Governor's School Leadership Academy

GSLA’s Vision

The Academy envisions a statewide network rooted in research-based practices, serving as a state and national model, informing education policy, and strengthening Georgia’s educator workforce.

GSLA’s Mission

The Academy offers a comprehensive support system designed to enhance the competencies of leadership development, fostering growth and achievement for everyone.

Our Approach

We are committed to developing teams of leaders who drive meaningful changes within public school districts through systems thinking and strategic development processes. Our approach focuses on building individual competencies and skills that empower leaders to enhance learning environments, sustain highly effective practices, and promote positive transformations to improve the organizational health and culture of the district. 

Through targeted professional development, team coaching, and strategic support, we equip leaders at varying levels with the tools to navigate complex challenges, foster innovation, and cultivate a culture of excellence. Our goal is to create a lasting impact of sustainable and transferable independence—where empowered leadership teams inspire their educators and most importantly, improve student outcomes.

Participating teams’ experience includes:

• Learning: A network of support through targeted workshops and professional learning focused on research, best practices, and building leadership capacity.
• Leading: Professional, job-embedded activities designed to enable participants to apply data-driven decision making and enhance cultural competence within their leadership practice.
• Coaching: Coaching opportunities with experienced Georgia educators who have a proven track record of leading people, change management, and developing effective educational environments to increase collective efficacy.
• Growth: Collaborative engagement with current educators facing similar challenges across the state, encouraging team-based problem solving and sharing of insights to strengthen district school systems.
• Impact: Empowering teams to design coherent systems and employ sustainable practices that address one or more of the following areas of focus:
  • Leader Development: Enhancing the capacity of leaders within a system by focusing on the competencies, skills, and knowledge required for effective leadership. This includes supporting personal growth, guiding strategic visioning, and fostering the development of leadership capabilities at all levels.
  • Strengthening the Workforce Pipeline: Developing a robust internal pipeline of educators, progressing from teacher induction to district-level leadership. This effort focuses on enhancing collective effectiveness, addressing systemic growth opportunities, and prioritizing strategic recruitment, retention, and professional development.
  • Cultivating Culture: Creating the conditions to develop and sustain a cohesive culture at both the district and school levels. This includes developing organizational, learning, instructional, and behavioral cultures that create an environment conducive to effective learning and leading that aligns with a unified vision for meaningful impact.

Admission to the Academy

Admission to the Governor’s School Leadership Academy is guided by a rigorous selection process that seeks dedicated district teams eager to enhance their leadership skills and drive impactful changes within their learning community. Interested district teams should demonstrate a collective commitment to continuous professional growth, a passion for improving student outcomes, and the capacity to implement research-based leadership practices. 

If you are interested in joining GSLA or learning more about the Academy, please contact us at [email protected]. We look forward to supporting the next generation of educational leaders in transforming learning communities across Georgia.