8 District Leaders Selected for the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching Fellowship for Chief Instructional Leaders Program
October 6, 2026
PHOENIX (October 6, 2026) — The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) is excited to announce its inaugural NIET Fellowship for Chief Instructional Leaders Program cohort, comprised of eight outstanding district-level chief instructional leaders from across the country. Guided by NIET experts, these leaders will engage in a one-year program designed to strengthen their capacity to lead meaningful, sustainable improvement across K-12 school systems.
“I am excited to recognize and welcome these exemplary leaders to the inaugural NIET Fellowship for Chief Instructional Leaders cohort,” said NIET Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Barnett. “Through this fellowship, these leaders will strengthen how they lead instructional improvement and better align district systems to drive transformative change for students.”
The NIET Fellowship for Chief Instructional Leaders is designed specifically for K-12 district leaders responsible for strengthening instructional leadership at scale. The national cohort brings together executive peers to explore shared challenges and learn from diverse perspectives, with guidance and support from NIET experts. This year’s fellows are:
- Catasha Edwards, Chief Academic Officer, East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Louisiana
- Dr. Bernard E. Frost, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Orangeburg County School District, South Carolina
- Dr. Jennifer Gutierrez, Deputy Superintendent, South San Antonio Independent School District, Texas
- Lela Marshall, Chief Learning Officer, Indianapolis Public Schools, Indiana
- Tracy Padilla, Deputy Superintendent, Somerset Independent School District, Texas
- Abby Potter-Davis, Chief Officer for Learning and Equity, Osborn School District #8, Arizona
- Laura Roussel, Chief Academic Officer, Jefferson Parish Schools, Louisiana
- Jeff Spencer, Assistant Superintendent for Foundational Learning, Perry Township Schools, Indiana
Fellows will strengthen their leadership competencies and examine how district systems and structures can become more cohesive and aligned to support sustainable districtwide improvement. They will apply and refine new approaches in their own contexts, while building a lasting network of executive peers to foster continued collaboration beyond the fellowship.
The program will run from October 2026 through June 2027. The fellows this year were selected from a competitive pool of chief instructional leaders from school districts across the nation. For more information about the NIET Fellows Program, visit NIET's website.
About NIET
For 25 years, NIET has worked in developing teacher leaders, supporting successful instructional strategies, and building educator capacity to address student needs. NIET partners with schools, districts, states, and universities to ensure all students have effective educators. Through these partnerships, NIET has served more than 11,000 schools and has impacted more than 350,000 educators and 3.5 million students.