Show-Me Growth Teaching Fellowship
Celebrating Missouri teachers helping students make exceptional academic growth
The Show-Me Growth Teaching Fellowship recognizes and supports Missouri public school teachers from schools demonstrating exceptional academic growth.
Fellows will join a statewide cohort of educators to share effective practices, elevate student success stories, and help inform conversations about what works in Missouri classrooms.
Nomination deadline: Friday, August 28, 2026
About the Fellowship
Across Missouri, some schools are helping students make meaningful academic progress in ways that deserve to be understood, shared, and celebrated.
The Show-Me Growth Teaching Fellowship is designed to elevate the educators closest to that work: teachers whose practices, mindsets, and leadership can help other schools learn from what is working.
The fellowship is a paid, nine-month program for current Missouri public school teachers from schools recognized by the PRiME Center at Saint Louis University in its 2026 Growth, Beating the Odds, or Rural Schools Growth reports.
Up to 24 teachers will be selected for the inaugural cohort.
Who Is Eligible?
Nominees must:
- Be a current Missouri public school teacher.
- Teach in a school recognized in the PRiME Center’s Growth, Beating the Odds, or Rural Schools Growth reports.
- Be nominated by a principal or school leader.
Principals and school leadership teams may nominate one teacher from each eligible school.
What Fellows Receive
Selected fellows will receive:
- A $1,500 stipend
- A certificate of completion
- Virtual professional learning opportunities
- Statewide networking with educators and education leaders
- Storytelling and communications support
- Opportunities to share classroom practices with educators, policymakers, and communities across Missouri
What Fellows Do
Fellows will participate in virtual convenings outside of school hours and engage in opportunities to share their expertise with others.
Fellows may choose from activities such as:
- Sharing effective classroom practices with other educators
- Writing or contributing to stories about student growth
- Speaking at events or virtual convenings
- Hosting classroom visitors
- Participating in media or storytelling opportunities
- Helping highlight how Missouri schools are supporting student academic growth
No travel is required. Any in-person opportunities will be optional.
Program Timeline
| July 13, 2026 | Nomination form opens |
| August 28, 2026 | Nominations close |
| Mid-September 2026 | Fellows announced |
| October 2026 | First virtual convening |
| December 2026 | Second virtual convening |
| January 2027 | Storytelling workshop |
| March 2027 | Growth data session |
| May 2027 | Final reflections and next steps |
How to Nominate a Teacher
Eligible principals and school leadership teams may nominate one teacher from their school.
The nomination form asks for basic information about the nominator and nominee, along with short responses about the teacher’s instructional impact, leadership, and potential to share practices with educators across Missouri.
Nominations are due by 11:59 p.m. CT on Friday, August 28, 2026.
How Fellows Are Selected
Fellows will be selected through a review process focused on:
- Student impact and instructional excellence
- Potential to contribute to other educators
- Leadership and storytelling potential
- Ability to participate meaningfully in fellowship activities
Final cohort selection will also consider geographic, grade-level, subject-area, district, and school-community representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
A principal or member of a school leadership team may nominate a teacher from an eligible school.
Eligible schools are those recognized by the PRiME Center at Saint Louis University in its 2026 Growth, Beating the Odds, or Rural Schools Growth reports. Only teachers currently working in these schools may be nominated.
No. Teachers must be nominated by a principal or school leader.
Up to 24 teachers will be selected for the inaugural cohort.
The fellowship will begin in September 2026 and continue through May 2027.
Convenings will be scheduled outside of school hours to avoid classroom conflicts.
No. Travel is not required. Any in-person opportunities will be optional.
Fellows are expected to participate in virtual convenings and selected storytelling or peer-sharing activities throughout the program. The fellowship is designed to fit within the schedules of working teachers.
The $1,500 stipend will be paid in installments over the course of the fellowship.
Yes. Stipends are considered taxable income and will be reported accordingly.
Fellows may be featured on Aligned’s website, newsletter, social media, or other public-facing materials. Fellows will be consulted before being featured publicly.
Please email MOFellows@wearealigned.org with any questions.