Leading Edge Fellowship
The Leading Edge Fellowship is a highly selective program for educators to become skilled communicators and writers about policies and innovations that are reshaping education. The program combines hands-on experience with AI and emerging educational technologies, deep dives into local and national policy, and intensive communications training to help innovative educators contribute meaningfully to public dialogue about the future of teaching and learning.
2025-2026 Leading Edge Fellows
“As an educator nurturing and developing the beginning of a young person’s creative journey, during the Leading Edge Fellowship I hope to research and share how our innate human desire to create is being influenced by AI in schools.”
—Lindsay Johnson, 6th-8th grade art teacher at Roosevelt Middle School in River Forest, Illinois and 2025-26 Leading Edge Fellow
“As an educator with 28 years of experience, I have seen too many instances where we have been behind the curve in using technology to prepare our students for a world in which they will live and work. I am confident my work with the Teach Plus Leading Edge cohort is going to reverse this trend and that I will be able to co-design AI learning with my students to fully engage them in the process.”
—Ashley A. Kannan, 8th grade American History and African American Studies teacher at Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park, Illinois and 2025-26 Leading Edge Fellow
“As a math educator, I’ve seen how the right tools—paired with the right mindset—can transform not just how students learn, but how they see themselves as learners. With AI, we have a powerful opportunity to personalize learning and rehumanize mathematics. I’m excited to be part of the Leading Edge Fellowship—a space where innovation meets impact—to explore emerging technologies, shape education policy, and amplify how innovation can foster student agency, identity, and belonging—especially for those pushed to the margins of success.”
—Al Rabanera, high school math teacher at La Vista High School in Fullerton, California and 2025-26 Leading Edge Fellow
“AI isn’t just a tool, it is a catalyst for innovation. In my product development course, students use AI to explore real-world problems to spark creative solutions, and shape ideas that evolve into tangible products. Exploring AI in the classroom is about more than technology, it’s about transforming how we teach, learn, and engage. I’m excited to be part of the Leading Edge cohort, where we can navigate the possibilities and shape the future of education together.”
—Jose Rivas, physics and engineering educator at Lennox Math, Science, and Technology Academy in Lennox, California and 2025-26 Leading Edge Fellow
