NHSAA | Granite State Leadership Academy

The New Hampshire School Administrators Association, founded in 1941, is committed to fostering and supporting outstanding educational leadership in New Hampshire at all levels. In partnership with the NH Department of Education, NHSAA has established the Granite State Leadership Academy, which is intended to build highly skilled leadership capacity throughout the state.

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New Hampshire needs and deserves to have leaders who:

  • Have a powerful vision

  • Aim for and achieve extraordinary results

  • Demonstrate exceptional skill

  • Possess steadfast will

  • Champion the needs of all NH children

We believe that the Granite State Leadership Academy will be the foundation upon which a new generation of New Hampshire educational leaders will be built.

GSLA Overview

The Granite State Leadership Academy is designed to provide a rich and collegial cohort opportunity for all educators aspiring to become educational leaders in New Hampshire. This highly selective multi-year program focuses on developing transformative leaders at all levels who will inspire sustainable efforts to lift student achievement for all children and enable public schools to thrive and succeed.

The GSLA will explore and develop the skills, knowledge, and commitment needed to succeed as an educational leader, regardless of formal role. Program faculty members are highly successful NH leaders who have served at the classroom, building, and systems levels and will provide multiple perspectives on effective leadership. Emphasis will be placed on the value of coaching and mentoring as an essential link between academic and practical preparation.

The GSLA curriculum will focus on educational leadership within a competency-based context over three years, helping educational leaders

  • develop strategic and systemic processes for sustained school improvement;

  • empower instructional leadership teams;

  • build and maintain a collaborative learning culture and a shared decision-making structure in their schools;

  • coach teachers and leaders about how to use student data and developmental theory to enrich classroom instruction;

  • foster effective communication with colleagues, families, and citizens.

The GSLA will gain increased awareness of the importance of building and nurturing relationships and effective communication with school board members, elected and appointed officials, parents, the media, and the community. Granite State Leadership Academy fellows will challenge, expand, and refine their existing leadership skills while acquiring new leadership knowledge and skills. Participants are also allowed to learn about the search and interview process, conducting contract negotiations, and entry planning. Session facilitators will also present strategies designed to help GSLA Fellows cultivate balance in managing their professional and personal lives.

Granite State Leadership Academy Fellows will recognize the complexities and responsibilities of “equal responsibility” as required under federal and New Hampshire state law that governs student services, including, but not limited to, special education and Section 504. Fellows will also identify potential pitfalls and areas of liability and recognize best practices that support students' educational growth targets. Granite State Leadership Academy Fellows will identify strategies used by effective school districts and leaders to narrow the achievement gap between students with educational disabilities and their peers without educational disabilities. 

In addition, GSLA Fellows will be able to identify the qualities of an effective school environment that supports a sense of belonging and academic and social development of each child from preschool through high school.