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The Florida Charter Institute wrapped up an incredible week of leadership development, learning, and collaboration across Florida's charter school sector.
FCI Educate brought together our inaugural Finance Fellows Cohort as they concluded their year-long journey. Over the past year, these leaders built meaningful connections, grew professionally, and discovered they were not alone in navigating the challenges of school finance and operations.
FCI Educate also welcomed Cohort 3 of the Distinguished Fellows Program for their first gathering, where curiosity, reflection, and continuous learning serve as the foundation for exceptional instructional leadership.
Both cohorts had the opportunity to learn from distinguished experts and leadership practitioners. The Florida International University Leadership Institute (Dr. Nathan Hiller and Dr. Stav Fainshmidt, Ph.D.) challenged participants to think more deeply about decision-making and leadership effectiveness. Distinguished Fellows spent time with Dr. Daniel Willingham exploring the critical role that cognitive science and critical thinking play in leadership and learning. Finance Fellows also engaged with Judith Marte as she shared practical financial strategies for navigating complex challenges in an increasingly technology-driven world.
As if that were not enough, the week concluded with an outstanding 2026 Governance Conference, organized by FCI Support, for board members and school leaders. Dr. Richard Siegler-Carter inspired participants to embrace active governance and intentional leadership, while Arnold Law Firm provided timely legislative updates. Additional presenters generously shared their expertise, giving up part of their weekend to strengthen governance practices across Florida's charter school community.
A week by the numbers:
126 Governance Conference attendees
15 Distinguished Fellows
22 Finance Fellows
✨ 163 educational leaders across Florida engaged, connected, and empowered as they begin the 2026-2027 school year.
Together, these efforts are impacting more than 75 organizations and hundreds of thousands of Florida students. That's the power of investing in governance, leadership, and continuous improvement. Through stronger governance, thoughtful leadership, and a commitment to continuous improvement, the leaders who attended these spaces are helping create learning environments where students, educators, and communities can thrive. The investment in leadership today will shape stronger outcomes for Florida students tomorrow.
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