared to move from interest to school launch.
SchoolWorks provides a full suite of pipeline development services designed to help our partners identify, prepare, and support future school founders. Our services are fully customizable based on your scope, timeline, and strategic goals.
We design and implement targeted outreach strategies to identify and attract mission-aligned individuals interested in launching new charter schools and entering incubator or fellowship programs.
We work with agencies to support readiness assessments - helping partners identify high-potential founders prepared to move from concept to school design.
We provide early technical assistance and guided planning to help prospective founders refine their vision and prepare for successful participation in incubator programs and charter authorization.
When incubators and agencies invest in strong founder pipelines, they are not simply filling cohorts - they are shaping the future of public education. SchoolWorks understands that attracting and preparing new school founders is not a one-size-fits-all effort. We take a customized, culturally responsive approach to each engagement, helping our partners build inclusive, mission-aligned pipelines that identify promising founders and prepare them to successfully design, launch, and sustain high-quality charter schools.
Explore our case studies and online course to learn more about our expertise in this area. If your organization would like hands-on support, reach out anytime. Our specialists would be happy to talk to you.
“SchoolWorks was instrumental in the development and successful approval of our six charter school applications. Their work brought coherence and focus that resulted in a strong academic program supported by research and best practice that was also grounded in operational and financial stability.”
Kristi Baird
Executive Director, Compass Charter Schools
“We are grateful to the SchoolWorks team for their support though this process. While our staff focused on the day-to-day operations of the school, it was a relief to have reliable and experienced help in preparing the renewal application. The mock site visit helped our team know what to expect during the renewal visit.”
Stephanie Valle
Executive Director, KIPP: Tech Valley Charter School
SchoolWorks® has helped launch more than 100 charter schools. Our specialists work closely with authorizers, associations, incubators, developers, and operators to ensure high-quality options.
Our team members have supported the creation of dozens upon dozens of new school and renewal applications by writing, managing, or coaching school developers.
We understand that every school and situation is unique. We tailor our solutions to meet the specific needs, goals, and challenges of our partners and provide personalized hands-on support.
Ready to take your new or operational charter school to the next level?
Contact us today to learn more about how SchoolWorks® can support you on your journey.
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