CALIE Certified Educator Program
You’re already doing the work of a leader. You write the PD, coach the new hire, and build the program nobody else will touch. The title just hasn’t caught up yet. The CALIE Certified Educator Program helps it catch up: a credential with your name on it, a capstone project your leadership can see, and a cohort of people doing the same work you are.
Applications for the 2026-2027 cohort close October 14.
What the First Cohort Built
16 of 17
capstone projects were designed to influence learning beyond a single classroom, reaching schools, districts, county offices, and families.
11+
reusable toolkits, hubs, guides, and implementation systems built for real educational settings.
1,000
parents could be reached by one capstone’s scalable family digital literacy training model.
Who It’s For
You might not have leader in your title yet. But you are the one colleagues come to when something needs to change. If this sounds like you, keep reading:
- Instructional Coaches and TOSAs
- EdTech and Curriculum Coordinators
- Assessment & Accountability Leads
- Department Chairs and Grade-Level Leads
- IT leaders
- Aspiring site or district leaders
- Classroom Teachers seeking to enhance or advance a leadership role
If you’re ready to lead change from the classroom or beyond, this program is for you.
Everything Included
Here’s what your $2,000 investment actually gets you, piece by piece:
- 20 hours of personalized leadership coaching ($3,000 value)
- Spring Forward 2027 Conference registration ($500 value)
- 1-year CALIE membership ($50 value)
- 12 live, 90-minute cohort sessions with expert facilitators
- A finished Innovation Leadership Plan you can bring to your next interview
- Certified Educator swag
- Membership in the Certified Educator Exchange when you finish
Total value: more than $3,500. Your investment: $2,000.
Applying is free, and nothing is due when you apply. Your fee isn’t due until the program ends in April 2027. Pay in full, in installments, or have your district billed.
Featured Capstone 2026 Projects
This is the part that makes it real. Last year’s cohort walked away with finished projects solving actual problems in their own schools and districts. Here’s what that looked like.
Integrated Instruction Hub
A resource hub helping educators integrate technology into instruction across content areas with practical, ready-to-use strategies.
Lindsay Munoz
Computer Science Integration Teacher, Cucamonga School District
Empowering Underserved Communities through Family Digital Literacy
A collaborative train-the-trainer model bringing digital literacy skills to families in underserved communities through accessible, culturally responsive workshops.
Jose Ramirez, Coordinator II, Technology Learning & Support Services, EdTech & Innovation, LACOE
AI Integration in Science Instruction
A framework for integrating artificial intelligence tools into science classrooms to deepen student inquiry and support differentiated learning.
Rudy Escobar, STEM and Computer Science Coordinator, Stanislaus County Office of Ed, CS for CA Co-Chair
Foundational Math Mastery for Early Primary Grades
A structured approach to building number sense and mathematical reasoning in early elementary through targeted instructional strategies.
Charles J Wassif
Personalized Learning Teacher, Sage Oak Charter Schools
A Toolkit to Jump-Start UDL
A practical toolkit giving educators entry points into Universal Design for Learning with actionable steps for immediate classroom application.
Liz Ferry, M. Ed.
Director of Curriculum Development, YETI Academy
The “Gold Standard” Professional Learning Design
A framework for designing professional learning that moves beyond one-shot workshops to sustained, job-embedded experiences that change practice.
Alvaro Brito
Coordinator III, Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE)
Building a Culture of Active Learning and Inquiry
A guide for shifting classroom culture from passive instruction to active, inquiry-driven learning experiences across grade levels and subjects.
Ellen Palmer
Assistant Director, Technology Innovation and Outreach, Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE)
Finish With Something to Show
You leave with an Innovation Leadership Plan: a needs assessment, a clear vision, an implementation roadmap, and the metrics to measure progress. Then you present it. Certified Educators walk into their next cabinet meeting, board presentation, or interview with a finished plan and the experience of having defended it. Your leadership sees what you are capable of before the opportunity opens up.
What Our Certified Educators Say
“I never thought of myself as a “Leader” in my position, I am much more comfortable in a support role, helping the leader be successful. But I learned that advocating for something that you feel strongly about is also critical “leadership”.
– Joe Johnson, Technology and IT Services, Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District
“Participating each week pushed me beyond my comfort zone. The experience challenged me to think more deeply, generate new ideas, and turn those ideas into something concrete for my project based on what I learned throughout the course.”
– Rudy Escobar, STEM and Computer Science Coordinator, Stanislaus County Office of Ed, CS for CA Co-Chair
“This program provides the frameworks, expert insights, and peer support to move from addressing challenges with surface-level solutions to instead driving systemic change. No matter what role you play in education, you’ll have space to build sustainable solutions rooted in equity and built for lasting impact.”
