Pathways: Trustees & Vestry Members

As a member of your school’s board of trustees, or your church’s vestry, you are charged with some of the most important responsibilities in school life. Good governance, effective oversight, and positive church-school relations all topics that intersect with your role in the stewardship of your school community.

Here are some resources to support your work.

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Recent Webinars for Trustees & Vestry Members

Shared Calling: Cultivating Connection Between Episcopal Schools and Parishes (Webinar)

Episcopal churches and schools have a unique opportunity to strengthen one another through intentional partnership. This webinar explores how a strong, collaborative relationship between churches and schools can deepen Episcopal identity, enrich the formation of children and families, and align the school and church around a shared calling.

Making Strategic Thinking Actionable—and Lasting (Webinar)

Leaders want their school to be rooted in mission-driven, data-informed decision making, yet many schools struggle to create strategic plans that are not only aspirational but actionable. Join Mission & Data’s Jason Kern and Mike Cobb along with NAES Heads of School as they walk through research-based processes to develop an actionable strategic plan and effective methods for communicating progress to your community. Participants will receive strategies on how to develop a strategic plan that incorporates feedback from multiple constituencies across the school community and builds buy-in for implementation by considering the school’s organizational, programmatic and adaptive capacities. Learn how to align success metrics to strategic goals and how to build dashboards to keep school leaders and the board apprised of progress toward success.

Shifting Sands: Recent Trends in Independent Schools (Webinar)

Being an independent school leader has never been easy, but things are moving particularly quickly right now. Watch this lively discussion about what is happening in Washington, how it might impact the independent school landscape, and how we might tackle the challenges and harness the opportunities ahead.

Deep Dive: State of the Chaplaincy (Webinar)

The chaplaincy plays a vital role in Episcopal schools, and a clear understanding of this role is essential for chaplains to thrive. Drawing on insights from the 2024 NAES Chaplaincy Survey Report, this webinar will explore key aspects of chaplaincy and the impactful work of chaplains. Designed for heads of school, administrators, rectors, bishops, and chaplains, this session will provide valuable perspectives to support and strengthen chaplaincy in Episcopal schools.

Worst Practices in the Head of School and Board Chair Partnership (Webinar)

Sometimes, important lessons can be learned in what not to do! The partnership between head and board chair is critical for the success of the school. Effective partnerships depend on good communication, trust, and collaboration. In this interactive webinar, participants will explore common pitfalls that can prevent a thriving partnership between these two key school leaders.

Chaplains and Heads of School—Navigating Tensions in the Chaplaincy (Webinar)

Living into your school’s Episcopal identity is a critical strategic topic for heads of school. It’s hard work! Success in implementing the board’s vision for a school’s Episcopal identity depends on a highly effective partnership between the head of school and the chaplain. Join us to hear from three pairs of heads of school and chaplains about how they navigate tensions in the chaplaincy and cultivate collaboration in this important work.

Ready or Not, Change Will Come (Webinar)

Discover the keys to guiding your organization through change so that it is both effective and enduring. Whether it’s technological, curricular, or cultural, all schools are faced with the need for change, and in these turbulent times, it’s even more important that leadership is armed with the skills to effectively plan for change and to avoid (or recover from) common pitfalls of change. This webinar will give you a framework through which to assess the scope and scale of the change, along with the stakeholders, organization, and culture in which the change will be implemented to create a plan that’s tailored to each situation.

New Heads Introduction to Episcopal Schools 2024 (Webinar)

This webinar is designed for brand-new school heads as well as experienced heads new to an Episcopal school, including directors and heads of early childhood programs. Learn about the key characteristics of Episcopal schools and the role of the head in advancing the particular dimensions of school mission and daily life that are rooted in its Episcopal identity, including equity, inclusion, and justice as well as sustaining community.

The Board Chair and Head of School Playbook for Success (Webinar)

“Culture eats strategy for lunch.” The Board President is uniquely positioned to create a culture that can allow a school to thrive. But it doesn’t happen automatically, and it doesn’t happen overnight. In this webinar, participants will explore three “key plays to call” in their role as leaders of an Episcopal school board. Participants will also explore the elements of a successful president – head of school relationship and strategies to keep it on track. Bring your questions and be prepared to take the culture of your board to the next level!

MORE WEBINAR RECORDINGS

Latest Articles for Trustees & Vestry Members

Designing a Research-Informed Framework for Instruction

Teachers often teach how they were taught, yet the past three decades of research on how people learn requires rethinking our pedagogical foundations. At Breck, we had the question, “How should teachers teach?” and that seemingly simple question resulted in the design of our Instructional Framework, an artifact that is now intended to guide schoolwide instruction, professional learning, and teacher evaluation.

NAES Guidance on Accepting Public Funding for Private School Tuition

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.

