Create and align Instructional Leadership Fellowships for current faculty through the Melrose and PCC.

Breck Leadership and Instructional Fellows: Empowering Educators, Strengthening Our Community

In the 2025–2026 school year, Breck launched a new chapter in faculty development. Through a partnership between the Peter Clark Center (PCC) for Mind, Brain, and Education and the Melrose Family Center for Leadership and Equity, nine faculty members were selected as the first Leadership and Instructional Fellows. Sarah Flotten, Director of the PCC, shared, “Breck is committed to supporting teacher leaders and creating pathways for faculty to grow. The Leadership and Instructional Fellows will create embedded leadership opportunities in each division to support the work of the Breck Instructional Framework.” These Fellows will help move the school forward by facilitating instructional groups rooted in the idea that strong teaching and leadership go hand in hand.

This work is built on a strong foundation. Over the past decade, Breck has expanded its capacity to support faculty leadership and innovation in the classroom. In 2017, the PCC introduced its first cohort of Faculty Fellows. Between 2022 and 2025, the fellowship shifted to a single annual position, the PCC Research Fellow, with dedicated time for coaching, research, and instructional support. Past Research Fellows like Matt Mendes, Lisa Hunninghake, and Mary Gentry contributed thoughtful projects to enhance teaching and learning. One example: Matt Mendes introduced faculty to the digital literacy strategy of “lateral reading,” a technique used by professional fact-checkers that helps students critically evaluate websites and online sources by investigating who is behind the content and why it was created.

“Moving forward, the fellowship is intended to promote more leadership opportunities for faculty and amplify the work of the PCC and Melrose,” says Flotten. As Dr. Chéleah Googe, Director of Melrose, explains, “The leadership and instruction fellowship opportunity is about responding to what research says about social and academic belonging. At Breck, we care about both the academic and social success of our students. The fellowship structure now reflects that partnership.” With shared leadership between the two centers, Fellows will be supported to lead instructional work while building their capacity as leaders of equity, learning, and community.

The Leadership and Instructional Fellows represent a long-term investment in Breck’s faculty. They amplify educators’ strengths, deepen the connection between teaching and school values, and foster a culture where instructional leadership is both visible and celebrated. Middle School English teacher Monica David reflects, “One of the things I value most about Breck is our learning community and the way we put our pursuit of lifelong learning into practice. This fellowship is one such opportunity.” Fellow Rachel Yoon adds, “I’m interested in talking with our amazing faculty about best practices in teaching, learning from each other, and fueling continuous growth and everyday inspiration.” This next chapter is about working thoughtfully, collaboratively, and with purpose - empowering educators to lead change while ensuring faculty have the training and resources to keep Breck at the forefront of research-based educational innovation.