naugural cohort reaches 109 cities and every level of the education system, from classrooms to the U.S. Department of Education

BOSTON, MA – The inaugural cohort of Foundations, a new six-week leadership fellowship from Latinos for Education is underway with 142 educators and education leaders from 109 cities across 26 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The virtual-first program helps leaders committed to Latino student success clarify their purpose, tackle a real challenge in their own work and build relationships with peers across the country.

The cohort extends well beyond Texas, California and Massachusetts, where Latinos for Education has long run its programs. While those three states still have the largest groups of fellows, the rest come from across the country, including Puerto Rico. Fellows serve urban, suburban and rural communities, and roughly half work in Title I schools and districts. They represent the full range of the American education system, from classroom teachers and school counselors to principals, superintendents and policy leaders. Others lead in higher education, nonprofits, policy and other sectors.

Fellows include Ernesto Muñoz, an education program specialist at the U.S. Department of Education; Ivette Calderón, operations manager for measurement and assessment at the Puerto Rico Department of Education; Yesenia Arroyo, a principal in the Los Angeles Unified School District; and Carolina De Jesus, CEO of the Boston Higher Education Resource Center.

“Latino students make up nearly 1 in 3 public school students in this country, and the educators in this cohort are already making decisions that shape their futures,” said Amanda Fernandez, founder and CEO of Latinos for Education. “Foundations gives them the clarity, skills and national network to lead with even greater impact. This first cohort shows how far our work now reaches.”

Over six weeks, fellows combine live cohort sessions with self-paced learning, reflection, and hands-on application. The program asks each fellow to apply what they learn to a challenge they face right now. Along the way, fellows build practical skills, including judgment about when AI supports students and when it does not. Graduates join a national network of educators connected to Latinos for Education’s leadership pathways.

“Educators are closest to students, and they understand better than anyone what our education system needs,” said R.D. Leyva, Vice President of Network Activation at Latinos for Education. “Foundations is the first step in a connected ecosystem that helps educators bring what they see in classrooms into the rooms where decisions are made. Six weeks is only a start. These leaders will keep growing together and help build the future our students deserve.”

Foundations builds on nearly a decade of leadership development at Latinos for Education. The organization has prepared more than 1,000 leaders, and more than 700 of them now serve as principals, superintendents, policymakers, nonprofit executives, and board members. To learn more about Foundations, visit latinosforeducation.org/programs. Applications for the next cohort open in spring 2027.