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Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. – Steve Jobs

The School Founders Program is a highly-selective yearlong fellowship for aspiring charter school founders in Alabama. We recruit, select, and train high-caliber individuals as they launch new, high-quality charter schools around the state. The program consists of four training experiences:

Application assistance.

Full-service assistance with the application and startup process.

School founder training.

Expert training on research-based skills aligned to Leadership Competencies.

Alabama compliance.

Assistance navigating regulatory compliance in Alabama.

Residency.

A full-time administrative residency with high-quality CMO.

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Program Details

The New Schools for Alabama School Founders Program is a highly selective, yearlong fellowship for aspiring public charter school founders in Alabama. Fellows step out of their day-to-day roles for a full-time, full-stipend year focused on designing, launching, and leading a new, high-quality public charter school in their community.

New Schools For Alabama experiences: full-service application and start-up support, research-based leadership training, hands-on guidance with Alabama regulations and compliance, and an administrative residency with a high-performing charter management organization in another state. Fellows also visit excellent schools across the country to see strong models in action.

Impact

Since 2019, the School Founders Program has helped Alabama leaders design and launch a new wave of public charter schools across the state, from rural communities to major cities. Fellows from the program are behind schools such as:

Breakthrough Charter School (Perry County) – Founded by School Founders fellow Dr. Darren Ramalho, Breakthrough is the first and only public charter school serving Perry County. It consistently outperforms neighboring district schools in both ELA and math proficiency for students who are economically disadvantaged.
Empower Community School (Bessemer) – Launched by founding fellow Dr. Anthony Oliver, Empower is a K–8 public charter school using a personalized approach to grow students academically, socially, and emotionally. Empower has posted one of the largest recent gains among Alabama charter schools, including a double-digit jump in its Alabama state report-card score.
Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School (Bessemer) – Founded by School Founders fellow Ruben Morris, AAHS is Alabama’s first aviation-focused public charter high school, preparing students for high-demand STEM careers. AAHS outperforms the local high school in ELA, math, and science proficiency while offering pathways to private pilot licenses and aviation industry credentials.
Independence Preparatory Academy (Fairfield) – Led by 2022 School Founders fellow Dr. Calandra Sales, Independence Prep opened in 2025 in the Birmingham metro with a mission to provide rigorous academics, strong character development, and a clear path to college and careers for students in Fairfield and surrounding communities.
I Dream Big Academy (Tuscaloosa) – Alabama’s first and only HBCU-based public charter school, I Dream Big Academy opened in partnership with Stillman College under the leadership of 2023 fellow Dr. Angela Lang. The school serves students in Tuscaloosa with a focus on breaking cycles of poverty through career-connected, high-expectation learning.
Floretta P. Carson Visual and Performing Arts Academy (Mobile) – Launched in 2024 by School Founders fellow Dr. Krista Williams, Floretta P. Carson is a tuition-free public charter school offering rigorous college-preparatory academics alongside conservatory-style training in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts for grades 6–12.

The New Schools for Alabama School Founders Program is a full-time, full-stipend fellowship. Fellows receive a one-year stipend that covers salary and fringe benefits, along with travel and accommodations needed to fully participate in the program.

Overall, fellows receive:

Fellowship stipend: A full-time, one-year stipend that allows fellows to treat the School Founders Program as their primary job while they design their school, complete charter application work, and participate in coaching, site visits, and training without needing a second job to make ends meet.

High-quality school visits: Curated visits to high-performing schools, both in Alabama and in other states, so fellows can see strong instructional models, culture systems, and operational practices in action and bring those ideas back to their own school design. These visits are built into the fellowship calendar as core learning experiences, not extras.

Local expertise and relationships: Direct access to New Schools for Alabama staff and partners who understand the Alabama charter landscape, authorizers, accountability system, and local community context. Fellows receive tailored coaching on school design, charter application strategy, and start-up finance and operations, along with introductions to potential board members, community partners, and peer school leaders.

Paid travel and school design resources: Travel, lodging, and related costs for required site visits, convenings, and learning experiences are covered by the program, along with targeted school design resources (such as materials, tools, and strategic support) that help fellows refine their model and prepare for launch.

The New Schools for Alabama School Founders Program is led by Jackie Bretl, Senior Director of Leader Support, and Dr. Anthony Oliver, Chief Schools Officer.

