• Our History
• The Need
• Mission
• Core Values
• FLI Difference
• FLI Program
• Results
• Informational Video
• Brochure
• Bids

Our History: From Good to Great

Future Leaders Institute developed out of the vision of a small group of New York City public school teachers who had seen the best and worst that the public school system had to offer. These teachers decided to start their own school in Harlem-a school designed to become one of the first high-expectation, high-performing schools in the community.

The resulting school, Future Leaders Institute, was dedicated to providing exceptional educational opportunities to students in Harlem. It offered an innovative, academically rigorous curriculum, a mandatory extended school day and year, and a broad array of enrichment opportunities. Beginning as a program within a public school in New York with 40 students, FLI grew rapidly over the next five years to become its own Kindergarten-8th grade public school with over 300 students. Students excelled in this environment and soon outperformed other Harlem students in combined reading and math test scores.

FLI's leaders soon determined that they could achieve even greater success through the autonomy, flexibility and financial control provided by Charter School status. They could maintain stable class and school size, enroll students whose families endorse FLI's core values and programs, utilize appropriate curricula, recruit and retain exceptional teachers, and implement an effective professional development program. With the support of the New York City Department of Education, FLI obtained Charter School Status from the New York State Board of Regents on March 15, 2005 and officially converted on July 1, 2005.