The Three C’s Framework: A Leadership Model for Episcopal Schools Anchored in Faith and Community

In an increasingly complex and diverse world, leaders in Episcopal schools are called to guide their communities with a deep sense of purpose, compassion, and inclusivity. “The Three C’s Framework” offers a comprehensive leadership model that is deeply rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus and designed to foster a sense of belonging and communal well-being within Episcopal Schools. The framework is anchored by the Baptismal Covenant, a central tenet of the Episcopal School tradition that emphasizes the love of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ and the image of God inherent in every person. This framework positions Christ as the ultimate model of leadership—one that establishes a community marked by sacrificial love, service to others, and a commitment to justice and peace.

The State of the Chaplaincy

The purpose of this survey is to provide a demographic profile of chaplains and characteristics of the chaplaincy across the country for analytical, comparative, and reporting purposes as well as to assist heads of school, rectors, bishops, governing boards, and vestries in important program-level decision-making.

NAES Culture and Climate Survey for Administrators, Faculty, and Staff

The NAES Culture and Climate Survey for Administrators, Faculty, and Staff is one of the resources developed by NAES in response to member schools requesting tools to support their efforts to strengthen and sustain their Episcopal identity and commitment to inclusion. This survey is designed to be one element of your school’s ongoing reflective process by providing data from administrators, faculty, and staff about how Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice exist in the school’s programs and practices and the respondents’ experiences.

An Investigation of Support Resources for Heads of Color to Promote Well-Being, Persistence, and Retention

This research delves into the experiences of heads of color in independent schools, uncovering the factors that support and hinder their success. By examining the unique challenges and triumphs at NAES member institutions, the study reveals how shared values can positively impact their leadership journeys. Key findings emphasize the critical need for holistic board training, robust support networks for educators of color, and targeted strategies for recruitment, transition, and integration of new leaders. These insights offer valuable guidance for schools and organizations seeking to create more inclusive and supportive environments that empower heads to thrive and lead with impact.

NAES Statement on Inclusion and Episcopal Identity

As the past months have clearly shown us, Episcopal schools need support in their efforts to grow as communities committed to the work of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, and to be able to…

Episcopal Schools Chaplaincy: Sample Job Descriptions

A compilation of chaplains’ job descriptions from a variety of Episcopal school settings and grade ranges.

Roles and Responsibilities: Parish Day School Board

A sample list of typical duties and responsibilities of board members in a parish day school. 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.

MORE RESOURCES

Upcoming Events for Trustees & Vestry Members

Join the Online Community

The NAES Online Community is the best way for members to connect and collaborate. Get started with the Online Community today by creating a profile or signing in to your NAES account.

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Top Products for Trustees & Vestry Members

About Episcopal Schools, 2nd Ed.
This full color poster and pamphlet, newly updated and revised in 2022, examines the key characteristics common to all Episcopal schools, including aspects of Episcopal identity, faith-life, chapel, moral development, academic excellence, and social justice.
This publication is pamphlet-sized, but can be unfolded and used as a poster. Perfect for use in admission and development information kits, as a faculty/staff training resource or as a general information tool. Available only to members and affiliate members.

This product is exclusively for NAES members. Log in to place an order for this item.
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Principles of Good Practice for Leadership Transitions in Episcopal Schools
Adopted by the NAES Governing Board in September 2009, this document is intended to affirm the importance of the Episcopal ethos of the school and its centrality in the search for the new spiritual and academic leader; support the professionals and volunteers of both the church and the school as they seek to create smooth, effective transitions in leadership; assist boards, vestries, dioceses, and search committees in understanding their roles and responsibilities as they embark upon the process to find the new leader who is being called to serve; and ensure an impartial, thorough search process that upholds the values and integrity of the institution.
It also includes a brief set of principles for rector/dean searches at parishes and cathedrals that sponsor a school.
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Principles of Good Practice for Governance in Episcopal Parish Day Schools
Adopted by the NAES Governing Board in 2008, this document is intended to support the professionals and volunteers of both the church and school as they seek to be responsible, caring leaders and partners in the governance of the parish day school; assist vestries, rectors, school board members, and heads in understanding their roles and responsibilities, and the boundaries that define each particular role in the governance process of a parish day school; and guide discussion and processes as leaders strive to create trusting, collegial, and mutually fulfilling relationships in the parish day school setting.
This title is perfect for use in staff, vestry, and board handbooks and training sessions; and as an aid at times of transition in a school’s life.
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The Idea of an Episcopal School
This pamphlet offers one school’s definition and exploration of what makes an Episcopal school Episcopal. An important starting point for discussion of this topic in your school, this title is perfect for use in admission and public relations packets; and in student, parent, faculty/staff, board handbooks and training sessions.
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Connect with NAES

We’re here for you! To learn more about how NAES supports your school, contact Claire Leheny, NAES Director of Engagement, by calling (212) 716-6135 or by emailing claire@episcopalschools.org.

EMAIL CLAIRE

More Resources for Trustees & Vestry Members

Culture and Climate Dashboarding Tool

NAES Principles of Good Practice

Apply for an Outreach Grant for Your School