named programs · 1 · from sources
what they call their work
Leadership & School Development
An innovative incubator program that supports aspiring and current school leaders in Arizona with leading new or improving schools effectively, providing coaching and mentorship focused on school culture and instructional leadership.
activities · 16
what they do
direct service · 7
- Hire and support school foundersRecruits full-time school founders to build tech-enabled schools focused on reimagining student learning and adult work structures to achieve exceptional outcomes for young people in Arizona.
- Hire and support school founders for tech-enabled schoolsRecruits full-time School Founders to build tech-enabled schools designed to transform student learning and adult work structures to achieve exceptional outcomes for young people.
- Invest in educational opportunities for high-needs studentsDirectly supports high-needs students in Arizona through targeted educational programming and school-based interventions.
- Operate K-8 public charter schools in PhoenixFounded and expanded Vista College Preparatory Charter Schools into a network of five K-8 public charter schools in Phoenix, one of which received the National Blue Ribbon Award in 2018.
- Operate K-8 public charter schools in PhoenixFounded and expanded Vista College Preparatory Charter Schools to five K-8 public charter school campuses in Phoenix, one of which received the National Blue Ribbon Award in 2018.
- Operating Vista College Preparatory Charter SchoolsFounded and expanded five K-8 public charter schools in Phoenix under the name Vista College Preparatory, with one campus receiving the National Blue Ribbon Award in 2018.
- Recruiting School FoundersRecruits full-time school founders to build tech-enabled schools focused on rethinking student learning and adult work to achieve extraordinary outcomes for young people.
capacity building · 9
- Deliver intensive leadership development for school leaders School Leadership Incubator & Fellowship ProgramsOffers the Horizon Fellowship, a semester-long intensive program for Phoenix school and system leaders focused on building instructional leadership skills and scaling effective practices in their schools.
- Develop instructional leadership via the Horizon FellowshipOffers a semester-long intensive professional development program for Phoenix school and system leaders to strengthen instructional leadership and scale effective practices in their schools.
- Incubate new and existing schools through leadership development School Leadership Incubator & Fellowship ProgramsRuns an incubator program that supports aspiring and current school leaders in Arizona to launch or improve high-quality schools.
- Incubate new schools and support school leaders School Leadership Incubator & Fellowship ProgramsRuns an incubator program that supports aspiring and current school leaders in Arizona to launch or improve high-quality schools.
- Incubator Program for School Leaders School Leadership Incubator & Fellowship ProgramsLeads an incubator program that supports aspiring and current school leaders in Arizona to launch or improve schools, including the Inspired Schools Fellowship for founding and leading 5th-8th grade charter schools in Phoenix, and the Horizon Fellowship for instructional leadership development.
- Provide year-long fellowship for school founders School Leadership Incubator & Fellowship ProgramsOffers the Inspired Schools Fellowship, a year-long program featuring hands-on training, professional development, and school immersion to prepare current or emerging leaders to found and lead high-achieving 5th–8th grade charter schools in Phoenix.
- Secure funding to expand access to high-quality schools Post-Scholarship Alumni SupportSecured foundational and ongoing funding to support the organization’s mission of expanding access to high-quality schools in Arizona.
- Secure funding to expand access to high-quality schools Post-Scholarship Alumni SupportSecured financial resources to launch and sustain an organization dedicated to increasing access to high-quality schools across Arizona.
- Train school leaders through the Inspired Schools Fellowship School Leadership Incubator & Fellowship ProgramsProvides a year-long fellowship program for aspiring and current school leaders in Phoenix, including hands-on training, professional development, and school immersion to support founding and leading high-achieving 5th–8th grade charter schools.
strategies · 19
how they think
Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any approach shared with other orgs to see the full field.
- AI-enhanced, innovative school design AI-enhanced education unique to this orgSeeks to redefine public education excellence by creating a technology-enabled school model that leverages artificial intelligence to deepen student-teacher relationships and expand opportunities.
- Advocating for and ensuring equitable access to high-quality education equity-centered_access unique to this orgThe organization works to advance educational equity by advocating for equitable access to high-quality K-12 schools, particularly for students in high-need communities. This includes identifying and supporting successful school leaders and providing professional development to educators in underserved classrooms.
- Advocating for equitable access to high-quality education equity-centered_access unique to this orgThe organization advocates for policies and practices that ensure all students, especially those in high-need communities, have equitable access to high-quality K-12 schools. This involves engaging with legislative champions and thought leaders to inform policy discussions and address the opportunity gap.
- Developing and growing a diverse talent pipeline for educators talent_development unique to this orgArizona Leads focuses on growing talent by building a pipeline of diverse, high-quality educators to serve in schools.
- Developing and supporting high-quality educational talent talent_development unique to this orgThe organization focuses on growing talent by building a pipeline of diverse, high-quality educators and leaders. This includes providing access to professional development programs for teachers and leaders working in underserved classrooms to enhance their skills and effectiveness.
