In this insightful piece, Dr. Valaida L. Wise explores how ambient anxiety and societal division subtly creep into school decision-making, threatening to replace purpose with immediate relief. Expanding on the themes of her recent webinar on the same topic, Dr. Wise offers school leaders a grounded framework for leaning into mission and human dignity when navigating complex community dynamics. Readers will gain actionable perspective on maintaining trust, supporting faculty and families, and leading with steadiness through uncertainty.
As Episcopal schools, we are committed to creating communities that welcome, affirm, and sustain students and families from diverse backgrounds. As schools discern their paths forward, this resource offers guidance to heads of school, trustees, and other leaders in making thoughtful, mission-driven decisions. The article also includes a sample board agenda and a simple breakdown of key opportunities and challenges.
Three-to-five years is a typical timeline for school exploration and establishment. Here are some essential elements of such a process.
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In an Episcopal school, articulating the school's particular Episcopal identity, ethos, and traditions, as well as its relationship to any Episcopal Church entity such as a parish or diocese, are critical to a successful search for a new head of school. Here are some key questions that boards, search committees, and candidates can ask and answer as they embark upon the search process.
This documents provides a rationale and process that schools and churches should adopt when determining and allocating shared expenses. It explores: revenue and expense sources in church and school budgets; the benefits of allocation as opposed to undifferentiated lump sum payments; optimal church and school governance structures necessary for the process; implementation suggestions and instructions; and lists of key budget areas for consideration.
This tool provides NAES-member Episcopal school exploratory and start-up committees with a detailed five-phase timeline and lists of start-up and operating budget items for starting a viable and sustainable Episcopal school or Early Childhood Education program.
This tool is designed to help NAES-member Episcopal school exploratory and start-up committees undertake a systematic assessment of their readiness to start a viable and sustainable Episcopal school or Early Childhood Education program.
Are you exploring the establishment of an Episcopal school or Early Childhood Education program? The decision to establish a new Episcopal school requires discernment, education, planning, and time. Before you being your discernment process, read this article!
This article offers some key considerations to keep in mind when reviewing or evaluating your school board's composition.
A sample list of typical standing commitments and tasks of the rector of an Early Childhood program. This document reflects recommended best practices. It is intended as a draft document for discussion and for the creation of a list unique in each church and school.
