INCUBATOR FELLOW PROGRAM With the opening of ThrivePoint Academy of Utah coming in the fall of 2025, Taylor Smith is interviewing teachers, organizing curriculum and recruiting students. He is also learning the ins and outs of administration through the UAPCS Incubator Fellow Program. New administrators, even those with district experience, find that the day-to-day running of a charter school in Utah has its unique challenges. Director turnover has been in the double digits for the past several years, and UAPCS has sought a solution to reduce it. Through a grant from the Daniels Fund and with their continued support and additional funding through the Charter Schools Program-State Entity grant, UAPCS started the Incubator Fellow Program. This program is designed to give future school leaders the hands-on experience needed to successfully run their own school from year one, thus reducing turnover. Incubator fellows learn from seasoned administrators in four schools over a 12-month period, gaining critical experience in areas such as budgeting, governance, compliance, community engagement and instructional leadership. To ensure a meaningful and relevant experience, fellows are matched with schools that align with their own school’s model and complement their individual learning needs. This tailored approach allows fellows to immerse themselves in real-world challenges while receiving direct mentorship from experienced charter leaders. To support their focus on this immersive experience, fellows receive a stipend, enabling them to dedicate time to both their training and the startup of their own charter school. Host schools are also given a stipend in recognition of their time and expertise. By fostering strong leadership from the outset, UAPCS is working to strengthen Utah’s charter school landscape and ensure long-term success for new school leaders. Taylor is nearly through the program, having completed three out of four in-school experiences. He worked with Mountain Heights Academy, Freedom Preparatory Academy and Early Light Academy, and he will finish up at North Star Academy. Taylor is the learning center coordinator for ThrivePoint Academy, an online school providing a flexible, personalized and student-centered education for grades 7-12. Taylor has extensive educational experience, holding a master’s in education with a focus on Instructional Design and Educational Technology from the University of Utah, in addition to his degree in Special Education. Taylor also has charter school experience, working with Taylion High Desert Academy in California. These experiences added to his time in the Incubator Fellow Program and will prepare him to hit the ground running when class is in session this fall. UAPCS will be able to offer up to three positions in the Incubator Fellow Program in the next planning session. For more information on becoming a host school or enrolling a school leader in the program, please reach out to Shannon Greer at shannon@utahcharters.org. 20
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