- Developing tech-enabled educational models AI-enhanced_education unique to this orgArizona Leads aims to create and model tech-enabled schools that utilize artificial intelligence to enhance relationships, expand opportunities, and redefine excellence in public education.
- Equity-centered access to quality education equity-centered_access unique to this orgAdvocates for equitable access to high-quality K-12 schools, particularly for students in high-need communities, by centering equity in all initiatives and resource allocation.
- Fostering collaboration and partnerships among diverse stakeholders stakeholder_collaboration unique to this orgArizona Leads convenes and coordinates various stakeholders, including educators, community leaders, philanthropists, policymakers, and thought leaders, to manage resources, implement strategies, and promote proven methods for improving educational outcomes. This collaborative approach leverages collective expertise and perspectives to design and scale education solutions.
- Fostering collaboration and partnerships among diverse stakeholders stakeholder_collaboration unique to this orgArizona Leads convenes and coordinates various stakeholders, including educators, community leaders, philanthropists, policymakers, and business leaders, to manage resources, implement strategies, and drive systemic change in education. This collaborative approach leverages collective expertise and ensures broad engagement in improving educational outcomes.
- Identifying, promoting, and scaling evidence-based educational practices evidence-based_practices unique to this orgArizona Leads identifies successful school leaders and innovative solutions, then promotes, replicates, or scales evidence-based practices and programs to improve learning progress and close the opportunity gap. This includes utilizing proven models like Uncommon Schools and the Leverage Leadership framework.
- Identifying, promoting, and scaling evidence-based educational practices evidence-based_practices unique to this orgArizona Leads identifies innovative solutions and promotes, replicates, or scales evidence-based practices and programs to close the opportunity gap. This includes utilizing proven models like Uncommon Schools and the Leverage Leadership framework to build instructional leadership skills and found high-achieving schools.
- Influencing policy through legislative engagement legislative_engagement unique to this orgThe organization engages in policy discussions with lawmakers and thought leaders from all political parties, identifying legislative champions to inform and shape education policy.
- Leverage Leadership framework for instructional excellence Leverage Leadership framework unique to this orgBuilds instructional leadership capacity in schools by scaling field-tested practices from the Leverage Leadership framework, focusing on proven methods to improve learning outcomes.
- Leveraging philanthropy for public school support philanthropy_partnership unique to this orgThe organization partners with committed philanthropists to provide support for public schools, thereby advancing educational equity.
- Leveraging technology to enhance educational opportunities AI-enhanced_education unique to this orgArizona Leads aims to create tech-enabled schools that utilize artificial intelligence to deepen relationships, expand opportunities, and redefine excellence in public education, serving as a national model for innovation.
- Philanthropy and policy engagement for systemic change philanthropy_partnership unique to this orgDrives systemic education equity by partnering with philanthropists to support public schools and engaging bipartisan policymakers to influence legislation and resource allocation.
- Replication and scaling of proven educational models replication of proven educational models unique to this orgImproves educational outcomes by identifying, replicating, and scaling evidence-based practices and successful school models, such as those from Uncommon Schools, to close the opportunity gap.
- Strategic collaboration across stakeholders stakeholder_collaboration unique to this orgAdvances education reform by convening and coordinating diverse stakeholders—including educators, policymakers, philanthropists, and community leaders—to align resources, share innovations, and implement systemic solutions.
- Talent development and leadership pipeline talent development unique to this orgStrengthens the education ecosystem by identifying and developing high-quality school leaders and educators in underserved communities, building a diverse talent pipeline through targeted support and professional development.
financials · form 990 · fy2021
the money
revenue
Total revenue$725K
Contributions & grants$725K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$486K
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$67K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$307K
Cash$307K
Investments$0
Liabilities$68K
Net assets$239K
Liquid reserves7.6 mo
1 years on record · 2021–2021
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2021
who runs it
board members · 1
- Julia Meyerson — CEO
relationships · 8
who they work with
- Brophy College Preparatory Partner — Board members from Brophy College Preparatory serve on the AZ Leads Board of Trustees, indicating an institutional partnership.
- CREDO Partner — Collaborates on the City Studies Project, which provides periodic reports of academic performance for public K-12 schools in selected cities across the United States.
- Judith Paredes Partner — Contact person for donation inquiries
- MarGrady Research Partner — Published a report titled "A New Baseline" on progress in Newark's District and Charter Schools from 2006 to 2018.
- Silicon Schools Fund Partner — Partners to provide grant funding and comprehensive support for school founders.
- Steele Foundation Funder — Provided support to launch AZ Leads; its President and CEO, Marianne Cracchiolo Mago, serves on the AZ Leads Board of Directors.
- TNTP Partner — Published a report titled "Unlocking Acceleration" on how below grade-level work affects students in literacy.
- Uncommon Schools Partner — Implements the proven practices of Uncommon Schools through the Inspired Schools Fellowship.