Sometimes the most valuable lessons come from seeing what not to do. A strong evaluation process is essential for a successful headship and a healthy governance culture, yet many boards unintentionally fall into patterns that undermine trust, clarity, and performance. In this interactive webinar, participants will examine common pitfalls that derail effective head of school evaluations, including misaligned expectations, unclear criteria, poor communication, and board–chair missteps. Join us to explore what can go wrong in the evaluation process and how to avoid these mistakes to ensure a more constructive, growth-focused partnership.
Sometimes, important lessons can be learned in what not to do! The partnership between head of school 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.
As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes how students learn and live, school leaders face both opportunity and urgency. This session will share the latest research on how middle and high school students use AI, outline key principles for ethical and responsible use, and highlight best practices for AI policy-making in independent schools. We’ll also explore what’s next, including emerging tools such as agentic AI and their implications for teaching, learning, and school planning. Participants will leave with strategies, frameworks, and forward-looking insights to guide their school’s summer planning and beyond.
We have long known that effective instruction is not one-size-fits-all, however classrooms today include more diverse learners than ever. Join us as we examine approaches that school leaders can take to support staff and further the mission of inclusion, and learn ways to honor student voice, provide meaningful scaffolds, and support diverse learning profiles. Attendees will walk away with simple tools to differentiate instruction, promote independence, and create learning environments rooted in respect and belonging.
Spring is contract season, which makes burnout, intent to stay/leave, and faculty morale especially urgent. This session translates current work-psychology into practical strategies leaders can use immediately: spotting early warning signals of disengagement, introducing restoration practices, and modeling communication that honors dignity while holding boundaries. We’ll connect each practice to Episcopal identity—care of persons, community, and justice—so that retention efforts reinforce mission as well as organizational health.
Board governance is a powerful opportunity to align institutional leadership with the Gospel’s call to equity and justice. Yet for many trustees of color, board service can feel like tokenism or come with a silent burden. This webinar introduces Culturally Affirming Independent School Board Governance (CAISBG), a framework developed through a national study of trustees of color. Participants will explore insights from trustees, reflect on the theological dimensions of leadership, and apply the CAISBG framework to board recruitment and culture. This webinar is for school leaders who want their boards to reflect Episcopal values of inclusion, justice, and belonging.
Episcopal schools are navigating an increasingly complex legal landscape with rapidly evolving issues impacting admissions, employment, governance, and daily operations. Join independent school attorney Kristin Smith of Fisher Phillips for an essential update on current legal topics affecting Episcopal schools. This session will demystify key legal developments, provide practical guidance for compliance, and equip heads of school, CFOs, and other school leaders and trustees with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions and mitigate risk.
In Episcopal schools, we all share responsibility for the spiritual care and emotional well-being of our students. This workshop will equip school leaders, educators, and staff with practical tools to recognize signs of student distress, support resilience, and foster a culture of belonging. Together, we will explore how emotional, physical, academic, and social indicators can signal deeper challenges and how to respond with compassion and effectiveness.
This webinar shares the process of collaboratively creating a school framework to guide improvement in P–12 teaching at Breck School in Golden Valley, MN. The framework includes three domains—cultural awareness, inclusive learning environments, and deeper learning experiences—and each domain comprises five to seven indicators that describe observable phenomena teachers and students now use to guide documentation and reflection. Each domain and indicator is connected to research in the Learning Sciences, such as cultural relevance, motivation, cognitive load, and authentic tasks. The session presents the Framework, outlines its development, describes its integration into broader curricular review and improvement processes, and highlights how teachers and instructional leaders might adopt or adapt it to the needs of their own schools.
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.
