Arkansas Educator Chase Fowler Named Member of National Institute for Excellence in Teaching’s Prestigious 2027 Teacher Leader Fellows Program

TRUMANN, AR (July 21, 2026) — NIET is proud to announce the members of the 2027 NIET Teacher Leader Fellows cohort, launching a dynamic one-year program to help selected educators deepen their knowledge of NIET’s systems of improvement to more effectively support the work taking place in their school and district. 

Among the distinguished fellows is Chase Fowler from Trumann High School of Trumann School District in Trumann, Arkansas.

“I am proud to welcome Chase Fowler into the 2027 NIET Teacher Leader Fellows cohort,” said NIET Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Barnett. “This fellowship reflects NIET’s commitment to build educator excellence and empower outstanding teacher leaders who are strengthening instruction and accelerating student success. We look forward to working alongside the 2027 fellows this year as they continue to grow their leadership and share their expertise with educators across the country.”

Fowler was one of just 12 selected out of a competitive pool of applicants from across the country. He currently serves as a Mentor Teacher and student services coordinator for Trumann High School, where he has the opportunity to advocate for students and teachers. He is a graduate of Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas, where he received a Master of Arts in History and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership.

“It is an honor to be a part of this program,” Fowler said. “Teacher leadership, to me, is the art of finding avenues of self-empowerment and self-efficacy and cooperatively creating opportunities for those kinds of meaningful change with the teachers that I serve. Creating a functional system of shared leadership, shared growth, and shared vision allows us to positively impact student lives in ways that allow those same students to then positively impact the communities and systems of which they are a part.”

The NIET Teacher Leader Fellows Program was created with educator effectiveness in mind, bringing together teacher leaders from partner schools nationwide who demonstrate exceptional implementation of NIET's principles, emphasizing educator excellence and advancing student success.

“Chase’s selection to the NIET Teacher Leader Fellows Program is a testament to his passion for teacher leadership and student success,” said Trumann School District Superintendent Brandie Williams. “He consistently empowers colleagues while fostering meaningful growth for students at Trumann High School, and we are excited to see the impact this opportunity will have on our district.”

Throughout the year-long fellowship, fellows will participate in professional development activities designed to enhance their leadership capabilities, including an introductory boot camp and involvement with NIET events throughout the year, including the 2027 NIET National Conference and the 2027 NIET Summer Institute. Each fellow will travel regionally to shadow NIET’s Senior Specialists while maintaining their full-time employment status, including salary and benefits, with their respective districts, while being released to participate in program activities throughout the year.

The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) is a national nonprofit based in Phoenix, Arizona, that serves states and districts nationwide. For more than 25 years, NIET has partnered with schools, districts, states, and universities to build educator excellence and give all students the opportunity for success. NIET’s initiatives, including the TAP System, teacher and leader development, school improvement, rubric and observation systems, and educator preparation, have impacted more than 350,000 educators and 3.5 million students across the U.S. 

Read more about the NIET Teacher Leader Fellows Program and meet the other 2027 fellows on the NIET website.