Jackie Bretl – Senior Director of Leader Support

Jackie is a former teacher and school leader who has served in elementary, middle, and high school communities around the country. She specializes in building systems at the program, school, and district level that use data in smart, practical ways to improve learning experiences for all children. At New Schools for Alabama, Jackie designs and leads the School Founders learning experience, walking alongside fellows from early design through authorization and launch as a thought partner, coach, and connector to local and national resources.

Dr. Anthony Oliver – Chief Schools Officer

Anthony brings extensive experience as a teacher, principal, nonprofit executive, and charter school founder. Born and raised in Birmingham and a graduate of Birmingham City Schools, he holds a M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Vanderbilt University, along with degrees from UAB and Virginia Military Institute. Before joining New Schools for Alabama, he served as a principal in Birmingham City Schools, led Breakthrough Collaborative in Birmingham, and founded Empower Community School in Bessemer. As Chief Schools Officer, Dr. Oliver oversees support for new and existing charter schools and co-leads the School Founders Program, helping fellows refine their academic vision, school culture, operations, and community engagement plans.

Ready to Take
the Next Step?

The New Schools for Alabama School Founders Program is built for leaders who are ready to turn a bold school vision into a high-quality public charter school for Alabama students. If you’ve read through the details and still feel a pull, that’s your cue to take the next step.

Apply Today

2,888

Student Enrollment

Students enrolled in Alabama public charter schools founded by School Founder Fellows.

80%

Charter Approval

Approval rate for charter applications led by School Founder Fellows since the program began.

MEET OUR FELLOWS

Fellows receive a one-year stipend to cover salary and fringe expenses as well as travel and other accommodations necessary to support fellows in their full-time commitment to the launch of a new school.

Fellows will participate in an administrative residency with one of our high-performing charter management organization (CMO) partners from another state to learn best practices of charter school leadership. They will also participate in periodic site visits at innovative charter schools around the country.

2025 COHORT

Dr. Harriette Thompkins

BIRMINGHAM

Harriette has spent her entire professional career in Birmingham City Schools. With over 25 years of experience, she began as a classroom teacher and eventually rose to principal, where she has held various leadership positions for over a decade.

Harriette joined the 2025 School Founders cohort when she was selected as the leader of Invictus Career Institute, which is a first-of-its-kind medical-focused charter school serving the Birmingham metro. Invictus is a partnership of Children's of Alabama, Lawson State Community College, and many other partners, and it will provide students in grades 9-12 with simultaneous access to an excellent high school education, early college credit, industry credentials, and hands-on experience in the medical industry.

Nate Patterson

DOTHAN

Nate began his career as an entrepreneur and small business owner in Dothan and eventually shifted his focus to community service. As the founder and executive director of T.I.ME. Youth Dothan, Nate has led a powerful nonprofit dedicated to youth mentorship and developmental programming for more than a decade. The organization facilitates programming in literacy development, afterschool mentoring, and job readiness for teens.

Seeing the need for a more comprehensive approach to youth development, Nate and his partners at T.I.M.E. Youth Dothan began the process of creating a charter school. Nate was selected for the 2025 cohort of the School Founders Program, and his community-focused charter school, T.I.M.E. Leadership Academy is scheduled for a 2027 opening in Dothan.

Dr. Dominic Combs

TUSCALOOSA

While Dr. Combs has held numerous roles in education, his most recent position was Deputy Director for the Office of Evaluation Research and School Improvement at the University of Alabama College of Education.

Dr. Combs was selected for the School Founders Program in 2025 with the goal of ultimately launching the C.A. Fredd Career and Technical Academy. The school will serve students in and around Tuscaloosa County and aims to prepare students with the technical skills and academic knowledge necessary for success in today's world. The school is scheduled for a 2027 opening.

Jhory Buskey

MOBILE

As a native of Alabama, Jhory's professional journey has led him to classrooms in New Orleans and Houston charter schools, where he has served as a teacher, department chair, assistant principal, principal in residence, and principal with one of the most esteemed charter school networks in the country, KIPP.

In addition to his fellowship with New Schools for Alabama, Jhory is a fellow with BES, and upon completion of both programs, he plans to launch a rigorous new college preparatory charter school in his hometown of Mobile.

2024 COHORT

Dr. Melissa Capehart

BIRMINGHAM

Prior to joining the School Founders Program, Dr. Capehart served in multiple school districts as a classrroom teacher, a coach, and a technology integration specialist, where she helped a large district implement innovative education practices in partnership with the Modern Classroom Project. In addition to her fellowship with New Schools for Alabama, Dr. Capehart is a fellow with BES and the National Accelerator for Autism Charter Schools.

