Teaching Lab Studio Launches Fellowship to Redesign School Models

The fellowship targets established schools that possess strong foundations but require dedicated space to evolve their systems. Rather than focusing on individual professional development, the program requires whole-team participation to redesign daily instructional structures. Teams designate specific grade levels as pilot sites, where they engage in rapid, evidence-based iteration to refine staffing, scheduling, and curriculum frameworks.

Leslie Kim, Entrepreneur in Residence at Teaching Lab Studio, noted that the current technological shift in education demands a strategy that leans into the expertise of practitioners. By combining educator experience with new technical capabilities, the fellowship aims to generate proof points that can eventually inform the broader field.

Participants represent a diverse group of institutions, including Bronx-based schools like Dream Charter and KIPP NYC Freedom Middle School, as well as organizations in Phoenix, San Jose, and Palm Beach Gardens. Throughout the two-year cycle, these teams will attend four in-person convenings and receive ongoing support in product engineering and data measurement. Dr. Sarah Johnson, CEO of the Relay Graduate School of Education, emphasized that the program seeks to ensure educators drive transformational change rather than merely receiving top-down mandates. The work concludes with the development of codified practices and instructional models, which will be shared to help other schools modernize their approaches to curriculum and culture.