-Lindsay Munoz, Computer Science Integration Teacher, Cucamonga School District
Meet Our Inaugural Cohort
In 2025-2026, 17 educators from across California became the first to earn the CALIE Certified Educator credential. They came from classrooms, coaching roles, and district offices. They built capstone projects that tackled real problems in their communities. Their work set the standard for what this program can produce.
Inaugural Cohort Members
Robert Mayfield • Liz Ferry • Jason Williams • Lindsay Munoz • Alvaro Brito • Frank Parker • Laura Wilson • Jose Ramirez • Susie Oh • Joe Johnson • Rudy Escobar • Charles Wassif • Lisa DeLapo • Roxanne Pompilio • Myra Deister • Andrea Earl • Ellen Palmer
For Districts
Sending a team member? Certified Educators apply their capstone directly to a priority in your district, get outside coaching all year, and come back ready to present a real plan to your cabinet. One first-cohort participant identified an estimated $11,100 in annual support costs and designed a district process to prevent those costs before technology is purchased.
We accept purchase orders: select Bill Me at checkout, and an invoice is automatically created for your district. The Justification Toolkit has everything your business office needs.
2026-2027 Cohort
- Applications: Open through October 14, 2026
- Program timeline: October 14, 2026 – April 14, 2027
- Meeting cadence: 90-minute live, virtual meetings every other week, with additional asynchronous work. Planned 8-week break between November 18 and January 12.
- Optional: Advanced Certificate in Leading Innovation in Education and 8.0 graduate-level extension credits (additional cost paid to the university).
Share the value of this program with your admin team:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CALIE Certified Educator Program?
The CALIE Certified Educator Program is a cohort-based leadership development experience created by educators, for educators. Through expert-led sessions, peer collaboration, personalized coaching, and an applied capstone project, participants build the skills to identify current needs, develop practical plans, apply leadership and systems-change frameworks, and support meaningful improvement in teaching and learning.
Who should apply?
This program is for anyone looking to grow their leadership skills or move into leadership roles, Instructional Coaches & TOSAs, EdTech & Curriculum Coordinators, Assessment & Accountability Leads, Department Chairs, Education Specialists, and Aspiring Administrators. If you’re ready to lead change from the classroom or beyond, this program is for you.
When does the next cohort start?
Applications are open through October 14, 2026, and the next cohort runs from October 14, 2026, through April 14, 2027.
Participants meet every other week for 90-minute live virtual sessions, with additional asynchronous work between meetings. The program includes a planned break in November and December to accommodate busy school-year schedules.
What is the time commitment?
The program requires approximately 15 hours per month, including virtual sessions and asynchronous work. During November and December, the time commitment is greatly reduced.
What certificate or credential will I receive?
Choose to earn 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 university credits (available for an additional fee paid directly to the university).
8 credits are required to earn the Advanced Certificate in Leading Innovation in Education.
What will I create during the program?
Participants complete an Innovation Leadership Plan as the culminating capstone experience. This plan is a practical, real-world artifact that demonstrates your ability to identify a current need, develop a strategic response, and lead meaningful change in your educational context.
Your Innovation Leadership Plan includes a needs assessment, a clear vision for improvement, an implementation roadmap, and evaluation metrics to help measure progress and impact. You can use this completed plan as evidence of your leadership growth in interviews, promotion conversations, leadership applications, and professional portfolios.
What’s included in the $2000 fee?
The fee includes monthly high-impact leadership learning, personalized mentoring and coaching, Certified Educator swag, Spring Forward 2027 registration, and 1-year CALIE membership.
Do I need to pay when I apply?
No. Applying is free, and no credit card is required at application or upon acceptance.
When is payment due?
Your $2,000 program fee is due in full by the end of the program on April 14, 2027. You can pay at checkout, select Bill Me and pay on your own schedule, or choose an installment plan.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes. Select the installment plan at checkout. You can opt to pay in 1, 2, or 4 installments, and the first installment is not due at checkout. If you’d rather pay by check, contact our Business Manager, Darien Goodman, at info@joincalie.org and we’ll set up a schedule that works for you.
Can my district pay for me?
Yes. Select Bill Me at checkout and an invoice will automatically be created for your district. The Justification Toolkit above has everything you need to make the case to your admin team, including a School & Organization Alignment Crosswalk.
How can I share the value of this program with my admin team?
What happens after I become a CALIE Certified Educator?
Certified Educators become part of the Certified Educator Exchange, a community of innovators and education leaders committed to continued growth, collaboration, and impact. This community gives participants a place to stay connected, share ideas, learn from one another, and continue building leadership capacity beyond the program.
Certified Educators are also invited to connect in person each year at Spring Forward and may have opportunities to lead within CALIE through community conversations, mentoring, presentations, resource sharing, and other leadership pathways.
To maintain active status, Certified Educators complete a three-year renewal cycle. There is no renewal fee, but participants are asked to show evidence of continued leadership, learning, and impact through their work in the field and contributions to the CALIE community.