Dr. Capehart is designing xS.T.R.E.A.M. Minds Academy, which is an innovative charter school focused on rigorous curriculum, aligned educational practices, and strong technology integration, with an emphasis on serving students with special needs. Dr. Capehart is planning for a 2027 school opening.

2023 COHORT

Dr. Angela Lang

TUSCALOOSA

Dr. Lang has over two decades of education experience as a classroom teacher, principal, district director, and state specialist. Prior to joining the School Founders Program, she taught in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Tennessee, from grade levels 6 through12. As an administrator, she served as a turnaround principal, helping to elevate a low-performing elementary school to exemplary status.

In 2023, Dr. Lang joined the School Founders Program, and in 2025, she launched I Dream Big Academy in partnership with Stillman College. Today, I Dream Big Academy is the state's first and only HBCU charter school and is located on the Stillman College campus in Tuscaloosa.

On'Draya Morris

BIRMINGHAM

On'Draya began her career in 2009 working with the Children’s Defense Freedom School in Louisville, KY as a 4th grade Summer Reading Teacher. In 2013, she joined Teach for America Metro Atlanta Corps in Clayton County as an 11th grade English Teacher. She has taught and led schools in several states, and most recently prior to joining the School Founders Program, she served on the founding leadership team of Alabama Aerospace & Aviation High School (AAHS), as the Dean of Culture & Instruction.

Today, On'Draya is pursuing a dual language immersion charter school serving Birmingham students in partnership with the Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama (HiCA). The school will be called Florecer Community School.

Dr. Krista Williams

MOBILE

Prior to joining the School Founders Program, Dr. Williams served as a professor in education, a teacher, and an administrator. As a lifelong advocate for arts education, Dr. Williams has presented numerous research papers and practitioner workshops at notable state, national, and international conferences, including the International Symposium on the Sociology of Music Education (ISSME) in Oslo, Norway and the Music Education and Social Inclusion (MESI) Symposium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Dr. Williams joined the School Founders Program in 2023, and in the fall of 2024, she launched the Floretta P. Carson Performing Arts Academy in Mobile.

2022 COHORT

Calandra Sales

BIRMINGHAM

As an Alabama native, Dr. Sales has held leadership positions in Alabama and elsewhere. Prior to joining the School Founders Program, Dr. Sales most recently served as the director of leader development at IDEA Public Schools in Tampa, FL where she was responsible coaching and developing school leaders. Dr. Sales has spent more than 18 years in the field of education as a curriculum specialist, instructional coach, content and assessment director, and a classroom teacher.

Dr. Sales completed her fellowship with New Schools for Alabama in 2023, and in 2025, she officially launched Independence Preparatory Academy in Fairfield, Alabama, which is in the Birmingham metro.

2020 COHORT

Dr. Anthony Oliver

BIRMINGHAM

Dr. Oliver was born and raised in Birmingham and is an alumnus of Birmingham City Schools. He holds a M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Vanderbilt University. He also earned bachelor’s degrees from UAB and Virginia Military Institute. Prior to joining the School Founders Program, Dr. Oliver served as a principal in Birmingham City Schools and previously served as Executive Director of Breakthrough Collaborative, a Birmingham nonprofit.

In 2023, Dr. Oliver's vision to build an outstanding K-8 charter school in the Birmingham area came to life when he opened Empower Community School at the former St. Aloysius Catholic School in Bessemer.

Ruben Morris

BIRMINGHAM

Ruben was born and raised in Birmingham, and his mother was a public school teacher in Birmingham for over 40 years. Prior to being selected for the School Founders Program, he served as a principal in charter schools, traditional public schools, and private schools in alike, working in Atlanta and Denver before returning home to Birmingham.

In 2020, Ruben was chosen to spearhead the creation of the Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School (AAHS), which is a collaboration of numerous partner organizations that aligned for the mission of preparing Birmingham students with the STEM skills and experiences they need for entry into the aviation and aerospace industries post-graduation. AAHS officially launched in the fall of 2023.

2019 COHORT

Dr. Darren Ramalho

PERRY COUNTY

Prior to joining the School Founders Program, Darren served as a classroom teacher in Perry County Schools for six years, beginning as a Teach For America corps member. His dedication to his craft led to him being selected to serve on the state Literacy Council among other appointments.

Recognizing his passion for the students and community in Perry County, when a group of community leaders began the process of creating a community-focused charter school in Marion, they quickly identified Darren as the founder. He was selected for the School Founders Program shortly thereafter, ultimately leading to the creation of Breakthrough Charter School, the first and only charter school serving Perry County, Alabama.

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