New Leaders is a national nonprofit that develops transformational school leaders and promotes the system-level policies and practices that allows strong leaders to succeed.

Why Leadership?

Leadership matters—it matters in business, in government, and in schools. No great human accomplishment has happened without great leadership, and public education is no exception.

Research shows that teacher quality and principal quality are the two most important in-school factors for student success. The two are also closely linked. Principals significantly influence teacher quality as the talent managers of schools—they hire, develop and evaluate teachers— ensuring a strong level of instruction across a school. Teachers also choose to join and stay at schools with strong leadership. In a recent study, the number one factor cited by teachers (96 percent) in their decision of whether to stay in their school is their principal. Great leaders attract, develop and retain great teachers, and together they transform educational outcomes for students.

In this way, talented leaders have a multiplier effect, inspiring high-quality teaching across a building—not just in isolated classrooms – so that children can achieve at high levels throughout their time in school.

Our History

New Leaders, formerly called New Leaders for New Schools, was founded in 2000 by a team of social entrepreneurs, including Jon Schnur and Chief Strategy Officer, Benjamin Fenton. The organization was first conceived by five business and education graduate students. Throughout the planning and design phase, the team drew upon extensive interviews with school leaders and district superintendents, their own experiences as classroom teachers and leaders, and the most current thinking in education and policy. 

Our Impact

New Leaders has trained almost 800 educators who are now impacting the lives of a quarter million students, measurably raising achievement levels and graduation rates in 12 urban areas across the country. New Leader Principals often lead some of the highest gaining schools in our partner districts.

Based on over 10 years of experience and an extensive knowledge base about the qualities of successful leaders and schools, New Leaders has emerged as a national expert and change agent in transformational school leadership. Our city partners and multiple other school systems have adopted elements of the New Leaders’ model in developing their own principal training programs. In addition, through our new Leadership Services and various thought leadership activities (speaking engagements, publications, etc.), we influence key decision-makers and public education policies in order to drive effective school leadership and educational excellence at scale.

Our Executives

Jean Desravines, Chief Executive Officer


Jean was appointed to chief executive officer in early 2011 after serving as chief officer for cities and policy at New Leaders for five years, where he oversaw the management of all our city teams, launched five of our 12 sites, and led our national public policy and public funding work.

Benjamin Fenton, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder


Ben is responsible for the ongoing strategic implementation of our organizational learning plan and leads our Policy and Practice Services. Since helping to launch New Leaders, Ben has served as chief school support officer, chief cities officer, and chief operating officer.

Jackie Gran, Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer

Jackie leads our efforts to create a supportive policy environment for school leaders and high-performing school leadership preparation programs across the country. These federal, state, and local policy efforts are designed to create the working conditions that allow highly effective school leaders to succeed.

Jennifer K. Henry, Regional Director

Jennifer manages and supports the executive directors for the Bay Area, Chicago and Memphis program sites.

Dianne Morse Houghton, Chief Operating Officer

Dianne leads our city team programs and operations in 12 locations across the country and our organizational planning work.  She also oversees our Effective Practices Incentive Community (EPIC) program, which identifies and shares the practices of schools that are driving dramatic achievement gains for historically underserved students.

David Kuizenga, Chief Administrative Officer

David is responsible for our organizational infrastructure, including the financial, technology, legal and human resources functions, bringing 25 years of experience in operational management, strategic organizational development, fiscal planning, and IT strategy to the organization.

Stephanie Morimoto, Chief External Relations Officer

Stephanie is responsible for helping to fulfill our mission by marshaling resources, cultivating champions and increasing awareness of New Leaders’ programs and impact. As chief external relations officer, she oversees development, marketing and communications.

Leanne Shimabukuro, Regional Director

Leanne Shimabukuro manages and supports the executive directors for the Greater New York, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Greater New Orleans program sites.

Our Programs and Services

As we enter our second decade, we are building off the success of our flagship principal training program to expand our offerings to partner school systems and broaden our impact.  Below is a full list of what we do:

Emerging Leaders Program

Our latest program offering grows the adult leadership capabilities of talented teachers and other instructional leaders, starting them on the path to a transformational leadership role, possibly as a principal.

Aspiring Principals Program

Our best-in-class principal training program includes a strong academic foundation and a year-long residency experience in a high-need public school.

Principal Institute

Our support for new principals provides substantial professional development and colleagueship in the context of a professional learning community for our first-year (and second-year secondary) New Leader Principals.

Leadership Development Services

Our high-quality leadership development programs support assistant principals, principals and principal managers in facing the unique challenges of running high-need schools.

Policy and Practice Services

Our work developing effective leadership policies and practices helps partner school systems (districts, charter management organizations and states) provide principals with the guidance and support they need to succeed.

Our Locations

Through our partnerships with district and charter organizations around the country, we conduct our leadership training in 12 urban areas across the country:

Baltimore
Bay Area
Charlotte
Chicago
Los Angeles
Maryland
Memphis
Milwaukee
Greater New Orleans
Newark
Greater New York City
Prince George’s County, MD
Washington D.C.

Awards and Recognition

Our innovative approach to school leadership training and our workplace have garnered recognition from the following organizations:

• Selected as an Exemplary Program by the Bush Institute’s Alliance to Reform Education Leadership (AREL) project (2011)
• Opportunity Knocks’ 4th Annual People’s Choice “Best Nonprofit to Work For” Award (2010)
• Innovations in American Government from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (2009)
• Fast Company/Monitor Group’s Social Capitalist Award (2004-2008)