Special Education Leader Fellowship

08/26/2026

Are you ready to make inclusive scheduling a reality?

The Affirmed Access Toolkit is now live!

Created in partnership by SELF and the Educating All Learners Alliance (EALA), this free toolkit helps school leaders examine how scheduling decisions shape access to services and supports, especially for students with IEPs, multilingual learners, and students whose needs aren’t always reflected in traditional school structures.

It provides practical guidance for building schedules where inclusive support is integrated from the beginning, not added later.

Led by SELF’s Nady Persons and developed through a year of pressure-testing with support from our school partners Jarren Kanze, Jenna Connor, and Julie Chang, the toolkit invites you to take a closer look at your school’s systems and examine how student-centered scheduling can drive access, consistency, and student success.

🔗 Check out the free toolkit here: https://bit.ly/3Uk8iYs

Have questions or want to talk about ways SELF can support your school? Email [email protected] or send us a DM today!

08/24/2026

Every year, schools build comprehensive school schedules around adults, teacher availability, room assignments, planning time, core subjects. And only afterward do they ask: Where do we fit in students with IEPs? Our multilingual learners? Our students who need something different from the traditional school experience??

Too often, that means the students who need intentional support the most are considered last. They experience fragmented support, inconsistent services, and learning environments that weren’t built with them in mind.

What if we built the schedule around students from the start?

With this question in mind, SELF and Educating All Learners Alliance have spent the past year working alongside Jenna Connor, Jarren Kanze, Ed.D, and Julie Chang to develop the Affirmed Access Toolkit.

Affirmed Access is designed to help school leaders identify barriers within scheduling and prioritize student needs from the beginning, creating more intentional, accessible learning experiences from Day 1.

Because when the schedule reflects our students, not just our systems, we do more than create access. We affirm who they are.

The Affirmed Access Toolkit launches August 26!
Stay tuned!!

08/21/2026

When set out to strengthen its MTSS infrastructure, the goal wasn’t to add more. It was to make what mattered clearer.

SELF - Special Education Leader Fellowship worked alongside Simon Rodberg and the Lee Montessori Public Charter Schools team in Washington, DC to understand what was happening within their existing systems and where barriers were getting in the way.

Through site visits, data analysis, interviews, and collaboration with their team, we identified clear opportunities and next steps. Together, that work led to Lee Montessori’s MTSS Guide: a practical toolkit for implementing and sustaining a clear, streamlined MTSS process within the context of their Montessori school.

And as Simon shares, clarity matters.

It’s not about having 18 systems or endless pieces of data. It’s about creating a process that is doable, where people understand what they’re doing and can carry it out in a way that better meets the needs of students.

That’s what strong systems should do: make it easier for people to support kids well.

Lee Montessori Public Charter Schools is just one example of what’s possible when schools invest in building inclusive systems designed to last.

Want to strengthen MTSS in your school? Send us a message or click the link https://lnkd.in/gnHWqdsB to schedule a call today!

08/21/2026

When set out to strengthen its MTSS infrastructure, the goal wasn’t to add more. It was to make what mattered clearer.

SELF - Special Education Leader Fellowship worked alongside Simon Rodberg and the Lee Montessori PCS team in Washington, DC to understand what was happening within their existing systems and where barriers were getting in the way.

Through site visits, data analysis, interviews, and collaboration with their team, we identified clear opportunities and next steps. Together, that work led to Lee Montessori’s MTSS Guide: a practical toolkit for implementing and sustaining a clear, streamlined MTSS process within the context of their Montessori school.

And as Simon shares, clarity matters.

It’s not about having 18 systems or endless pieces of data. It’s about creating a process that is doable, where people understand what they’re doing and can carry it out in a way that better meets the needs of students.

That’s what strong systems should do: make it easier for people to support kids well.

Lee Montessori Public Charter Schools is just one example of what’s possible when schools invest in building inclusive systems designed to last.

Want to strengthen MTSS in your school? Send us a message or click the link https://lnkd.in/gnHWqdsB to schedule a call today!

08/18/2026

Strong leadership isn’t built around one person at the helm. It grows in community.

Leaders learning together. Problem-solving together. Building stronger systems together.

And as the school year begins, if you’re already wondering how you’re going to tackle everything this year, it’s time to invest in the people leading the work.
At SELF, we believe leadership is better in community.

Through our National Leader Fellowship (NLF), leaders join a cohort built for shared learning and collaboration, while developing plans grounded in what their own schools actually need. https://canva.link/nlf

It starts with questions like:
Where does your school have the greatest opportunity for growth?

Where are students experiencing the greatest barriers?

Where can your leadership make the greatest difference?

From there, Fellows learn alongside peers while pursuing customized learning pathways focused on building more inclusive systems through MTSS, Co-Teaching, UDL, and more.

“My fellowship experience pushed me to completely rethink my approach to school systems. Not only did my diverse learners improve academically, but all of my students also benefitted .”
— SELF NLF Alum

It’s not too late to invest in your leaders this school year.

08/14/2026

Classrooms are being transformed. Leaders are in full swing. And students are filling the hallways.

IT’S BACK-TO-SCHOOL SEASON! 💛

Every school year is another opportunity to create inclusive systems that empower all learners to thrive. To build classrooms where students are known, supported, challenged, and reminded that they belong.

At SELF, we’re so excited for the leaders and educators who are bringing new ideas, practices, and approaches to their schools.

Welcome back. Let’s make it a great one. 💛

If you’re starting the school year thinking about how to create more inclusive environments for every learner, send us a DM or email [email protected].
We’d love to connect.

08/13/2026

08/10/2026

Clarity creates belonging.

SELF has partnered with Aspire Pacific Academy in Los Angeles, CA since 2024, with this past year focused on strengthening inclusive co-teaching practices. Our partner Hannah DeBear has worked closely alongside Jaime Hahn to bring this vision to life.

Co-teaching is more than a buzzword in education. When educators have clear roles and responsibilities, dedicated time to plan for students, strong co-planning structures, and opportunities to collaborate, co-teaching can create more inclusive classrooms that better support all learners.

After one SELF - Special Education Leader Fellowship training on co-teaching, team members shared:

“I now have a clearer understanding of what’s expected of me in co-teaching. The co-planning time with peers was invaluable because it gave me clarity on what to prioritize. I’m leaving better prepared to support my students through intentional collaboration and structured co-teaching.”

Clarity helps educators move from simply sharing a classroom to working together with purpose. And when teachers understand how to collaborate, students experience stronger support and a greater sense of belonging.

Ready to move co-teaching from vision to reality?

Send us a DM or reach out to [email protected] to talk about what that could look like for your school.

08/05/2026

What becomes possible in a school when its leaders are truly supported?
After a decade of working alongside educators and school leaders, one thing is clear: when leaders grow, schools grow with them.

At SELF, we've spent the last 10 years supporting changemakers who are building inclusive schools, empowering teachers, and creating classrooms where all students can thrive. From New Orleans to New York to California, these leaders bring trust, joy, and real support to their teams.

Supporting our partners means creating space for learning, collaboration, implementation guidance, coaching, and encouragement as leaders reimagine what inclusive schools can look like for students.

These are the faces of SELF. The leaders, educators, Fellows, and partners who have influenced our journey and helped shape stronger schools and more inclusive learning environments.

Read our 10 Year Impact Report to hear directly from the teachers, leaders, and partners who share what it takes to build schools where every student can thrive.
https://canva.link/self10years

Who has influenced your leadership journey? Tag a leader in the comments and share the impact they've had on you!

07/30/2026

The strongest instructional systems are built when educators work as one team.

At SELF, we focus on supporting leaders in building inclusive systems across teams and departments. Working at the foundational level within schools creates the conditions for proactive implementation while building trust among leaders and staff.

As a Fellow in SELF's National Leader Fellowship (NLF), Fatou Jallow has strengthened her leadership through case-based learning focused on analyzing classroom evidence, refining action plans, and strengthening co-teaching observation practices. Those experiences have supported clearer co-planning routines and provided practical tools she can immediately apply to coaching and follow-up across classrooms.

As Fatou shared:
“Our co-teaching work is continuing to grow in meaningful ways! With intentional refinement and strong partnerships with our Humanities and STEM Instructional Coaches, instruction across classrooms is more connected and purposeful. Most importantly, educators are now working together as one team, owning the success of every scholar and driving strong academic results, and scholars are beginning to feel more confident, capable, and successful in their learning.”

When leaders invest in strengthening their leaders and systems, students are the first to experience the impact.

That's the power of specialized leadership development grounded in inclusive practices, collaboration, implementation, and a shared commitment to students.

Register your special education leader for NLF TODAY! https://forms.monday.com/forms/0d7a1351eea37ead1a7f2b369a39048f?r=use1